Brotherly love

Deepa Bharath

COSTA MESA -- A week in New York City was bittersweet for Fire Chief

Jim Ellis.

Bitter because of the sadness, gloom and devastation that clouded the

streets in the city’s financial district. Sweet because he saw his fellow

firefighters’ eyes light up when they pulled out a colleague’s helmet or

fragments of gear from the rubble that was once part of the World Trade

Center.

Ellis and his son, Kevin, left for New York on Nov. 7 to deliver a

check for $7,500 collected by Costa Mesa city employees to benefit the

devastated families of firefighters who died trying to save those trapped

in the twin towers.

They also attended three funerals held for fallen firefighters and

visited several of the city’s fire stations.

“We experienced all kinds of emotions,” the chief said. “We had good

times, and we laughed. We shed tears at the funerals. It was just a

phenomenal experience.”

Ellis said the Sept. 11 attacks have transformed New York into a whole

new city, bringing out the best in people.

“You hear about New Yorkers being rude,” he said. “But when we were

out there, people were walking up to us, shaking our hand. Some even told

us they know where Costa Mesa is and thanked us for our support.”

Kevin Ellis, who will follow his father’s footsteps and enter the fire

academy next year, said the trip reinforced his admiration for

firefighters.

“It made me want to be a firefighter more than ever,” the 19-year-old

said. “It was unbelievable to see how they were bouncing back from

something so big. I can only wish I would get the chance to die like

those firefighters did in the line of duty.”

The chief’s son says he is determined to try out for a Fire Department

of New York position when he turns 21 and graduates from the fire

academy.

“That’s where I want to work,” he said. “New York City.”

The father-son duo also visited the financial district, what most

firefighters now refer to as the “pile,” they say.

“It had the strangest smell,” Kevin Ellis said. “It felt like this

sweet-smelling, burning thing.”

His father said it was still burning.

“They had cleared out most of the building and were digging into the

underground levels,” he said. “But you could still see smoke coming from

the innards, the bowels of the building.”

Ellis said he admires the strength and resilience of the department.

Before he left, he said, he wondered what made them so resilient.

“I saw it was the tremendous support they get from people all over,”

he said.

The department is also reevaluating its technique and approach to

future disasters, Ellis said.

“With this one, they just charged in and got everybody out,” he said.

“But that cost the department 343 firefighters. So, in the future, they

are going to stop and evaluate situations before they charge in.”

But that probably will not work out realistically because it goes

against the basic nature of firefighters, Ellis said.

“It’s tough for us to just stop and watch,” he said. “If something

happens, my guess is, they’ll do it again.”

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

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