Fire Academy Chief Mike Alder to Say Goodbye to Crafton Hills College

Publish Date: May 19, 2023

Crafton Hills College Fire Academy Chief Mike Alder always encourages his cadets to leave the fire service better than they found it. And after 40 years in the profession, many would agree that Alder did just that.

Alder – who is an academy alumnus himself, a member of the second graduating class in 1982 – has announced his retirement from the post effective this August, a decision that he made in the best interest of his family, he said.

Alder began working with the academy in 1985, while balancing a full-time position with the San Bernardino City Fire Department. He retired from that department in 2012 and two years later was named Fire Academy chief at Crafton.

Preparing cadets for a career in the fire service is no easy task. The 16-week academy requires students to be on site 12 hours a day – sometimes more – learning the ropes and completing required coursework. Alder and his team work behind the scenes implementing effective ways to teach the challenging subject matter and securing funding to support cadets who may be financially struggling.

Although leaving is bittersweet for Alder, the longtime academy mainstay knows he’ll always have a home at Crafton and is excited to see what the program holds for the next generation of cadets “coming up the ladder.”

“It was an awesome ride,” Alder said. “I could have never done any of the things that I feel proud about if I didn’t have the support … of people around me at the fire department and at [Crafton]. I have been blessed to have great administrators and people who believe in this program.

He continued, “Everything works out the way it should. I’m a big believer in that. And so, I have a big smile on my face because in the last few years I have been a little baffled and disappointed with some of the things that I’ve seen coming through the door that are opposite of what the fire service’s got to be about. But, this academy, after the 19 academies that I’ve run, this is the best [one] that I’ve been around. They’re living proof that there’s good, selfless people out there that are going to make the fire service a better industry.”

As for his plans moving into this next phase of life, Alder said he is excited to settle down with his wife, Carla, at their new home in Borrego Springs, travel, and play some golf.

“Family always comes first,” Alder said.