Reagan Holds Ceremony Honoring Firefighters : Simi Valley: At his library, the ex-President hails crews as ‘American heroes’ for their efforts in battling the recent Southland blazes.

Sporting a white Ventura County fire chief’s helmet, former President Ronald Reagan lauded hundreds of firefighters at the presidential library in Simi Valley on Saturday for battling the firestorms that overran the Southland in October and November.

With about two dozen firefighters and a huge American flag as a backdrop, Reagan--accompanied by his wife, Nancy--told the men and women crammed into the library’s small auditorium that they were “American heroes.”

“According to the calendar, Thanksgiving doesn’t come until next Thursday. But the people of Southern California know better,” Reagan said from the podium. “With professionals like you on the job, every day is cause for thanksgiving. You have my gratitude and my abiding admiration.”

Nearly 1,000 firefighters and family members came to Saturday’s ceremony.

Before Reagan’s half-hour speech, they were treated to free tours of the library and a lunch of hot dogs, cookies and ice cream.

Early in the day, a few enjoyed a preview of the recently returned miniature model of the White House that was built with exacting detail by Don Zweifel. Reagan’s daughter, Maureen, now a television news political commentator, gave a few of the early arrivals an impromptu tour and history lesson of the many rooms in the White House.

She said she attended to show her support for the firefighters’ “heroic work.”

“Many years ago, we lost our old ranch in Malibu to fire,” Maureen Reagan said. “When those winds start to blow, the same could happen to any one of us. We live in a place with unique terrain that’s continually touched by fire, and thank God we have unique and special men and women that are trained to stop those fires when they threaten people.”

Parked in front of the library, along the wind-swept Presidential Drive, were about a dozen fire engines from Ventura and Los Angeles counties, as well a fire department helicopter and a truck from the California Department of Forestry.

Judy Ripley, whose husband, Brendan, is a firefighter with the Ventura County Fire Department, explained some of the hardships her family went through during the fires.

“They love their job,” she said, pointing to her husband and another firefighter. “It’s their joy. But when he was fighting the Malibu fire, I was worried. I had to watch the news all night long.”

Brendan Ripley said he was never in serious danger, but other firefighters weren’t so lucky. Al McBride, with the California Department of Forestry in Butte County, was burned over 20% of his body trying to protect a house in Carbon Canyon in Malibu. He was hospitalized more than two weeks.

“We were able to save that house,” he said, standing stiffly in his uniform.

McBride and about two dozen other firefighters joined Reagan on the stage at the ceremony. McBride, who was released from the Sherman Oaks Burn Center just Thursday, said he was still in some pain.

With a skin graft dotting the tip of his nose, he smiled in amazement that he was able to attend the ceremony so soon after burns permanently scarred his back.

Before returning to work for light duty, he said, he wanted to visit his hospital roommate, Russell Nakamura of the Los Angeles City Fire Department, who is still lying in a hospital bed recovering from burns sustained in the Altadena fire.

“It’s an honor being here,” McBride said. “You know, if you’re from California, you kind of grew up with Reagan.”

By all appearances, the firefighters enjoyed Reagan’s half-hour speech, at one point chanting “four more years.”

With his hair touched with gray but looking as robust as ever, Reagan joked that the library staff wanted to fit even more people in the auditorium, but they risked a citation.

“Even presidents have to listen to the fire marshal,” Reagan said.