By Eric Longabardi
There has to be a good reason to get me up at 9am on a Saturday! This past Saturday there was a really good reason. The Newport Beach Fire Department was holding its 100th Centennial open house celebration at Fire Station #7 in Santa Ana Heights.
Upon arrival me and my better half went straight for the pancakes, eggs and sausage. As expected they were all delicious! I tried in vain to find out how they managed to keep everything so hot and fresh. But honestly I already knew the answer. For those of you who don't know, firefighters who can't cook are are about as useful and sought after as snowmobile dealers in Newport Beach!
After we washed it all down with OJ and coffee we set off to explore the station yard with everything at our fingertips from a classic turn of the century fire truck to the department's newest state-of-the-art fire rig.
The atmosphere was a combo of safety education, fun, kids and friendliness. We talked with everybody from the Battalion Chief to the Public Information officer and rank-and-file firefighters. We chatted and joked with the Department's finest, some who were serving up the breakfast and others were just talking about their lives and work in this great city on a beautifull crisp morning. It was all worth getting up early for without a doubt.
One special new addition to the Newport Beach Fire Department family got our attention. Her dad, who is stationed at Newport's Mariners Fire station #6 was a proud new father who beemed about his new addition. At only 4 months old she seemed to be taking it all in and liking it all just as much as we were. The photo to the right says it all. Her Newport Firefighter dad said she wasn't ready, yet for the fire academy when I asked, but maybe in a few more weeks he said she might be!
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