Irvine City Councilmember Melissa Fox, Community Services Commissioner Lauren Johnson-Norris and Dottie the Fire Dog atop a 1902 horse-drawn steam engine.

This past weekend, I paid a visit to the California Fire Museum‘s new exhibition of firefighting equipment and artifacts in Santa Ana.

The exhibit — entitled “Firefighting: Artifacts and Tools of the Trade” —  runs from February 3 to March 3, 2018, at the SAC Arts Gallery at the Santora Building, 207 North Broadway, Santa Ana, CA 92701.

This is a wonderful exhibit.  The success of this exhibit re-enforces my commitment to convince the Irvine City Council to agree to the Fire Museum’s request for help in preserving their collection from damage from vandalism and the elements by preserving the heritage of our California firefighters at the Great Park.

The California Fire Museum , Inc. is a non-profit, tax-exempt organization whose purpose is:

• To preserve and protect the history and heritage of the fire service in general, with special emphasis on the California Fire Services.
• To collect, restore, preserve and exhibit apparatus, equipment, art and artifacts of the firefighting profession.
  To provide life safety, fire safety and fire prevention education to the community.
• To educate the public about firefighters, firefighting and emergency services.
• We are dedicated to conservation, research, restoration, education and community service.

If you would like to become a member, sponsor, or have a donation of fire memorabilia, funds or services, please contact the California Fire Museum at (949) 916-5019.

As a Board Member of the Orange County Fire Authority and the mother of a firefighter, I urge everyone interested in preserving our California firefighter heritage to contact Irvine’s Mayor and the members of the City Council to tell them to provide the California Fire Museum space for the public display and storage of their irreplaceable collection.