The Lake Elsinore City Council meeting on Tuesday included a recognition of Fair Housing Month and an introduction to Riverside County’s new fire chief.
As part of the meeting’s presentations, council members proclaimed April as Fair Housing Month, joined by representatives from the Southwest Riverside County Association of Realtors.
Julie Paule, government affairs director for the association, said fair housing laws, first passed in 1968, are meant to ensure equal access to housing.
“Realtors are really the tip of the spear, ensuring that all access to housing opportunities are free of discrimination,” Paule said.
She added that fair housing is a key part of the profession.
“It’s something that’s part of our code of ethics and part of our training every year,” Paule said. “We hold them dear and they’re important to promote.”
Later in the meeting, the city welcomed Riverside County Fire Chief Robert Fish, who was appointed to the role in December 2025.
Southwest Division Chief Dustin Reed introduced Fish and shared details about his background. Fish began his career in 1992 as a volunteer firefighter in Moreno Valley. He later worked as a state dispatcher and public safety communications officer before moving into operations roles, including firefighter paramedic, engineer paramedic, and fire captain paramedic. He went on to serve as battalion chief and later as deputy chief of Eastern Operations.
Fish holds an associate’s degree in fire technology and a bachelor’s degree in fire engineering, protection, and administration. He also has professional accreditations as a chief officer and chief EMS officer.
Mayor Robert Magee said Fish is stepping into a major leadership role within the department.
“This chief is responsible for more personnel and more fire stations than any other chief in the entire Cal Fire system,” Magee said. “He potentially has the toughest and largest geographic area in the entire state.”
Fish emphasized the importance of working together as the city and county continue to grow.
“We’re stronger together,” Fish said. “We’re here to serve the city of Lake Elsinore. We hope we do it well. We will always strive to do it better. We’re currently going through a number of steps to try to build for the future and do that in a cooperative fashion with Lake Elsinore as you guys grow.”
