Late Fountain Valley fire chief Bill McQuaid remembered, honored with formal procession
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After learning of the unexpected death of its fire chief over the weekend, the Fountain Valley community came out to pay tribute to Bill McQuaid on Tuesday.
A couple hundred people poured out onto the sidewalk outside City Hall as midday approached, awaiting the arrival of a formal procession for the homegrown leader.
When the lights from the first motor cop flickered from the east down Slater Avenue, the crowd stood at attention. What unfolded was a harrowing display of camaraderie, a mortuary-bound hearse accompanied by a line of fire and police personnel that took more than three minutes for all of them to roll through.
Beth Hambelton, who recently retired as the senior program and community outreach liaison at Orange Coast Medical Center, joined the throng of people wishing to say goodbye.
“I worked and served in this area for 22 years and collaborated with Bill and others in the fire department to bring important health and life-saving partnerships together,” Hambelton said. “That’s how I got to know Bill. I watched him go through the ranks, and he always remained such a kind, strong, steadfast servant.
“He was not only compassionate but saw the need for bringing partners together, to help get what needed to be done for the betterment for the residents of Fountain Valley, the businesses of Fountain Valley and visitors to Fountain Valley. Those partnerships and collaborative efforts together were, and remain, super tender in my heart. Wonderful, wonderful person.”
McQuaid, 57, died on Friday while off duty during a bodyboarding trip to Huntington State Beach, Acting Fire Chief Tim Saiki told the Daily Pilot on Monday.
A 1986 graduate of Fountain Valley High, McQuaid had spent nearly three decades with the fire department, fulfilling a promise to spend his whole career with the fire service in his hometown. McQuaid made that pledge to Bernard Heimos, the fire chief at the time of his hiring as a firefighter-paramedic in 1996.
He proudly retold that story when he was promoted to succeed Ron Cookston as chief of the Fountain Valley Fire Department in January 2023.
Steve Nagel, a three-time mayor of Fountain Valley who served in the city’s fire department until 2006, said he was “totally shocked” when he learned late Friday night of McQuaid’s passing.
“Today was very moving, knowing that I’m coming for somebody I had worked with,” Nagel said Tuesday. “It was emotional. It’s nice to see a show of support by the community members. We feel these people that provide our service every day, sometimes, it’s about them. Most of the time, they don’t want any recognition, but this time, I think it’s very nice that we were able to show our support for Bill’s family and our community, and that we care about everybody that’s in it.”
The procession took off from the Orange County Coroner’s Office in Santa Ana at 11 a.m., following a route that included portions of the 5, 55 and 405 freeways. Fire apparatuses were stationed at overpasses along the route, with uniformed personnel standing and saluting.
City employees joined the somber crowd in front of City Hall for the procession, which went past in the westbound lanes of Slater Avenue at approximately 11:40 a.m.
Many sharing hugs and stories in their collective grief stopped to face the first responders and emergency vehicles, some holding American flags and others waving miniature flags as the procession passed. Flags at city facilities flew at half-staff in honor of McQuaid.
“This is when a community pulls together,” said resident Katy Wright, who is also a volunteer for the Trauma Intervention Program. “We grieve together. Everyone grieves differently, but you could see all the different layers of grief and connection and hugs. … This was very important from a point of view, not only of processing grief for those who wanted to show their respect to their colleague and their brother in arms, but also for the community that felt the loss.”
Rudy Huebner, a member of the city’s planning commission, remembered both the business and the fun sides of the late fire chief. In thinking on the latter aspect, she recalled him taking part in the Motorhome Madness event at the Orange County Fair, during which she said he operated a vehicle called “Lightning McQuaid,” after the “Cars” character Lightning McQueen.
Shortly after McQuaid took over as the fire chief, the City Council agreed to purchase a property for a new fire station at 17101 Bushard St. At the time, McQuaid advocated for the space on several accounts, including the ability to conduct on-site training, to house ambulances and to support gender diversity with proper facilities.
McQuaid was involved in trying to secure alternative funding for the project. The council is expected to look at funding strategies for building the fire station in August, City Manager Maggie Le said.
“Now that he’s no longer with us, I really hope the community continues to make an effort and continues to advocate to build this new fire station in his honor, in his memory,” said Huebner, adding that McQuaid was a champion for women’s rights and gender parity. “This is a way that we can really carry on the legacy, the dedication and the work that he showed in this community. He started it. He put us on this path. Now, those of us that are still here, we need to carry that forward.”
