Waterloo Morada Fire District hires new chief

Record (Stockton, CA)

The Waterloo Morada Fire District has a new chief, Eric Walder, who has spent the last 30 years at the South Placer Fire Protection District, where he was fire chief the past five years.

Walder started his career as a volunteer firefighter and was promoted over the years to the top spot. He completed the Executive Fire Officer Program at the National Fire Academy, has a bachelor’s of science degree in public safety administration and is recognized as a leader in the state’s fire protection services.

Walder is a California state licensed mobile intensive care paramedic and currently is the Office of Emergency Services Region 4 coordinator responsible for coordinating emergency responses to requests for mutual aid throughout the state from 12 counties. He also represents OES on the Firefighting Resources of California Organized for Potential Emergencies (FIRESCOPE) Operations Team and is the second vice president of the Fire Districts Association of California (FDAC) and a board member of the Fire Agencies Insurance Risk Authority (FAIRA) and many local organizations.

“He is exactly the leader the fire district was looking for and we are excited to get him to join our family,” said Clay Titus, board president. “His community involvement and his dedication to the men and women that work for him was the selling point for us.”

Walder will start with the district on March 15 and transition with the current fire chief, Steve Henry, who is retiring after a 40-year career in the fire service on March 25, the past five as the fire chief of the Waterloo Morada Fire District. Henry started his career as a volunteer firefighter as well, and has promoted up through the ranks at various departments, including 20 years at the city of Clovis.

This article originally appeared on The Record: Waterloo Morada Fire District hires new chief