Integrity You Can Count On; Passion to Make a Difference

By Theresa McKenna

THERESA MC KENNA is a Retired Fire Captain from the San Miguel Fire District, having served your Community for more than 22 years. As such, Theresa has first-hand knowledge of what quality emergency service means and the methods required to ensure that you receive the most skilled professionals available, in the most-timely manner possible.

1. The Senior Citizens' Fire Safety Outreach Program that focused on burn prevention and fire safety for our senior citizens;

2. An Accountability/Rapid Intervention Crew Program that focused on increasing firefighter safety; and

3. The Wildland Prevention and Risk Assessment Project, which enabled the District to properly pre-plan emergency responses and evacuation routes for areas at risk of wildfires. Her well-prepared pre-plans were first put into action during the Harris Fire of 2007.

Many times, Theresa's grant work was done on a voluntary basis due to her passion for community service. Her efforts helped save District taxpayers millions of dollars by providing the District with much needed funds for items such as new fire engines, self-contained breathing apparatus for firefighters, and a live fire training trailer, just to name a few. Given her years of dedication to this District and contributions over and above that required of her, Theresa's commitment to public safety is clear.

Theresa is currently a Licensed Private Investigator with a focus on asset investigations on individuals, small businesses, and major corporations. Her investigative skills were instrumental in researching and bringing public awareness to questionable spending by a former District Fire Chief that included alcohol purchases utilizing a District credit card (including a $48.00 bottle of Merlot), and nearly $10,000 in dining out costs (including a $42.00 rib-eye steak, an $18.00 tab for Crème brûlée, and a $26 Crab Benedict breakfast). She revealed this excessive spending took place at a time when the District was considering closing fire stations, laying off firefighters, and outsourcing its core services - Emergency Response. If elected, Theresa will continue her diligent oversight of District spending and ensure every penny is wisely and appropriately spent.

On a personal matter, Theresa took legal action to bring attention to acts by the District's top staff that she believed were blatantly unjust. In a scathing statement, the California Court of Appeal found her complaint, "...inarguably portrays bureaucracy at its worst..." (Unpublished, Cal.App. 4th Dist., Div. 1, Case No. D061316, page 12.) With your vote, Theresa will work hard to ensure that no other citizen goes through the same blunders and intentional bureaucratic missteps she endured.

Since her retirement, Theresa has kept her fingers on the pulse of the San Miguel Fire District and has concerns that emergency services to this Community have declined under the State's contract. Having a daughter with special needs who suffers debilitating seizures, Theresa knows the importance of having quality emergency services brought to your door in a timely manner. She is passionate about ensuring the emergency response to your Community is the best it can possibly be, regardless of who provides the service. Theresa strongly believes that local control is the only way to ensure this Community receives the best service possible.

She will work hard to retain your experienced firefighters long-familiar with this Community and reduce the need for less experienced new-hires, temporary, and seasonal employees. She will ensure the California Public Records Act is implemented as legislatively intended without giving citizens the run-around.

Theresa has been a District resident since 2000 and has lived in the East County ever since moving to San Diego in 1973. She attended Grossmont High School and obtained her A.S. Degree in Fire Protection Technology at San Diego Miramar College. She has three children and three grandchildren.

Respectfully requesting your vote!