VAN NUYS : Firefighters to Receive Medals

Firefighters who battled the Southland fires will soon get what many homeowners have been saying they deserve--a medal.

A Van Nuys mint specializing in commemorative coins will craft 10,000 medals marking “Firestorm ‘93” and distribute them to each firefighter who beat back the brush fires that tore through Southern California in the past two weeks. Todd Parker, president of Continental Coin & Jewelry, said he was watching the television coverage with his chief operating officer at their Sepulveda Boulevard office when a rather familiar idea struck.

“I said, you know, these guys deserve a medal,” said Parker. “And off it went.”

Parker said the bronze coins, slightly bigger than a silver dollar, will cost him about $25,000 to mint and distribute. The California State Firefighters’ Assn. will pass them out statewide and track down out-of-state participants, he said.

On Tuesday, the first coins were presented to members of the association.

“It’s something we’re going to hold very near and dear to us,” said Assistant Fire Chief Jerry Meehan of the Los Angeles County Fire Department, who accepted a medal. “Everybody out there has been doing something for us--cakes, cookies, cards, signs, everything. It’s great for morale.”

The coins will be packaged in red-and-orange cases and will include a certificate that reads: “Presented to the brave firefighters of California, heroes who went above and beyond the call of duty, many risking their personal safety and lives, stemming the tide of devastation in the Firestorm of 1993.” The coins have the statement “You deserve a medal” on the front and “A limited edition for someone special, Firestorm 1993” on the opposite side.