Career Staff
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Career Staff
Christiana hired its first two full-time Firefighter/EMTs in 1994 to offset daily Fire/EMS staffing. Over the past 30 years we have gradually increased our career staff to 36 full-time employees.
In 2004 Christiana Career Staff started the first I.A.F.F. Union Local in Delaware for combination department firefighters, which has grown to over 150 members throughout New Castle County, also followed suite in Kent and Sussex Counties with their own locals.
CFC was the first combination department in the state to promote career employees into the officer ranks in 2012 with our first Career Assistant Chief, followed by our first Career Lieutenants in 2015.
In 2026 it was determined that it was unrealistic to expect our volunteer Fire Chief to manage the busiest station in the State of Delaware and one of the busiest in the northeast region on his own time. The company then decided to hire our Chief full time, making him the first Career Fire Chief for CFC.
Our career staff work seamlessly alongside of our volunteer officers and members to ensure we have a minimum of 1 Duty Chief, 1 Engine, 1 Ladder, and 3 BLS units staffed 24/7, 365.
Christiana strives to be the example of a successful combination system for our state and nation.
We currently employ:
1 Career Fire Chief, 1 Career Assistant Chief, 3 Captains, 1 Lieutenant, 16 Firefighters, 12 EMTs, a full-time administrator and a full-time mechanic. CFC also employs over 30 part time EMTs for BLS staffing.
Our Career Fire/EMS work a 4 Platoon rotation of 24hrs on and 72 hrs off. Each shift has 1 Capt./Lt. (Shift Commander), with 4 Firefighter/EMTs & 3 BLS EMTs.
Mike Lombardo
Mike Lombardo is a 30-year veteran of the fire service, retired from the Buffalo (N.Y.) Fire Department where he was the Commissioner/Chief of Department of the Buffalo Fire Department from Jan. 2006 to Jan. 2010. He is a New York State fire instructor and was a member of the development team for New York State firefighter survival and rapid intervention programs. He has been an editorial advisor for Fire Engineering Magazine, a member of the Advisory Board for FDIC and lead instructor for FDIC live fire training. He is a two time Firehouse Magazine Heroism Award recipient (1988 and 1994) and the recipient of the FDIC 1999 Training Achievement Award. He is an instructor on fire tactics, live fire attack, firefighter survival, and command throughout the United States. Mike is excited to finally live his dream of being a Christiana Firefighter.
Mike is currently the Ladder Captain at station 12.
Positions Held
