Fire Captain Lester A Fuzell, Sr. is a 33 year career professional firefighter with the Los Angeles County Fire Department and CEO & Administrative Consultant of AfroFireHire.com.

He began his fire department career as a Fire Explorer with Orange County Fire Department, CA Fire/Rescue Post 628 located at Fire Station 22 in Laguna Hills, CA in 1973. There, he and other members of the Post were proactive in launching the first California Explorer Fire Academy as well revisions to the current Exploring guidebook

He solidified his foundation, becoming an Emergency Medical Technician with a stint working for Scudders Ambulance in Laguna Hills, CA. In 1977, after graduating from El Toro High School, CA, he worked as a seasonal firefighter with CalFire (then the California Department of Forestry). He was successful in his first fire department examination at 18 years old, scoring 100% on his oral interview and becoming a sworn Los Angeles County Fire Department firefighter in 1978 at 19 years old!

As a firefighter, he was an Explorer advisor and was an active member of the Explorer Advisory Committee while assigned to Truck 127, stationed at Fire Station 127 in Carson, CA, the home of the “Emergency” television series. He became a certified firefighter/paramedic in 1980, working in Carson and Norwalk, CA and was a member of the Paramedic Advisory Committee.

He promoted to fire apparatus engineer in 1984 and was also a fire prevention inspector in the department’s newly formed Hazardous Materials Disclosure Control Unit as well an Arson Investigator with the Fire Investigation Unit. During this time he served as an active member of the departments Plans Team on major emergency incidents.

Promoting to Captain 23 years ago in 1989, he has worked various assignments throughout the county from Battalion 1’s West Hollywood and Marina Del Rey, CA to Battalion 5 in Malibu. Time spent in Battalion 4 in Altadena and Battalion 17’s Soledad Canyon of Acton/Agua Dulce, CA honed his love of wildland firefighting. He has supervised well over 25 probationary firefighters and engineers during his tenure as fire captain.

He became a certified Background Investigator, conducting Firefighter Trainee candidate background investigations and has been a member of the departments Firefighter Trainee candidate interview cadre. He is a CICCS Type 4 Incident Commander and a Documentation Unit Leader. He also mentors at-risk youth with the Los Angeles County District Attorney Rescue Youth Program.

He is a member of Los Angeles County Firefighters Local 1014, the California Firefighters Association and the Los Angeles County African American Firefighters Association, The Stentorians.

He has mentored many firefighter candidates in his 33 year career, starting early giving his time spent as an Explorer advisor with the County and branching out throughout his career to helping those with an interest, determination and effort in pursuing a career in the fire service.

AfroFireHire.com, a company which brings information in a straight forward real world perspective to its demographic, the African American community. Available to everyone, the site is a clearing house of information to “open the apparatus room doors” to the opportunities available as well guidance to understanding the “rules to the game” in successfully preparing and competing for a position as a professional firefighter.

AfroFireHire.com also “goes to the heart” of self examination, preparation and self-improvement where a person’s life choices determine future opportunity. It’s Mission Statement, “Empowerment is more than talking at someone, it’s speaking to their opportunities” speaks to engaging a person, mentoring and providing worthwhile guidance and information to reveal their opportunities for success and overcoming obstacles, some of which are prevalent in the African American community.

Connecting with firefighter candidates through the website, publishing and public forums and workshops, he can be reached @ fyrcapmo@afrofirehire.com.
His professional profile is also available on the LinkedIn Business site @ http://www.linkedin.com/in/lfuzellsr
He is also on Facebook and Twitter as AfroFireHire

AfroFireHire.com Mission Statement – “Empowerment is more than talking at someone, it’s speaking to their opportunities’.
AfroFireHire.com Core Values – “Education, Opportunity and Execution”