OAKHURST – Firefighters and their families turned out in big numbers for the annual Madera County Fire Department Paid Call Firefighter (PCF) Appreciation Luncheon on Sunday, Apr. 29, at the Oakhurst Community Center.
Every year, Cal Fire firefighters serve up a BBQ lunch of tri-tip and chicken, and mark the achievements and milestones of members of the Madera County Fire Department.
On this day, the department welcomed fifteen new Paid Call Firefighters who recently graduated from the Basic Skills Academy. They have completed 200 hours of training conducted by Madera County Fire Captains Chris Reneau and Anthony Garcia, and will begin their service at stations all across the county.
The newly minted firefighters presented both Captain Reneau and Captain Garcia with a plaque in appreciation of their leadership, hard work, wisdom and dedication during the 2018 Basic Skills Academy training.
Nine veteran PCFs were honored for their years of service, including George Mochizuki, who has been protecting the citizens of Madera County for an amazing 50 years.
5 Years
Robert Burton – Station 18
Sean Kelly – Station 10
10 Years
Denis Ciccarelli – Station 10
Lydia Rodriguez – Station 19
15 Years
John (Brian) Donaghy – Station 10
Christopher (Gus) Lavell – Station 10
30 Years
Gary Williams – Station 18
35 Years
Bob Kernaghan – Station 12
50 Years
George Mochizuki – Station 1