Pasadena Mayor Victor Gordo and his family will be joined by Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger and four other guests related to the Eaton fire’s impact on the greater Dena communities.
Barger has served as the de facto mayor of Altadena throughout the recovery and burgeoning rebuilding phase post-Eaton fire. Along with Barger, Pasadena firefighter/paramedic Tony Zee, who was on medical leave due to a cancer diagnosis when the Eaton fire started, responded to help fight the fire, according to the city of Pasadena.
Vicente Ramirez, a Pasadena resident and day laborer who volunteered in the immediate aftermath of the Eaton fire to clean streets and remove debris, will be joining the mayor. Two city of Pasadena employees who lost their homes in the fire round out Gordo’s guests.
Kenneth “Kenny” James has been a city employee for more than 25 years and currently serves as a recreation supervisor with the Parks, Recreation and Community Services Department. He and his family lost their Altadena home in the fire.
Information Technology Support Specialist Malcolm Thomas is a decades-long employee of Pasadena, who like James, continued working to support emergency operations even while losing his Altadena home in the fire. Thomas provided IT support to first responders and city staff to help fire impacted residents.
“These are individuals who showed up when Pasadena needed them most,” Gordo said in a statement. “They represent the very best of our community, people who led, served, and cared for others even as they faced profound personal hardship. This is the magic of teamwork.”
They will be riding down the 5.5-mile parade route in a 1937 American LaFrance fire engine. The American LaFrance Fire Engine Company was founded in 1903 and manufactured just eight engines of this model, according to the city.
Today, only two are known to exist. After being in service by the Petaluma Fire Department until 1960 it was sold for scrap. The engine was restored to its current condition thanks to a rigorous restoration project after it was acquired in 1989.
“This fire engine, like our community, has endured hardship and been restored through dedication and care,” Gordo said. “It is a powerful symbol of the people riding aboard it, and of a city that moves forward together.”