Dorian Cooley Replaces Dennis Dawson as Division Chief
Dorian Cooley, a Bermuda Dunes resident whose face is familiar to many Fourth District residents, has assumed duties as the West Desert Division Chief for the Riverside County Fire Department, taking over for the recently-retired Dennis Dawson.
Cooley’s duties including providing administrative oversight for the Cities of Desert Hot Springs, Rancho Mirage, Palm Desert, Indian Wells and La Quinta. Additionally, he covers the communities of Thousand Palms, Bermuda Dunes, Desert Palms (Sun City Palm Desert) and Vista Santa Rosa.
Chief Cooley began his career in 1980. In 1986 he was hired by the City of Indio as a Firefighter/Paramedic. While there, he worked his way through the ranks of Fire Apparatus Engineer and Fire Captain, to become a Division Chief. In addition to operational and administrative management functions, he oversaw EMS, Training, Prevention/Planning and Dispatch coordination. In 1997, the Indio Fire Department transitioned into CDF (CALFIRE). Dorian continued to oversee Indio operations as a battalion chief until 2000, when he assumed responsibility for the La Quinta Battalion.
Dorian has served on numerous special committees, and is currently a member of the Department's Strategic Planning work group. Dorian lives in Bermuda Dunes with his wife Sonia and their two sons.