Fire Marshal Eric Binder Retires
January 6, 2022 7:15 AM
SANTA
MONICA, Calif. – Eric
Binder came to the Santa Monica Fire Department in 2000, bringing in a wealth
of knowledge from his previous positions with UCLA and the City of Long Beach.
He was hired by the Fire Department as a Senior Fire Inspector where he oversaw
Hazardous Material Inspections.
In 2009, Eric was promoted to Assistant Fire Marshal-Hazardous Materials overseeing the Certified Unified Program Agency (CUPA) which combined various hazardous materials and regulatory programs into one agency for the City. The purpose of the CUPA program is to ensure businesses with hazardous materials are properly managed and accurately reported. The City has received exemplary state evaluations under his watch. In 2104, Eric was awarded “Outstanding Individual at the Certified Unified Program Agency” annual conference recognizing his commitment to the CUPA program and that his reputation for excellence went well beyond the City limits.
In addition to the responsibilities as Assistant Fire Marshal, Eric also conducted highly technical and complex fire inspections, large scale plan review, and fire investigations.
In
2013, Eric was promoted to Fire Marshal, where he assumed management of the
Fire Department’s Fire Prevention Division, Fire Investigations, Public
Education, and continued to oversee the CUPA program. His responsibilities also
included review of major projects and developments for the City. Interim Fire
Chief Knabe remarked, "There is not a Department or Division in the City
that Eric has not helped and shared his expertise. Although Eric has officially
left the building, his legacy will live on. We thank him for his service to the
entire Fire Department and the City for all the years of dedication and
commitment, always putting the safety of our people and community first. Eric’s
impact over these 21 years has forever changed our Fire Department for the
better."
The Department has chosen Assistant Fire Marshal, Joe Cavin as Fire Marshal to
replace Eric Binder. Fire Marshal Cavin has been with the department for 12
years starting as a firefighter and working his way up to the Prevention
Division as a Senior Fire Inspector before being promoted to Assistant Fire
Marshal. Joe has held the position of Fire Investigator, responsible for High
Rise inspections, New Construction Inspections, and Plan Review. In his past
roles he has also supervised Fire Code Enforcement Officers and Fire
Inspectors.
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Media Contact
Patrick Nulty
Fire Captain
Patrick.Nulty@SMGOV.NET