Montclair Honors Firefighters

Montclair – Veteran Montclair City firefighter Rusty Vidal does more than just put out fires. The Firefighter of the Year for 2012 is also a Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus Technician, which involves repair and testing of the department's breathing apparatus that allow firefighters to breathe while surrounded by smoke. Since being hired in 2007, Vidal has volunteered on the negotiation team for wages and benefits, participated in Firefighters Association activities – taking photos, making flyers and banners, selling raffle tickets – and, of course, taken his turn as cook for his fellow firefighters.

"I get to be involved in about 95 percent of what we do," Vidal said. "It feels good to be able to help people."

On Nov. 14, Vidal along with Angelic Bird, who was named Employee of the Year were honored at the annual Firefighters Appreciation Breakfast for the Montclair Fire Department, which was held at Dolce Café and Bakery. This recognition breakfast is put on by the Montclair Chamber of Commerce and sponsored by Montclair Hospital Medical Center and Wells Fargo.

All of the Montclair firefighters were provided breakfast and those who couldn't attend received a rain check. (Three firefighters were called into action in the middle of the festivities.) The goal is to honor the services provided by each and every one of the brave crew, and about one hundred community members came to show their appreciation, including many local political figures and business leaders.

"When we're talking about these two, we're talking about two on a team, and they're part of a great team" said Gary Ovitt, San Bernardino County Supervisor as he presented the awards.

Bird was born and raised in Southern California and graduated from Montclair High School. She earned her Bachelor's Degree from Azusa Pacific University and has worked for the City of Montclair for over five years. During her time with the city, Bird's work has included valuable contributions including creating a public information book, organizing and archiving historic and educational materials and planning and executing public drills including the Montclair participation in the Great California Shakeout. In addition to her regular duties, Bird went above and beyond by taking on the role of Emergency Services Coordinator two years ago.

"Prime Healthcare hospitals, particularly the Montclair Hospital Medical Center, work very closely with our communities' first-responders," said Gregory Brentano, the CEO for Montclair Hospital Medical Center. "We know how hard they work, and how dedicated they are, and it's important to be able to support them. We really value our relationship with the fire department, knowing that together as a team we can serve the city better."