Glendale Fire Department promotes six firefighters
The Glendale Fire Department promoted six of its own during a special badge-pinning ceremony Thursday morning.
Held at Fire Station 21, Fire Chief Greg Fish commended each of the firefighters for their years of service and swore them into their new roles.
“These people have worked very hard to get these badges,” he said. “When they get sworn in and represent that badge, they are now all about serving the will of the public. If there’s no public value in this, we wouldn’t do this and it’d be a waste of time.”
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Brian Julian was one of those who received a new badge, going from captain to the rank of battalion chief. He first joined the department in 1995 and has taken on many roles within the fire department, including teaching at the fire academy and acting as a paramedic instructor.
As a battalion chief, Julian will move into a managerial position and oversee the fire stations within the department.
He said his success and promotion wouldn’t be possible if he wasn’t a team player.
“It’s all about working together as a group and as a team. All of our success as individuals is a group success because nobody can do it without the whole,” Julian said.
It’s all about working together as a group and as a team. All of our success as individuals is a group success because nobody can do it without the whole.
— Battalion Chief Brian Julian
Another firefighter who received a promotion was Bill Lynch, moving up from battalion chief to deputy chief.
He was hired onto the fire department in 1995 and has previously served as the public information officer for GFD as well as a paramedic coordinator.
With the department having only one deputy chief, Fish said the role is unique in that they have to both manage firefighters and figure out how to deploy them during major incidents.
“This is truly humbling and overwhelming,” Lynch said. “I don’t take this lightly, I take it very seriously; I hope to continue to make this organization an amazing one.”
The department also promoted Brendan Edwards, Sean Haug and Lance Menier to fire engineers and Chris Malaspino and Derek Tamburro to captains.
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Andy Nguyen, andy.nguyen@latimes.com
Twitter: @Andy_Truc
