From firehouse to brewhouse, OCPFA personnel will sling ale to aid firefighter relief fund

If you’d like to raise a glass to local firefighters — while assisting those who’ve fallen in the line of duty or suffer from job-related illnesses, including cancer — the perfect opportunity presents itself Saturday at San Clemente’s RŌM Beer Co.

That’s where, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., the Orange County Professional Firefighters Assn.’s Local 3631 will host a special release of this year’s handcrafted Never Forget Pale Ale in support of its Fallen Firefighter Relief Fund and in memory of one of their own fallen colleagues.

In addition to a special can release of a fresh brew concocted by Orange County Fire Authority personnel in conjunction with RŌM’s own brewers, the family-friendly event will include food and activities, along with merchandise available for purchase.

Orange County Professional Firefighters Assn. Local 3631 teamed up with San Clemente’s Rom Beer Co. to produce Never Forget Pale Ale, being sold Saturday to support the union’s Fallen Firefighter Relief Fund.

(Courtesy of OCPFA)

All proceeds will help bolster the relief fund, which since its creation in 1998 has offered nearly $1 million of assistance toward the funeral, legal and memorial expenses associated with a job-related illness or death, according to OCPFA Local 3631 Director Brian Abney.

“There are a lot of family needs when a firefighter dies, or when one of their family members dies or has a medical issue,” Abney said. “The relief fund provides financial support not just for our department, but for all departments across Orange County, statewide and nationally.”

In addition to those who die while fighting fires, many perish succumb to illnesses associated with their line of work and exposure to carcinogens. The International Assn. of Fire Fighters estimated that, between 2002 and 2019, cancer caused 66% of the career firefighter line-of-duty deaths.

Additionally, firefighters experience a 9% higher risk of cancer than the general U.S. population and a 14% higher chance to dying from cancer, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“It’s actually the No. 1 killer of firefighters, whether they’re on duty or not,” Abney said Tuesday. “Every year, we have one to six firefighters pass away, either in retirement or who are taken off the job because of their cancer.”

OCFA Capt. Rob Culp, who grew up in Laguna Beach, died March 4 from job-related lung cancer. On Saturday, his former colleagues will sell beer brewed in his memory to raise funds for a Firefighter Relief Fund.

(Courtesy of OCPFA)

This year’s “Never Forget Pale Ale” pays tribute to Fire Capt. Robin “Rob” Culp, a local firefighter who died March 4 from occupational lung cancer at age 53.

Born in Carmel, Culp moved with his family to Laguna Beach and was a young man in 1993, when the notorious Laguna Fire scorched some 16,684 acres, ravaging 366 homes and forcing the evacuation of some 24,000 residents.

Inspired to act, Culp helped friends and loved ones save their personal memorabilia from their homes and became interested in a career in firefighting, according to the California Fire Foundation. He would go on to serve 25 years, including 16 with the Orange County Fire Authority, becoming a paramedic and captain.

Saturday’s release marks the third year since OCPFA Local 3631 members first collaborated with RŌM Beer Co.’s predecessor, Delahunt Brewery, to put on the local fundraiser.

RŌM co-owner Brandon Portnoff — who in 2020 partnered with brewmasters Chris Linn, Noah Lunt and Josh Stern and other stakeholders to assume operations at Delahunt under a new brand — recalled attending the first can release and was more than happy to continue the tradition.

OCFA firefighters package cans of Never Forget Pale Ale, being sold Saturday at San Clemente’s Rom Beer Co. to raise money for a fallen firefighters relief fund.

(Courtesy of OCPFA)

“It just made sense to support it,” said Portnoff, who has relatives in the military and on police forces. “Anything related to first responders and people who take care of the community, I’m in.”

In addition to selecting the malt and hops and brewing up each year’s batch of ale, local firefighters return to the brewhouse three weeks later to package the creation, which is enjoyed by friends, families and supporters at the can release party.

Orange Co. Professional Firefighters Assn. Local 3631 is selling a specially brewed beer and merchandise to raise funds for fallen firefighters and their families.

(Courtesy of OCPFA)

“The vibe is like a giant backyard barbecue,” Portnoff said of the occasion. “We’re there to honor and celebrate fallen firefighters, but it’s not like a funeral, it’s a party.”

Along with T-shirts and other merchandise specific to this year’s tribute, the idea, according to Abney, is to run out of inventory — and beer— by the end of the event.

However, those unable to attend Saturday’s fundraiser can still support OCPFA’s Fallen Firefighter Relief Fund by making a donation online at fallenfirefightersrelieffund.org.

RŌM Beer Co. is located at 1011 Calle Recodo in San Clemente.