The Weekly Newspaper of El Segundo
Herald Publications - El Segundo, Hawthorne, Lawndale & Inglewood Community Newspapers Since 1911 - (310) 322-1830 - Vol. 110, No. 43 - October 28, 2021
Halloween Coloring Contest Winners
Wow, we got fifty-five gorgeous submissions. Thank you, El Segundo! We all had a tough time picking just one winner for each age group. Thank you to all the participants. Everyone sent in such great
creative works. Winners get $20 gift cards from Target. Winners: Upper left, 5-8 years old, Bennie Bornstein; Upper right, 9-12 years old, Vin Voboril; Lower left, 13-18 years old, Emma Relles;
Lower right, 19 years old and up, Joey Medina.
New El Segundo Fire Chief Deena
Lee: A Trailblazer Once Again
By Duane Plank
History will officially be made on Tuesday,
Nov. 2, when Deena Lee takes over as the
permanent chief of the El Segundo Fire Department
(ESFD). She will become the only
female fire chief not only in the South Bay,
but in the tri-county coastal area encompassing
Ventura, Orange, and Los Angeles.
Lee, who is currently serving as the acting
fire chief, a position she has held since July
6, will replace the retiring Chris Donovan.
Donovan has been out on medical leave dealing
with health issues since May of this year.
As for her upward progression in the ESFD,
Lee said that “as a woman, throughout my
career in fire service, I (feel) that I have had
to work ten times harder for everything that
I have earned.
“I would like to lead the way and see more
women fire chiefs in the future,” Lee said. “I
think that I have a responsibility to be a role
model.” “I want to give back, so that other
women are not afraid to (aspire) to rise to
the top or be afraid of leadership positions.”
She is looking to increase the work that her
non-profit organization, the Women’s Fire Alliance,
does, as well as continue in her role as
an instructor for the El Camino Fire Academy.
As one of her first accomplishments as fire
chief, she hopes to hold a fire camp for girls
13-18 to fuel their interest in pursuing fire
science as a career. Lee hopes to have the
ESFD host an “empowerment camp” in the
Spring or Summer of 2022.
As for her role models, Lee said she attended
a summit for Women Firefighters in 2018, and
while mingling with women battalion chiefs,
Lee cemented her philosophy of “once I see
it, then I can be it,” noting the mentorship of
a couple of her female role models who hold
down key roles in fire service, working for
the LA County Fire Department.
Lee became an ESFD battalion chief in
2019. Donovan had been mentoring Lee up
until he had to go out on medical leave in May.
Donovan’s departure hastened Lee’s ascent to
chief, but she feels that she is ready to tackle
the day-to-day duties of running the ESFD.
What, Lee was asked, are the different
challenges that a female, as opposed to a
male chief, would face? While reiterating she
feels that she “has to work a little harder,”
she finds comfort in the fact that she has been
with the department for 18 years and that
“the firefighters know me, they know what I
believe in, and that I care deeply about the
fire department, the community, and the city
that we serve.”
COVID-19 issues aside, Lee said that one
of the challenges she foresees is dealing with
ESFD budget ramifications and working to
keep staffing levels “up,” and addressing the
concerns of some firefighters, who are rethinking
their paths to achieving their optimal “worklife”
balance.
Lee said that her goals as she ascends to the
ESPD’s top post include “Succession planning
and promotional exams within the department,
Inside
This Issue
Certified & Licensed
Professionals.....................16
Classifieds............................4
Halloween Artwork....18-20
Crossword/Sudoku.............4
Legals............................ 14,15
Pet Costume Photos.......2,8
Obituaries.............................3
Real Estate.....................9-12
Sports.................................5,6
Travel.....................................3
Weekend
Forecast
New Fire Chief Deena Lee. Photo provided by the City of El Segundo
See Chief Deena Lee, page 14
Friday
Sunny
77˚/59˚
Saturday
Partly
Cloudy
67˚/58˚
Sunday
AM Clouds/
PM Sun
65˚/56˚