SANTA ANA

Council Gives Retiring Fire Chief the Ax--in a Good Way

The City Council honored retiring Fire Chief Allen (Bud) Carter by presenting the veteran firefighter with a huge, walnut plaque adorned with an ax.

At the council meeting Monday, Mayor Miguel A. Pulido Jr. praised Carter for his eight years of service with the department and his 33-year career as a firefighter. Pulido described Carter as a man who lived by the motto: “Be safe and be professional.”

The audience, including several dozen uniformed firefighters, and the council then gave Carter a standing ovation to send him off into retirement.

“It’s really a thrill to be receiving this. I feel very honored that I’ve had the opportunity to work for the city,” Carter said.

Carter joined the department as chief in 1987 after serving 23 years with the Long Beach Fire Department. During his tenure, he fought to save lives by reducing overcrowding in residential buildings, and also modernized outdated equipment, including fire engines and paramedic trucks, Pulido said.

Carter’s retirement becomes effective Dec. 30, but he will stay with the department on a temporary contract to help conduct a nationwide search for his replacement.