Mendocino Fire celebrate milestones as department welcomes new volunteers

The Mendocino Volunteer Fire Department recently celebrated a noteworthy milestone for several of its members while welcoming newcomers to their rank and file. This past summer, MVFD awarded 20-year pins to Dirk Dooley, David Lindstrom, and John Paul McMillan. These volunteers have sacrificed valuable time away from work and family to serve the town of Mendocino for two decades responding to multiple thousand emergencies for our local residents, tourists escaping to Mendocino, and the greater citizens of California by participating in mutual aid requests across county lines. These firefighters have dedicated countless hours in training and fostering the growth of those who have come after them in an effort to create a robust fire department.

Dirk Dooley has worn many hats while serving on MVFD ranging from Assistant Chief to current President of the membership. Dooley is a great leader of the department who doesn’t shy away from taking on additional assignments and provides the invaluable service of providing vehicles for auto extrication training as part of his business Mendocino Automotive. When Dooley first joined the department his son Devin was barely old enough to climb into a fire engine, now his son is a college graduate.

David Lindstrom has been a jack-of-all-trades within the department for years. A master rigger for rope rescue, Lindstrom has used his creative prowess for years to help those in need of rescue. A long-time Captain, Lindstrom has imparted his wealth of technical knowledge to dozens of firefighters. Similar to Dooley, Lindstrom had a small child when he first joined the department. He now has two children. Alex, who is enrolled at Sacramento State University studying engineering while his daughter

on fire, nor did she attempt to summon help,” the DA’s office notes.

Smith remains in custody with a sentencing hearing scheduled for Dec. 9, at 9 a.m. at the Mendocino County Courthouse in Ukiah.

The public can attend, but masks are required “in and about the courtrooms.”

The DA also notes that Smith will “be required to register as an arson offender for life with any local law enforcement agency wherever she eventually resides when paroled from state prison,” which is expected to be in two years.