Rookies eager to take places in city fire dept.
By SUSAN TAM Special to the Daily Press
CITY YARDS — Friday was a big day for Johnny Maccini, who committed to both a new life and a new career within the same two-hour time span. Maccini is one of four fire academy grads that will begin a new job as a firefighter in Santa Monica next week.
Rookies Corey Rodriguez, Julien Zermeño, Ryan Demird-jian and Maccini received their new helmets and yellow shields, which signify their first year on the job. After the ceremony, family and friends armed with video cameras and cell phones were asked to back away from the podium. It was then that Maccini proposed to his girl-friend of seven years, Chrystal Herron, by having two buddies unfurl a giant banner from atop a training tower.
Maccini had been planning the stunt for weeks, and enlisted the help of others at the fire station, including his battalion chief, who knew a signmaker and also helped him work on the banner.
A surprised Herron accepted and was congratulated by friends and family, including her grandfather Dale “Popa” Plueger, who said he had no idea what Maccini had up his sleeve, but that he was supportive of the new firefighter.
“He’s one of six or seven other (firefighters) in line (in the family),” Plueger said.
The grads took advantage of their day in the sun before next week’s return to rookie status. The graduation was a triumphant finish to six weeks of academy, stocked with 12-or 13-hour days, Demirdjian said.
“I’m excited... nervous and excited,” said Demirdjian, of his new post with the truck company at Station 1 in downtown Santa Monica, where the other graduates also will be working. As the cameras flashed and the crowd started to wane, the feeling of excitement remained.
Three-year-old Delaney Gordon, cousin to the bride-to-be, sat in a metal folding chair and waited for the commotion to end. Plueger, her grandfather, asked her if she knew what the sign read and what it meant to be married.
“I know,” she said. “(It means) she found her prince.”
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on November 13, 2004. Read the original PDF.