Fire department loses ‘huge part’ of team

Deepa Bharath

Randy Scheerer’s life revolved around teaching.

The Newport Beach Fire Department captain and training chief

devoted the later years of his career passing on his knowledge and

experience to younger firefighters, who looked up to him as their

mentor and role model.

Now, all those firefighters have left is a huge void that cannot

be easily filled.

Scheerer died Saturday morning in his Mission Viejo home of a

heart attack. He was 53.

The entire department is in “deep shock,” Chief Tim Riley said.

“We’re all resting on our heels here,” he said. “Randy was a huge

part of the fire service, not only here in this city, but all over

California.”

Scheerer was part of training programs devised by the California

Fire Chiefs Assn. and the state fire marshal’s office. He taught fire

training classes at Rancho Santiago College for about 20 years.

“His demise has put a hole in every project and program he was a

part of,” Riley said.

Scheerer’s work was a big part of his life, he said.

“He easily worked 60 to 70 hours a week,” Riley said. “And he

loved every single minute of it.”

Scheerer started his career as a firefighter in Merced, Calif. He

joined the Newport Beach Fire Department in 1975 and since then has

served as firefighter, fire engineer, fire captain, battalion chief

and training division chief. He was selected as Firefighter of the

Year in 1983.

Despite his busy work life, he always set aside quality time for

his wife, Marilyn, and children Lisa and Mark, said Capt. Dave

Bowman, his friend and colleague for 29 years.

“He always took the time for his family,” he said. “They always

did what they did, went on vacations even if they were, sometimes,

short.”

Scheerer was also a “very committed Christian” and active in his

church, Bowman said.

“He led the men’s Bible study group and worked hard to develop a

computer network system for Calvary Chapel Christian High School,”

Bowman said.

As a person, Scheerer was honest and “very frank,” Bowman said.

“He always let you know when he thought you were doing something

good,” he said. “But if you needed to be corrected or criticized, he

never hesitated to do that. He was a very loyal and good friend.”

Scheerer developed programs not only for the fire department but

for the lifeguards, Newport Beach Lifeguard Capt. Eric Bauer said.

“He made the lifeguards feel like we are a part of the fire

family,” he said. “He didn’t finish what he started to do, but the

things he has done for us will live on long after our time.”