John R. Hawkins
Riverside Unit Chief
County Fire Chief
August 1, 2006- Present
Chief John R. Hawkins
was appointed to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CDF), Riverside Unit
Chief on August 1, 2006. With his appointment he also became the Riverside County Fire
Chief. The Riverside County Board of Supervisors selected and approved of Chief
Hawkins for the County Fire Chief’s position and assisted CDF in selecting the Chief. Chief
Hawkins has worked for CDF for 42 years and has been assigned throughout the state. He began is
career with CDF in 1964 as a seasonal firefighter. He has worked through the ranks and held
a variety of positions providing him with a well-rounded and diverse background. Chief Hawkins
brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the position. He understands the
complexities of Riverside County and is prepared to meet the challenges of providing emergency
services to the citizens we protect. Prior to his Unit Chief appointment, Chief Hawkins was a
Deputy Chief for CDF and Riverside County Fire. As a Deputy Chief in Riverside, Chief Hawkins was
responsible for all Special Operations including training, health and safety, EMS, hazardous
materials, technical rescue, video production, telecommunications including the Emergency Command
Center, information technology and Pre-Fire Management. Additionally, he co-supervised the
multi-agency response to the devastating drought problems in the San Jacinto Mountains and served
as a Unified Incident Commander as part of the Riverside County Mountain Area Safety Task Force
(MAST).
Chief John R. Hawkins
was appointed to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CDF), Riverside Unit
Chief on August 1, 2006. With his appointment he also became the Riverside County Fire
Chief. The Riverside County Board of Supervisors selected and approved of Chief
Hawkins for the County Fire Chief’s position and assisted CDF in selecting the Chief. Chief
Hawkins has worked for CDF for 42 years and has been assigned throughout the state. He began is
career with CDF in 1964 as a seasonal firefighter. He has worked through the ranks and held
a variety of positions providing him with a well-rounded and diverse background. Chief Hawkins
brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the position. He understands the
complexities of Riverside County and is prepared to meet the challenges of providing emergency
services to the citizens we protect. Prior to his Unit Chief appointment, Chief Hawkins was a
Deputy Chief for CDF and Riverside County Fire. As a Deputy Chief in Riverside, Chief Hawkins was
responsible for all Special Operations including training, health and safety, EMS, hazardous
materials, technical rescue, video production, telecommunications including the Emergency Command
Center, information technology and Pre-Fire Management. Additionally, he co-supervised the
multi-agency response to the devastating drought problems in the San Jacinto Mountains and served
as a Unified Incident Commander as part of the Riverside County Mountain Area Safety Task Force
(MAST).