Orange County Fire Family Celebrates Special Milestones Together

Dedicated to all the firefighters and their Fire Families this Mother’s Day weekend. And a very special thanks to OCFA’s Captain Steve Concialdi.

(Orange County, CA) – Nearly half-a century has passed since the that fateful day in Silverado Canyon February 1969 when the month-long rains from the 100-year storm caused the mud to swell – and then finally slide.

One Orange County firefighter remembers that day. He was just 17 years old in ’69 and a high school senior at El Modena High School in Orange. In fact, Marc Hawkins, who spent years of his youth growing up in Silverado Canyon, cut classes February 25, 1969 in order to help place sand bags in the small rural mountain town being pummeled by the rains.

Hawkins loved Silverado Canyon. It was in Silverado that he discovered his passion and calling in life: to be a firefighter.

“My first introduction to the Fire Service was in Silverado where I was a Fire Explorer,” Hawkins said. “Our post was sponsored by the Silverado Volunteer Fire Department and after a certain amount of training we were allowed to respond and help the Volunteer Firefighters on fires and other emergencies.”

“We had our own yellow Jeep that was outfitted with first aid and remote rescue equipment that when driven by a Volunteer Firefighter we could respond with,” Hawkins recalled. “Many times this was the vehicle of choice for some of the more rugged areas in the Cleveland National Forest. We all learned to drive when we were young using this 4 wheel drive manual transmission vehicle. It was great fun.”

“Many of the explorers went on to be Cal Fire employees and was a natural fit for me when I became a Seasonal Firefighter at age 17 in 1968,” Hawkins said.

Firefighters don’t come out of a can. Candidates might make it through an academy or coursework – even testing. But the realities of life as a firefighter eventually separate out those that think it’s a career choice for them based on perks of the job or good pay and benefits, from those that know it’s a calling. One that has good days, but most are days helping others through the worst day of their life.

Hawkins first real test in life for him in what would be a 41-year career in the fire service began that morning in Silverado Canyon off of Santiago Canyon Road February 25, 1969.

In the Los Angeles Times article, “Day of the Deadly Mud : 1969 Floods: Tragedy and Heroism Mix” by Times Staff Writer Lucille Renwick http://articles.latimes.com/1989-02-25/local/me-330_1_mud-and-debris/2 (Los Angeles Times 1989), Renwick interviewed then 37-year old Hawkins to mark the 20-year anniversary of the Silverado Canyon mudslide of 1969: one of the worst natural disasters in Orange County history.

Hawkins went on to become an Orange County Fire Authority (Ret). Battalion Chief – but he never forgot the morning he was helping to save his firefighter brothers and fellow citizens when the mud began to move. That day in ’69 as the storm pummeled Santa Ana Mountain hillside, 35 Silverado Canyon residents sought safety and refuge in the small adobe Silverado Canyon Fire Station – the first “firehouse” Hawkins ever knew.
From the (LAT:Mud, Renwick):
Marc Hawkins, then a 17-year-old seasonal volunteer firefighter, had cut classes to help sandbag the canyon area. He was in the front of the station when the slide hit.

"I was pinned by my leg and took about 20 minutes to yank my foot out of my boot to get free," he said. "It seemed like forever."

He said that as they remained imprisoned inside the building, "the creek rose up to the station and took fire helmets and equipment down the road. . . ."

Hawkins and others who were able to escape the slide "were trying to get ourselves together and scrape up what we could to help those stuck on the inside," he said.

They joined Marines from the nearby El Toro Marine Corps Air Station in trying to dig out Sleppy and others buried in the building.

“All I can remember is Jane Wareham screaming for help, saying that she was 8 months' pregnant and didn't want to lose her baby, and [Orange County Fire] Capt. John Sleppy being buried under there and coaching us about the first aid he taught us," said Hawkins, 37.

Sleppy broke several bones and was comatose for almost a month. It was a year before the fire captain could return to work. His efforts during the slide earned Sleppy the state's Medal of Valor.

At the time of the accident, Hawkins' only recognition was a reprimand from his school nurse for cutting school.
But now his reward comes each year as he returns to the station's old site with his three sons and points out the different parts of the old station in which he pulled people out of the wreckage.

He points out the bronze plaque that stands in front of the new Silverado Fire Station, a steel structure built in 1970, right next door to the old station's shell. The plaque commemorates the five who died.
"The only question I keep asking myself is why my good friends were killed and I was spared," he said.
"To this day, I can't figure it out."

A NEW DAY: HAWKINS PINS HIS COLLAR BRASS ONTO THE COLLAR OF HIS SON, NEWLY PROMOTED OCFA CAPTAIN SCOTT “HAWK”HAWKINS, OF LADERA RANCH, APRIL [11TH ] 2018; HAWKINS FAMILY TURNS OUT TO CELEBRATE THE MILESTONE, INCLUDING BROTHERS RYAN AND KYLE (Kyle is also an OCFA Firefighter).

“We have three sons, two have followed me into the Fire Service,” Marc said. “They both started in OCFA’s Explorer Program but it was way different from my explorer experiencein Silverado Canyon.”

“I was very fortunate in that I really knew that I wanted a lifelong career in the Fire Service from my experience in the Silverado Explorer Program, this was when I was about 13 or 14 years old. I had no relatives that were firemen and my parents were not involved with the Volunteer Fire Department in the canyon which made them the exception,” said Marc.

“Our attitude in raising our three sons was that they should aspire to whatever career choice that would make them happy,” Marc said. “I really never put any pressure on them to be in the Fire Service, I think it was really the opposite; I wanted them to be more successful than I was. Neither Scott or Kyle gave any hint of becoming firefighters until after joining our (OCFA) Explorer Program. Kyle routinely would wrench on old cars (1968 Camaro), Scott was busy with football and Ryan, the oldest, was a great soccer player. All were good students and are graduates of Capo Valley High School.”

“I entered the fire service as a seasonal firefighter in July 1968 at age 17 between my junior/senior year at El Modena High School,” said Marc. “I returned to finish my senior year in September. The day after I graduated I was hired by Cal Fire and I was employed for 41 years until retirement. In May 1980, the Orange County Fire Department was formed and I transferred over from Cal Fire to become an Orange County Paramedic Captain.”

“I was blessed in the fact that I knew what I wanted to do for a career at an early age. It is the job that I was born to do, I have always loved the job and most of the people associated withthat experience,” said Marc. “The icing on the cake is being able to see my brother Skip, my two sons Scott and Kyle and my nephew Brandon all join the fire department - with Brandon serving as a Laguna Beach Firefighter.”

“The emotion was overwhelming pride [when Scott promoted to Captain],” said Marc. “Scott had worked so hard in studying for the test, it was gratifying to see that his long hours of study had paid off!”

“With Scott’s promotion, I have had the opportunity to really laugh and enjoy his first days of “Captainhood” especially as it relates to the supervisory aspects of the new job,” Marc said. “I think he will find the firefighting the easy part!”

THE STORY BEHIND THE HAWKINS FAMILY COLLAR BRASS

“I am a traditional, old school guy,” Marc said. “The history of the collar brass is that I received them when I promoted to paramedic captain in 1976 from Chief George Toussaint at Fire Station 22 in Laguna Hills. I wore them until 1981 when I promoted to battalion chief. After that they sat in my drawer until my brother, Skip Hawkins, promoted to paramedic captain in 2000. I passed them on to him and he wore them with distinction until his retirement in 2015. Passing them on to Scott is the natural order of this proud tradition and I hope he will have the opportunity to present them to his younger brother Kyle in the near future.”

FIREFIGHTER, FIREWIFE, FIREMOM, FIRELIFE

“As a Fire Wife and a member of the Fire Family for 45 years, I have experienced firsthand the many emotions attached to this job,” said proud Fire Wife/Fire Mom Monica Hawkins. “First, the long shifts can be hard for many wives especially when the kids are young. Missing holidays, birthdays, [sports] games, and recitals is expected and goes with the job. I became used to being the “boss” when Marc was at work and often out of the county on large fires and other extended assignments (hurricanes, riots, floods, bombings), sometimes I found it hard to relinquish that role when he returned home. Oh and the worry. Yes, that emotion is always in the back of your mind. I worried about Marc a lot early in his career, not quite as much once he promoted to battalion chief. Now I worry about Scott and Kyle! It’s a dangerous profession and we have lost a number of friends over the years. In this job, so many things can go wrong! In recent years, the brush and wildland fires have been so fierce and unpredictable. But I know how well trained they are and that does offer a little comfort.”

“The happy, fun and exciting part of being in this fire family is the wonderful lifelong friends that you make. These are the people that you do life with for the next 40 years!” Monica said.

“I am so proud and delighted that Scott has promoted to Captain,” Monica said. “He is well on his way to a long and fulfilling career.”

BROTHER RYAN HAWKINS

“Even from an outsider’s perspective, I have noticed how focused and dedicated Scott has been on the fire service andbeing the best firefighter and engineer he could be,” said older brother Ryan Hawkins. “He has worked, studied and trained tirelessly to prepare himself to be a leader in the fire service and this preparation will serve him well as he embarks on this next stage of his career as a fire captain.” said Scott’s proud older brother Ryan Hawkins.

BROTHER/FIREBROTHER OCFA’S ENGINEER KYLE HAWKINS

“Even at a young age I knew that Scott would make a great fireman. Over the years he has immersed himself in every aspect of the job and taken great pride in the OCFA. Working for the OCFA also, I've witnessed his incredible hard work and dedication in preparing for his new Captain position. I know he'll be a passionate, hard working, and operationally sound leader,” said Scott’s proud younger brother (and firebrother), OCFA Engineer Kyle Hawkins.

OCFA BROTHERS TO TWO GENERATIONS OF HAWKINS FIREFIGHTERS CONGRATULATE SCOTT HAWKINS “HAWK”

“Scott Hawkins has been preparing to become a fire captain for many years. He has been my engineer for the last two years and I’m proud of how well he studied and prepared himself for this position. His promotion is special to me because his dad, Marc Hawkins, was my battalion chief when I was a firefighter/paramedic. Chief Hawkins was one of my mentors who spent many hours preparing me to become a captain as well. I was glad I had the opportunity to help Scott prepare for his new position and I know he will be successful,” said OCFA Captain Steve Concialdi.

OCFA (Ret.) Battalion Chief Don Forsyth is honored to call Marc his best friend – the two firefighters met early on in their respective careers through the fire department in 1975. While Marc endured the tragedy of the Silverado Canyon mudslide from 1969, Forsyth had his own mass tragedy to contend with last year during the 2017 Las Vegas shooting.

On October 1, 2017, a gunman opened fire on a crowd of concertgoers at the Route 91 Harvest Music Festival on the Las Vegas Strip in Nevada, according to Wikipedia. Forsyth was at the concert with family and friends enjoying the event as a concertgoer when shots rang out. He made headline news in the aftermath for life saving actions he and his police lieutenant friend made instinctually to save lives. The gunman used 24 guns total to murder 58 people and cause non-fatal injuries to 851 people.

The incident was the deadliest mass shooting committed by an individual in the United States, according to Wikipedia.

Forsyth told CBSLA Ch. 2 the following:

“We were a little unsure about whether to try and coral 200 people that are crawling around on the floor and send them down an exposed stairway. During the waves of shooting, every time there was a break, it would seem the break might last a minute and a half to two minutes, so we would hustle as many people down the stairway as we could. As soon as the shooting would start again, we would tell everybody to get back down on your stomachs and stay there until the next break in the waves. And eventually we got most everybody off of the top deck and we went down with them. A police lieutenant and I started to try and figure out how to get people out of the chain linked fence. We found an area where there had been a rolling gate that was chained closed and we were able to force it and bend the pipes enough so that people could squeeze through the gate enough and we were pushing and shoving and literally pulling people through this tight squeeze. We then were hustling anybody we could gather up -- telling them to “come this way, come this way, we know how to get into a building!” We hustled several hundred people into the back employee entrance of the Tropicana Hotel.”

FELLOW OCFA BATTALION CHIEF (RET.) AND CLOSE FRIEND CONGRATULATES THE BOY HE USED TO KNOW AS “SCOTTY”

Forsyth is proud to have been a close family friend of the Hawkins since 1975 and is very proud of each of the Hawkins boys today.

“Scott and Kyle felt the excitement, dedication, and eagerness to be involved in all facets of the Fire Service following the footsteps of their Father, who was one of the very first paramedics in Orange County in the 1970’s, promoting through the ranks to Battalion Chief, and was heavily involved in the FEMA Urban Search and Rescue Program nationwide,” Forsyth wrote. “Marc was on the OCFD Team in 1995 that responded to the Oklahoma City Bombing, and his team removed the last 36 bodies including the 19 children from the Day Care facility at the Murrah Federal Building which was the target of the OKC Bombing.”

Forsyth wrote that Scott in particular wanted to pick the brains and hear every story possible from both his father and him given the two men had a combined 80 years of firefighting experience between them in Orange County.

“We took Scott everywhere, and exposed him to as much as we could possibly expose Scott to, educating him on all aspects of the full fire service spectrum, as well as the social, family and off duty camaraderie of the Fire Service, including St. Patrick’sDay Parades in New York, Oklahoma Bombing Anniversary Ceremonies for all participating Rescuers, firefighter conferences, and seminars all across the country, etc.,” Forsyth said.

“With Marc and I being truly dedicated and eager to serve in all aspects of the Fire Service, we instilled in these two boys [Scott and Kyle], the ethics, morals, commitment and dedication to want to be the absolute BEST firefighter possible, in everything they did,” Forsyth wrote.

“Having both of his two sons in the fire service and working under him in the same department was a huge honor for Marc and something he will carry with him for his lifetime!” Forsyth said. “I can tell you it was very emotional each time one of his boys got hired and graduated from the OCFA Fire Academy and became full time firefighters for OCFA.”

“Scott has exerted himself in everything he has strived to do within the Fire Service,” Forsyth said. “He quickly within OCFA promoted to Engineer, and as soon as possible following the requirements of the Department pursued and recentlypromoted to Fire Captain where he now commands a fire engine company on one of three shifts.”
Forsyth explained about the duties and responsibilities of the Fire Captain, including the Captain makes all the decisions on what will be done at every single emergency call that his Fire Company responds to. The [Fire Captain] is responsible for all work and must ensure that his crew remains safe and returns home from every single emergency to which they respond, while performing at peak proficiency for the public they serve, he said.

“Lives hang on every decision the Fire Captain makes on each emergency call to which they respond!!” Forsyth said. “Using my 47 years of Fire Service experience as a guide, I can tell you that Scott Hawkins newly promoted to Fire Captain and in command of his own fire company will be one of the shining stars of the Orange County Fire Authority serving the citizens of Orange County.”

Don Forsyth is now the President of the California Fire Museum - Safety Learning Center, Orange County Fire Historical Society, Phone: 949-916-5019

JUST A GIRL, STANDING IN FRONT OF A BOY…HOPING THAT HE WILL LOVE HER BACK

Lindsay Dunn hadn’t visited a fire station since childhood.

She had butterflies in her stomach as she and her best friend stood outside OCFA’s Fire Station 6 in Irvine in 2010. They rang the doorbell to the firehouse and nervously waited for someone to come greet them.

Lindsay, the daughter of Guy and Debbi Dunn and sister to younger brother Derek, had on jeans and a cute top.

Her butterflies grew larger. But somehow her BFF made it a manageable moment.

Soon enough, a young firefighter greeted them kindly at the front and ushered them inside. It was just after dinnertime. He told them to have a seat and the firefighter Lindsay had agreed to come meet on a “blind date” would soon be out to say hello. The pair had been set up by “his” Aunt, who was the best friend of Lindsay’s friend’s Mom.

Her butterflies were more like birds now.

Lindsay knew she could handle the moment. She had nothing to doubt about herself. She had earned a college degree from San Jose State University and later teaching credentials from Concordia University in Irvine. She smiled as she thought of her third grade teacher Mrs. De La Piedra who inspired her to become a teacher. Lindsay was an accomplished athlete after years of cheerleading in high school and college, and later being the cheer coach at Tustin High School. She reminded herself that meeting new people was something she enjoyed – even if blind dates were excruciatingly terrifying. She thought to herself that no matter what, she would be kind and gracious to whoever Scott Hawkins turned out to be.

And then he appeared. And for a moment – time stood still. She took a mental picture of the handsome young firefighter standing in front of them.

“I was very nervous,” Lindsay admitted. “We had gone out to dinner beforehand and just stopped by to say hello. I hadn’t talked to him yet until that night. He walked out of the day room and into the front reception area where we were seated. He was wearing his physical training gear – which is comfy workout clothes. Navy shorts, his OCFA navy blue t-shirt, flip flops and white socks.”

“All I could think to myself was ‘Oh my gosh, he’s so cute!” Lindsay said.

THE BOY DID LOVE THE GIRL BACK.

…AND NOW THE LIVE HAPPILY EVER AFTER IN LADERA RANCH…XO

After their meeting at the Fire Station, Lindsay and Scott knew they were meant to be.

They eventually married and settled in South Orange County in the unincorporated area of Ladera Ranch. Today, life for Lindsay and Scott is centered around God, family, friends and firefighting, for him.

Lindsay and Scott are the very proud parents of two daughters, Quinn, 5, and Grace 3.5, and one-year old Jack. The family is also overjoyed with their new baby girl due in October.

“Scott and I love the sense of community that Ladera brings to our lives,” Lindsay said. “I fell in love with this place from the moment we moved here from Tustin. The scenery, the parks, the people. I am a social person by nature, so I immediately got connected with other women and families. I joined all the baby groups for my kids, Ladera Ranch Stroller Strides, bible study, and the local MOPS group. I have made some of the most incredible, genuine, helpful, loving friends here. They are my support system ... my tribe. They are who I call when I need to get my kids out of the house. They are who I text when the day seems so terribly long or if I had a bad mom moment. The friends that pray for me. These friends love our kids just as much as Scott and I do. Scott feels more comfortable being away for long periods of time (especially during fire season) knowing that I have incredible people supporting me back at home. Ladera is the perfect place to raise a family. The public schools are incredible and we always look forward to all of the community events. I always say, “Our kids don’t know how lucky they are to grow up here.” I truly mean that. We are some of the luckiest families on the planet.”

Lindsay also enjoys the sisterhood that comes with being a Fire Wife.

“Being the wife of a firefighter, it’s an instant connection,” Lindsay said. ”I also think there is a high volume of fire families that live in Ladera. Some work for OCFA and a lot work for other agencies. The residents here were amazing two years ago when the back hill of Ladera caught fire from the golf course. I got numerous phone calls, texts, emails asking me how they could help. It was so heart-warming to see all of these people rally around the local firefighters and their families. Also, I had many dinner and cookie drop-offs from families who knew that Scott had been gone on the Canyon fires last year. It was amazing! Ladera residents really wanted to say thank you for protecting the community that summer.”

Lindsay is so proud of her husband on his recent accomplishment of becoming a Captain.

“To Scott - You are an amazing man, husband, daddy, and firefighter,” Lindsay said. “You are so dedicated to your career. You deserve all of the incredible moments and milestones that you have earned at OCFA. But mostly, thank you for always putting your family first. It is not always easy with how demanding your job is, but I know you try your best. We appreciate and love you!”

Lindsay also thanks Scott’s Mom for all she teaches her about being a Fire Wife and Fire Mom.

“I have learned a lot from Monica, mainly from hearing old stories from when she was raising the boys,” Lindsay said. “I have learned that holidays don’t always fall on the correct calendar date. Christmas gets put on hold some years. Some years birthdays and anniversaries are celebrated at the fire station. We are not usually together on the weekends when everyone else is having their “family time’. But, as the wives and moms back at home, we have to learn to carry on with life as usual. We often make plans that don’t work out or Scott gets forced last minute and we have to cancel plans that we made months prior. Monica is a strong woman that held down the fort with three boys for so many years. She's a great role model. She and Marc raised three incredible sons ... one of which happens to be my soul mate.”

SPECIAL MESSAGES OF SUPPORT FOR “DADDY”

Question for Quinn from Mommy: Why do you love daddy and his job?

“Because I love his job and I love what he does. I love that he loves me and that he takes me everywhere. I love when he hugs me when he comes home. I love that he takes pictures of me. I love that he high fives me. I love to go on his shoulders. I don’t like when sometimes he leaves and I get so sad. I love that he hearts me.”

Question for Grace from Mommy: Why do you love daddy and his job?

“Because he goes in his firefighter house. I love him that he kisses me. I love him that he hugs me. And I love him that he surprises me. He loves me and hugs me and takes me to Disneyland and Home Depot. I give him my heart and he gives me his heart. He gives me his hat, too.”

SON, BROTHER, HUSBAND, FATHER: OCFA’S CAPTAIN SCOTT HAWKINS GIVES INCREDIBLY SPECIAL INSIGHT INTO THE HEART OF A FIREFIGHTER

OCFA Captain Scott Hawkins:

“My life growing up was great. I was born in Orange and raised in Mission Viejo. I have two brothers and we were all very active. We all played sports year-round all through high school at Capo Valley.”

“My brothers and I were very close growing up. When we weren't playing organized sports, we were playing in the street or in the backyard.”

“I started getting interested in the fire service as a career when I was a freshman in high school. I knew I probably wasn't going to play sports in college so joining the fire department became more realistic for me. I saw how much of an amazing childhood I had with my dad being a firefighter and knew that would be something I would love for my future children. He got to spend a lot of time with my brothers and I and we thought it was great.”

“My earliest memory of the fire service was running around the firehouse with my brothers as a young boy. I was probably around four years old. I can still remember the smell. The guys were always so nice to us and let us run wild. I remember my dad being gone during his shifts, but I also remember him being home a lot, which is pretty much the same as my firefighting schedule now. I never thought it was odd, it was normal for us, just like for our children now. This is the only schedule they will ever know, so for them it is completely normal. There was never a "moment" when I realized that I wanted to be a firefighter, it just seemed like the natural thing for me to do. I just figured that is what we were supposed to do. My dad NEVER ONCE pushed me to be a firefighter, in fact, he encouraged me to try other things and explore all options.”

“I remember asking him about the Explorer Post at Station 31 by our house, hoping he would help me out and get me in there, but all he did was get me a phone number and made me do all of the leg work. I had to pay my dues just like everyone else. He wanted me to develop a strong work ethic, and this is why he wanted me to go work as a seasonal firefighter for Cal FIRE, to really understand what hard work is like in the fire service. So that is what I did. I was a seasonal firefighter for four seasons before I got hired on by Orange City Fire Department. While I was in Orange, my little brother got hired with OCFA. So now, I was the only one NOT working for OCFA. My dad, my uncle, and little brother. So in 2008 I left Orange City Fire Department and got hired with OCFA.”

“My mom was, and still is amazing. She had to deal with a lot when we were young. She had to raise three wild little boys when my dad was at work. It was very tough. She did a great job and we are all still very close. She really is the reason why we all turned out the way we did.”

“The thing I realized about my dad as opposed to other kids dads is that my dad seemed to be at a lot more of our sporting events, open houses, school drop offs, surfing on weekdays, stuff like that. My brothers and I just lived our normal boyhood life. We didn't know any better. It was awesome.”

“My dad was tough. He was a Chief Officer at a very young age and he ran his house similarly to a firehouse, just with shorter people at home. He was very supportive with anything we wanted to do. He just knew to be successful we needed to stay focused and out of trouble. He had rules and we had to follow them. But our house was full of love and support. He was a mentor to me and still is and will always be. He was the kind of mentor that would give you all of the advice and guidance, but you had to go and do the work. It helped me develop my work ethic and a sense of ownership. Work hard for what you want, then take care of it.”

“It was very special for my Dad to be able to pin his collar brass on me. It is something so few people in the world ever get to experience. I know it was special for him too.”

“It has always been a goal of mine to be a Captain here at OCFA. The time was right and I had a great support structure (Lindsay) at home encouraging me. It was not easy. In fact, quite stressful especially for Linds. I was trying to study and she was shouldering an even bigger load than she normally does. My dad always said being a Captain was a very fun and rewarding position so I am excited to experience that for myself.”

“When Lindsay came to the fire station, it was very cute. She was super nervous, and didn't say much, but she had this beauty about her, and not just physical. I could tell she was just a very beautiful person inside and out. I knew I could easily see myself marrying this girl. She had everything I was looking for -- and didn't know, I was looking for. I wanted to make sure I did everything right with her and keep her around for as long as possible, like forever.”

“She has been the most supportive, most amazing wife through not just my testing process, but throughout the last eight years of my life.”

“I literally have no idea where I would be right now, but I know it wouldn't be this amazing.”

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