In Disney’s Hottest Job : Anaheim Battalion Chief Leaves to Lead Park’s Firefighting Crew

Disneyland’s nighttime fireworks regularly delight thousands of park visitors, but for Benito (Benny) Ramirez, the show means it’s time to go on alert.

Ramirez, 54, who will take over as the theme park’s fire chief March 1, primarily will be involved with safety and prevention. But with Disney’s elaborate fire-breathing shows, such as “Fantasmic,” there’s always the possibility of trouble.

“We’ve actually extinguished fires from (fireworks) fallout in the park,” said Ramirez, who has worked part time as a Disney firefighter for the past six years. “That’s why we are out there.”

But such instances are rare, Disney officials said, mostly because of the precautions taken by the park’s 45-person fire crew, which is stationed off Main Street. And Ramirez, who will step down as a battalion chief at the Anaheim Fire Department after 27 years, means to keep it that way.

“As a firefighter, you see the background, you see the preparedness and you see what goes into giving the guests a great program,” Ramirez said. “We don’t want anything to get in the way of that.”

The most notable recent fire in the park occurred in 1992 when a small blaze broke out on the now dismantled People Mover ride. The blaze was quickly contained, but resulted in four injuries. In the 40-year history of Disneyland, no one has died in a fire, Disney officials said.

Disneyland has two small fire engines capable of transporting five-person crews. Also, there are 2,500 fire extinguishers around the park.

For Ramirez, who was born in Orange and grew up in Anaheim, the Magic Kingdom still holds a childhood fascination. As a youngster, Ramirez would go to the park once a month.

“It’s just a magic place,” said Ramirez, who with his wife, Sally, raised two girls and a boy in Anaheim. “You can really let your mind wander here and relax.”

A firefighting instructor at Rancho Santiago College, Ramirez plans to teach Disney employees basic prevention and firefighting techniques.

“I’m not saying I’m going to make firemen out of them,” Ramirez said. “But the cast members get there before the firemen, and I want to teach them the fundamentals.”

But for all of Disney’s mystique, Ramirez’s park duties probably will never supply the same drama as working for the Anaheim Fire Department. A veteran of countless blazes, Ramirez recalls his battle against the 1981 Ball-Euclid fire as his most memorable.

“That’s the most tired I’ve ever been in my life,” said Ramirez of the eight-hour fire that destroyed 523 apartment units. “You have fire everywhere. Over you. Under you. Everywhere. . . . It was terrible.”

Anaheim Fire Chief Jeff Bowman praised Ramirez’s steadfast and skilled service to the department.

“It’ll be a great loss for our organization, but a great gain for Disneyland,” Bowman said. “Benny will be a great fire chief for them. He has that human compassion you need to be an outstanding leader.”

Ramirez said he has conflicting emotions about leaving the city department after such a long tenure.

“I’ve known most of these folks for 27 years,” Ramirez said. “Being a fireman, I lived with people I worked with. I’ve just known a lot of neat people. . . . I’ll miss all that.”

Ramirez will replace current Disneyland Fire Chief Bill Collins, who will retire Feb. 28.