FOUNTAIN VALLEY : Firefighter’s Extra Skills Help City, Self

For the past week, city firefighter and paramedic Rory Calhoon has been laying down his hammer and nails before sprinting to his engine when emergency calls come in.

Calhoon, 35, is using his carpentry skills to build oak cabinets for paramedic equipment and supplies on the city’s two front-line fire engines and a backup engine.

The City Council recently did away with the Fire Department’s single paramedic van--in service since 1972--and reassigned its two paramedics to ride on fire engines. But the engines were not equipped with storage space for medical supplies.

“Rory has rebuilt those engines so that every time one of the firefighters opens up that compartment to get medical equipment, they’re going to see his contributions. It’s kind of like his signature,” said Fire Chief Bernard F. Heimos.

By contributing his woodworking skills, Heimos said, Calhoon, a 13-year veteran with the department, has saved the city about $2,000 an engine in labor costs. The city paid for the materials: wood, nails and glue.

Calhoon has done the work during “down” time at the station and is scrambling to finish the cabinetry today in time for the city to begin its paramedic fire engine service Wednesday morning.

By staffing the fire engines with paramedics, Heimos said, his department will reduce its response times and thus improve service.

Mayor Guy Carrozzo said the paramedic engine system will double the city’s paramedic capability while requiring no additional staffing. About 70% of the Fire Department’s calls are for medical aid, he said.

Calhoon says he volunteered for the cabinetmaking job not only to help the department but also to make sure that the work was done properly.

“It’s hard to tell someone not in the business--who is not a firefighter--what it is that you want,” he said. “Since I’m the one who has to work on the fire engine, I wanted it done right.”