Finished training

Deepa Bharath

Capt. Mike Treanor has been married to the Costa Mesa Fire Department

almost as long as he has been married to his wife -- 36 years.

But now it is time for the 57-year-old Treanor to say sad goodbyes to

longtime colleagues and short-time proteges as he calls it a career.

“This has been a one-of-a-kind job,” Treanor said, looking back at his

career, from the time he started in the department as a 21-year-old

firefighter.

“I’ve never experienced more grief, sadness, despair and joy -- all on

the same day,” he added. “I don’t think it’s possible in any other job.”

Treanor climbed the ranks over the years and worked his way up to

being a captain. In 1993, he became the department’s administrative

captain in charge of formulating and maintaining training guidelines for

firefighters.

Treanor has remained in that position since and brought about a number

of changes in the department. One of the first improvements he made was

to set up a contract with Orange Coast College to teach firefighters

basic Spanish.

“We have a diverse community here in Costa Mesa,” he said. “And I just

saw the need for us to be able to communicate with our citizens.”

Ever since, the department has circulated informative pamphlets and

fliers in English, Spanish and Vietnamese, he said.

“I have a lot of sympathy for people who cannot speak English,” he

said. “And there is just no excuse for us not to be able to understand

them and communicate with them. We could lose a life needlessly.”

Treanor was also responsible for getting the department up to date on

terrorism response.

“We did it several years before Sept. 11,” he said.

Firefighters are educated on how to assist or suppress biological,

chemical and nuclear terrorism, Treanor noted.

The thought of leaving the department Friday, his last day, has left

him with mixed feelings, he said.

“I feel happy, sad and apprehensive,” he said, getting emotional and

wiping away tears. “I am happy I’ll get to spend more time with my

family, but I’m sad to leave all my colleagues behind. I’m also a little

scared, because I’ve never done anything else. I’ve taken the same street

every day to work, and now I won’t take it.”

Treanor will also begin teaching fire technology at Santa Ana College.

That is a required course for students who wish to enroll in the Fire

Academy.

Capt. Kirk Dominic, who will take over Treanor’s job, said he has

“some big shoes to fill.”

“He has taught me a lot of things,” he said. “I’ve learned to see the

big picture and understood that there are a lot of different facets to

training.”

Treanor has been a trustworthy colleague, one who could be counted on

in times of crisis, said Capt. Ronald McMinimy, who has worked with

Treanor for 34 years.

“We backed each other up all the time,” he said. “He taught me that to

be a leader you don’t have to pound on people. He taught me that if you

make a mistake, you can correct it. Mike is a great guy, and I’m really

sad to see him go.”

Costa Mesa Fire Chief Jim Ellis said he will miss Treanor, who has

served as his “sounding board” over the years.

“As far as the training program, he always kept pace with changes and

made sure we all went through training safely,” he said. “Mike has been

an icon in our department.”

* Deepa Bharath covers public safety and courts. She may be reached at

(949) 574-4226 or by e-mail at o7 [email protected] .