Remembering Mike Horton: His Commitment ‘Was Second to None’

Publish Date: Dec. 22, 2022

The Crafton Hills College community is mourning the loss of its longtime Fire Academy mainstay and instructor, Mike Hor ton.

Horton, who also served as fire marshal for the San Bernardino County Fire Department, died on Nov 2, following an illness. He was 64.

Horton began his career in 1981 with the Norco Fire Department and held positions with the Riverside County Fire Department and other agencies before moving to San Bernardino County. In 2006, he assumed the post as deputy fire marshal before becoming fire marshal in 2013.

At Crafton, Horton worked as the academy’s lead ladder instructor, working alongside other instructors who believed in the idea of training hundreds to join the fire service and giving back to the communities they love through public service.

“Mike’s commitment to the public and the communities he served was second to none,” said Chief Mike Alder. “Mike completely reflected the philosophy of leaving the fire service and our fire academy better than he found it.”

Alder added that Horton had a “true passion” of training the next generation of fire service responders, and his work is reflected in the young lives he impacted.

“Mike will leave a tremendous legacy at Crafton Hills Regional Fire Academy,” Alder said. “He was an incredible instructor that was serious about teaching the cadets what it takes to be successful.”

“We always joked about how he could be so intimidating to the cadets in the beginning of the academy program and that his bark is bigger than his bite. [But], he had an incredible way of connecting with the cadets so they absolutely knew that they had to perform at a very high level, and it was always special to see that they did not want to disappoint him with their ground ladder evolutions,” he continued.

Shortly after his death, news of Horton’s passing was posted to the County Fire’s Facebook page, with users sending condolences and thoughts and prayers. Similar sentiments were expressed on another County Fire Facebook post highlighting photos of his Dec. 5 memorial service.

“Serving 41 years in the fire service, the past nine as Fire Marshal, Mike left an everlasting impression,” the post read.“We miss our brother and are continuing to send our deepest condolences to his family and friends during this difficult time.”

“That lasting legacy will also be left within the grounds of Crafton Hills and beyond,” Alder said. Although no plans are yet set in stone to honor Horton on campus, there are talks of renaming an area currently known as “The Grinder” as the new “Horton Grinder.” “That area,” Alder said, “is where cadets raise, extend, climb, and lower the various ground ladders up against the 35-foot concrete ‘spray wall.’ Whether Crafton establishes the “Horton Grinder” or not, Mike’s legacy will continue to inspire cadets for years to come.