Chris Jelinek is Manteca Fire Department’s newest battalion chief.Jelinek joins Manteca Fire after serving 26 years with the Humboldt Bay Fire Department. With his hiring, all three Manteca battalion chief positions are now staffed.His passion for firefighting took him from becoming a volunteer firefighter with the Arcata Volunteer Fire Department to serving on a “hot shot” forest fire attack crew and finally to the Humboldt Bay Consolidated Fire Department where he worked his way up to battalion chief.Jelinek’s career was launched when he and his school teacher wife, Kim, were walking down the main street of Arcata hand in hand where they stopped in front of the volunteer fire department. He was in his first year of college and looking for summer work.