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.