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Please join the
City in mourning the death of Fire Chief John Callahan. The Chief died
unexpectedly Wednesday, August 18. He is survived by his wife, Lynne Callahan and family.
A Public viewing
will be held Thursday, August 26 from 4 PM to 7 PM at the Reis Family
Mortuary, 991 Nipomo St., SLO.
A Public
candlelight vigil will be held Thursday, August 26 from 7:30 PM to 9 PM
at Fire Station 1, 2160 Santa Barbara Ave., SLO.
Memorial Services
are to be held at the Performing Arts Center, Cal Poly Campus on Friday,
August 27 from 10 AM to 12 PM. A Reception will be held at the Alex
Madonna Expo Center, 100 Madonna Road from 12 PM to 4 PM.
Chief John W.
Callahan was appointed Fire Chief for the City of San Luis Obispo by
former City Administrative Officer Ken Hampian, November 1, 2005.
Chief Callahan
served the citizens of San Luis Obispo faithfully for the past five
years. Earlier this month, Chief Callahan announced his plans to retire
and was looking forward to spending more time his wife Lynne and their
family and friends.
Chief Callahan came
to us with over 32 years of experience with the City of Los Angeles Fire
Department, where he worked his way up through the ranks and retired as Deputy
Chief, second in command of that agency.
His career
included: Fire Suppression, Rescue, and Arson Investigation, Commander
of Bureau of Support Services, LAFD Chief of Staff, Command experience
in major incidents from brush fires to civil unrest as well as extensive
training in these various areas.
Chief Callahan held
a Bachelor of Science Degree in Management as well as a degree in Fire
Technology.
Chief Callahan was
a member of the Fire Chiefs Association of San Luis Obispo, California
Fire Chiefs Association, International Fire Chiefs Association to name
just a few and participated in emergency planning and response
conferences in Israel, Japan and China.
He was a very
community oriented man, giving generously of his time to the Rotary and
serving as President of the YMCA as well as working with other
organizations.
Two of his proudest
accomplishments with the San Luis Obispo Fire Department are the
acquisition of the new Aerial Ladder Truck and the opening of the new
Dispatch Center. He felt these were important to aid the citizens of San
Luis Obispo.
Chief Callahan
enjoyed the outdoors. He was an avid fly fisherman, scuba diver,
baseball player, and he was also earning his pilot's license.
One of his favorite
quotes was from Martin Luther King, Jr.:
"The ultimate
measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and
convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy."
Chief Callahan set
the standard high; he will be sorely missed.
In lieu of flowers,
donations may be made to one of the following organizations:
Unfortunately, the donation site is not currently working.
Please mail donations to:
Widows, Orphans, & Disabled Firemen's Fund
PO Box 41903
Los Angeles, CA 90041-9848
Please indicate that your donation is In Memory of
Chief John Callahan.
Cards
may be sent to:
Fire Station #1
2160 Santa Barbara Ave.,
San Luis Obispo, CA 93401-5240
John Callahan
1949-2010
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