Dan Young, Vice President Emeritus of OC Firefighters’ board of directors, started his fire service career in 1969 as a seasonal firefighter in the Orange Ranger unit of the California Department of Forestry. In 1971 Young took a hiatus from firefighting and was drafted into the army, where he served with the 82nd Airborne division for two years. After his stretch with the army, Young returned to firefighting and functioned as a paramedic for 14 years. He graduated from the California Specialized Training Institute (CSTI) “Crisis Communication and the Media” three-year program and has published numerous articles and research papers on media relations. When the Orange County Fire Department was formed in 1980, Young, an OC native with paramedic training, was promoted to Captain and elected to the OC committee of then Local 1014. While serving as vice chairman, he was an instrumental member of the steering committee, which was setup to deliberate, vote on, and initiate the transition to Local 3631. He retired as vice president of OC Firefighters in 2006.
Young believes that the members hold the key to the future of OC Firefighters. “If membership support continues, we will stay the strongest Local in the state,” Young said. Young has worked with the National Ski Patrol as a trainer and supervisor, teaching on-site medical treatment. Since his retirement, he has remained a medical trainer. He is also a contract athlete and plays racquetball for Eskleon Sports equipment.