Costa Mesa Fire & Rescue recently promoted part-time Fire Protection Specialist Arnold Antonio to full-time Code Enforcement Officer in the department’s Community Risk Reduction Division.

Antonio previously served as a Community Risk Reduction Intern with the city from 2014-2016 and thereafter as a part-time Fire Protection Specialist, beginning in that capacity in January of 2016.

“Arnold brings some highly valued experience, skills, and local knowledge to this position that will certainly benefit our collective city team efforts and the incredible community we serve.” Fire Chief Dan Stefano stated. “We anticipate an immediate transition into his new role, under the direction and mentoring of our Assistant Fire Marshal Jon Neal.”

Antonio started his new position this past week, which was created by Jon Neal’s promotion to Assistant Fire Marshal at the end of last year.

Antonio’s experience with us has included overseeing our permit program, being a lead with our apartment inspections, playing a key role with our fire and life safety inspections, including sprinklers, alarms and new construction.

In addition, Antonio has been our lead for the Knox Box program and will be taking on additional responsibilities related to our sober living home issues.

Prior to his experience with the Costa Mesa Fire & Rescue team, he proudly served eight years of active military duty as a Damage Controlman/Auxiliary Security Force aboard the USS Constellation and the USS Comstock, as well as two years as a reserve at the Naval Weapons Station in Seal Beach.

Further, this past year, Antonio successfully completed his Associates Degree from Santa Ana College and has also completed a number of Community Risk Reduction and Fire Service certifications.

Costa Mesa Fire & Rescue will partner with several local firefighting agencies to conduct Air Operations Training at Fairview Park to prepare for the potential of wildfires in the area and improve communications and interoperability between all agencies.

To avoid interference with the training and to minimize safety concerns, fire officials are requesting that the public stay away from that area of the park and to refrain from any drone usage in and around the area.

Costa Mesa Fire & Rescue is the host of the operations, which will take place at the south end of the park on July 19 and 20 and Aug 2 from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Orange County Fire Authority and the Orange County Sheriff’s office and several Orange County fire agencies will also take part in the exercise.

Both the Sheriff and Fire Authority helicopters will be used during the operations as well as other large fire apparatus.

Fire officials have worked with city staff to ensure that all environmental and wildlife concerns are addressed prior to the training.

Public Services recently reached another major milestone with the reconstruction of Fire Station No. 1.

The new LEED Gold station is in the final stages of construction with the installation of architectural finishes and permanent power being supplied to the building. Southern California Edison (SCE) is onsite delivering the new electrical transformer and installing cables and wiring to provide electrical service to the building.

This major milestone will provide the utility necessary to begin the early stages of mechanical, electrical, and plumbing testing, preparations for energizing these systems, ensuring proper system functionality, and conformance with energy standards to meet LEED Gold certification.

The Costa Mesa Fire & Rescue Department held a Promotion Ceremony at City Hall to honor three new captains, a new engineer and assistant fire marshal and the historic addition of 10 new firefighter/paramedics.

“Today we come together as a Fire Family to celebrate some very special promotions and the successful completion of probation for 10 of our Firefighters, the largest group to complete probation together in the history of our department,” Fire Chief Dan Stefano said. “Today highlights the extraordinary transformation we are in the midst of and the focused trajectory we are all locked in on.”

The ceremony held in a packed City Council Chambers on Thursday May 3 was attended by friends, family, co-workers, city staff and Council Members Katrina Foley and John Stephens.

In addition to the promotions, the department paid tribute to outgoing Fire Capt. Shawn Brosamer, who is retiring after 30 years with the city. Coincidentally, Brosamer’s son Kyle was one of the 10 new firefighters and Capt. Brosamer pinned his son with his badge during the ceremony.

Those promoted to captain include Jeff Bibler, Andrew Harris and Kevin Reddy. Mike Ruhl is the new engineer and Jon Neal the new assistant fire marshal.

The 10 new firefighters are Luke Anderson, Craig Bates, Kyle Brosamer, Matt Chavez, Thomas Foskarino, Jordan Kiesz, Bryan McMahon, Kyle Myszka, Angel Ordaz and Maurilio Torres.

“We have an absolutely amazing team throughout all ranks and all areas,” Chief Stefano said. “At the end of the day, it is about our people, it is about those we serve, it is about providing the highest quality of service in the most effective and efficient manner we can, and it is about making sure that every single person on our team returns home safely at the end of each shift.”

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Members of the Costa Mesa Fire & Rescue Honor Guard, which includes Capt. Mike Hurd, Capt. Fred McDowell, Engineer John Brock, and Capt. Chris Coates, along with Fire Chief Dan Stefano and Division Chief Jason Pyle, joined with members from all of the fire agencies in Orange County to pay tribute and honor the fire service members who passed away in 2017.

The Costa Mesa fire family honored former firefighters Scott Coykendall, Paul Durham and Archie Y. Locke.

The annual memorial event usually takes place each year in October at the Orange County Fire Service Memorial in Santa Ana, but this year it was rescheduled later because of the wildfires.

Costa Mesa Fire Capt. Chris Coates was recently presented with the Randy Scheerer Memorial Award at the Annual California Fire Chiefs Training Officers Symposium held in Fresno, California.

Capt. Coates was selected by Training Officers throughout the region for his dedication and outstanding service to the Orange County Fire Service. In addition to serving as Costa Mesa Fire & Rescue’s Training Officer, Captain Coates also serves as the EMS Manager, Public Information Officer, and is finishing his term as the President for the Orange County Fire Chiefs Training Officers.

“Capt. Coates has done an outstanding job of developing our training programs and building on the wide range of talents on our team,” Chief Dan Stefano said. “His dedication to building relationships and collaborating throughout the entire region for the greater good of the fire service and the community we serve has been an exceptional hallmark of his. There is no question that Capt. Coates embodies the essence of what the Randy Scheerer Memorial Award is all about.”

The Randy Scheerer Memorial Award is dedicated to the memory of Newport Beach Fire Division Chief Randy Scheerer, who unexpectedly passed away in 2003. His contributions to the California fire service were so significant and the loss was so great that both the Northern and Southern California Training Officers’ Board of Directors unanimously agreed to establish and support an annual memorial remembrance award in honor of Chief Scheerer.

Costa Mesa Fire & Rescue was the co-lead agency to facilitate a countywide trench rescue class where several specialized rescue teams met to review the latest protocols related to trench rescues.

Trench rescues are a low frequency, high-risk emergency where the potential for first responder injury is heightened.

Crews practiced putting shores in place in order to affect a rescue of a victim trapped.

Exploring of Orange County presented Costa Mesa Fire Chief Dan Stefano with the organization’s Spurgeon Award, citing his commitment to youth and impressive record of community service and outstanding leadership to Explorer programs.

Stefano received the award at Exploring Orange County’s 28^th annual Spurgeon luncheon on Friday Oct. 20. Also honored were Orange County Sheriff Sgt. Dan Daniels and Jeff Snow, municipal services director for Republic Services.

“Our Explorer programs provide incredibly valued opportunities for us to connect with the youth of our community,” Chief Stefano said. “The sustained success of Costa Mesa’s Explorer programs is only possible with the engaged support provided throughout all levels of our organization. At the end of the day, it is about helping our youth develop their leadership, character and life skill sets.”

Stefano has been the Costa Mesa Fire Chief since 2013. Prior to that he served for 18 years in the Laguna Beach Fire Department where he held several roles starting with Reserve Firefighter to Fire Division Chief, Training and EMS Chief and Fire Marshal.

Stefano has the distinction of being the state’s 32^nd Certified Fire Chief through the Office of the State Fire Marshal and he also holds the designation of Chief Fire Officer through the Center of Public Safety Excellence.

Exploring of Orange County serves about 1,300 youth in more than 60 explorer posts throughout the county, which provides young people with opportunities to explore career paths, many in public safety and law enforcement.

Costa Mesa Fire & Rescue has managed Explorer Post 400 since 1996, which is led by Capt. Rob Gagne, Engineer Steve Cathey and Engineer Eliasar Maldonado. All of them were explorers before being hired as full-time professional firefighters.

In addition to Stefano being honored, Costa Mesa Fire Explorer and Intern Moises Vaca and Costa Mesa Police Explorer Citlaly Gomez received the 2017 Young American Award scholarship presented by the Orange County Council Boy Scouts of America. The Young American Award is presented to an Explorer who is recognized as a leader within their Explorer Post.

A graduate of Aliso Viejo High School in 2013, Vaca attended the Fire Tech Program at Santa Ana College and was a Fire Explorer with Costa Mesa Fire & Rescue from 2015-2017. He received the department’s Explorer of the Year award in 2016.  He currently is a Fire Explorer Advisor for the Costa Mesa Department and a Fire Prevention Volunteer Intern.

Gomez, a graduate of Costa Mesa High School, joined the Costa Mesa Police Explorer program in July of 2012 and has risen through the ranks and is currently a captain supervising 37 Explorers. She has volunteered 3,870 hours in her five years as an explorer and has received numerous awards.

Costa Mesa Fire & Rescue’s Team Member of the Month is a person who serves the community with Passion, Professionalism, & Pride.

This month, Battalion Chief (BC) Kevin Diamond is the focus profile of the month.

Diamond was born in Michigan and with his dad being an electrical engineer who was in sales for a company now known as Siemans, he has lived in several places, including New Jersey and San Mateo, Calif. before settling in Corona del Mar at the age of 14. His mother was in cosmetic sales for the now defunct Broadway department store.

After graduating from Corona del Mar High School in 1983, Diamond’s goal was to become an airline pilot. However, while lifeguarding one summer, he took an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) class and his career goals took a turn.

After completing his EMT class, Diamond went to work for Seals Ambulance and knew it was a good fit for him. While working at Seals Ambulance, he met a friend named Dave Thomas (retired Asst. Chief from OCFA) who encouraged him to pursue a career as a firefighter/paramedic.

Diamond was hired with the City of Santa Ana in 1987, where he honed his craft as a paramedic. Before coming to Costa Mesa in 1990, he worked for Laguna Beach Fire Department as a firefighter/paramedic. While with Costa Mesa, BC Diamond has held the rank of Firefighter/Paramedic, Captain, and Battalion Chief.

BC Diamond is a true leader who enjoys teaching, coaching, and mentoring. He not only teaches, coaches and mentors past, present and current Costa Mesa firefighters but also teaches for other organizations, such as Santa Ana College and private organizations offering professional development/leadership classes for the fire service.

Diamond has assisted countless individuals to successfully prepare for promotional tests. 

Additional achievements include assisting in the implementation of our Arson Investigation unit, active instructor for our Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) and Citizen Fire Academy’s (CFA), and significant contributions to improving firefighter safety through a company he founded, Breaking The Accident Chain (BTAC). Additionally, he is an example to those he mentors as he achieved his master’s degree from Columbia Southern University in Emergency Services Management.

Diamond is married to his wife Jenni, who works as a case worker for Run to Rescue. Together, they have two twin boys (20-years old) who were accomplished soccer players in high school and now hope to follow in their dad’s footsteps as they are currently attending a local fire academy. Diamond enjoys eating out, going to movies, and family trips.