Life in the Line of Fire: Community remembers Orcutt fire chief

Wednesday, November 21, 2007

Life in the Line of Fire: Community remembers Orcutt fire chief

Reported by: Melissa Mecija
Source: KSBY.com

ORCUTT - Tears and laughter as community members honor the chief.

This morning's procession of emergency vehicles began at the Orcutt Fire Department and made its way to the Pacific Christian Center in Santa Maria.

Ron Bennett has served as Orcutt's volunteer fire chief since 2003.

The 39-year-old died November 14^th from cardiovascular high blood pressure.

Sirens of emergency vehicles signified the start of procession as the community grieves the loss of a fire chief who spent most of his life giving to others.

Family and friends could not hide the tears as near 1,000 people remembered the lifetime Orcutt resident gone too soon.

Choking back tears, Dana Bennett-Davis spoke about her brother.

"This would make Ron so proud to see all of you here," Bennett-Davis said.

She clung to the lingering smell on her brother's shirt, a brother who knew a life of service would be his calling.

"Ron's obsession with all things emergency started very early on, I usually had to play the victim and he'd be the medic on the scene," Bennett-Davis said.

It was not all tears. Friends said it could not be for the man who loved to laugh.

"Ron wore too much cologne," Bennett-Davis laughed.

"Ron's jokes were corny, let's face it," said Santa Barbara County Fire Chief, John Scherrei.

But at the burial service, that heartache was still clear among Ron's colleagues.

"Big heart, great character, loved people, loved to help-that was his lot in life," said retired Orcutt Fire Chief Kirt Mang.

Tough- lso for the youngest members of Ron's family.

"It's toughest for me when I think about [his nieces and nephews], and I think about his parents--that's the hardest loss I think," said Dan Davis, Ron's brother-in-law.

The loss of a fallen chief and a local hero.

Ron is survived by his parents, his sister and a number of members from his extended family.

The family requests in lieu of flowers, donations be made to the Ron Bennett Memorial Fund, set up at Rabobank. The account number is 0625140411.

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Wednesday, November 21, 2007