Firefighters carefully brushed off the dirt from the sign honoring the late CalFire Steve Faris on Friday morning when the huge new sign was to be installed on Hwy. 330 designating the highway as the Steve Faris Memorial Highway. The dedication event was held at the City Creek Ranger Station on Hwy. 330 on Friday morning, May 16.
On behalf of Senator Bob Dutton, his representative Janet Nelson said that Feris was instrumental in bringing agencies together to work as a team which benefitted all the mountain communities.
Without a doubt one of the most eloquent speaker was Chief Glen Barley who talked about the days when Faris joined the fire department. One of the great accomplishments Steve made was his dedication to starting the fire safe council program in the local mountains. “Steve believed that the most amount of work would be done by people who live in the community,” he said. He added that Feris was a man of character which was absolutely true.
U.S. Forest Service representative John Miller told the guests that on behalf of the forest service he was proud to be at the event and she lauded Faris for being one of the “foundation building blocks” for the creation of the Mountain Area Safety Task Force. He added that the forest service is proud to have the sign designating him at the City Creek station.
Without a doubt one of the most eloquent speakers was longtime Arrowbear resident (and Fire Safe Council president) Laura Dyberg. She was particularly close to Steve Faris and they were great friends and colleagues. Throughout many years that the Fire Safe Council program has been “on the mountain” Laura and Steve worked together and without the tireless help from both of these people the program definitely would not be what it is today. Dyberg told the guests that she went with Steve to many events “pushing” the formation of Fire Safe Councils. “He recognized the value of the program,” she said, adding that Steve knew the value of agencies. “He changed my life in a lot of ways,” said Dyberg, who has carried “the banner” of organizing Fire Safe Councils throughout the San Bernardino National Forest as well as other mountain communities such as Idywilld. She thanked everyone who donated money, large or small, to pay for the new sign and she said that “Steve will never be forgotten.” At the end of the ceremony everyone had the opportunity to write a message on the back of the large sign which was such a wonderful gesture. I’ll have to go back and see what everyone wrote, including me, because I don’t remember what I said. I do know that I had tremendous respect for this man who was so humble, who loved the mountains, who loved his family and friends and who made such an impact on so many lives. The fact that he died a few years ago in an automobile accident still doesn’t seem “right”, but his legacy continues. The new sign on Hwy. 330 will keep his memory alive for a long, long time to those who knew and loved him. It will also allow “off the mountain” drivers to realize that a great man was honored for his accomplishments or the sign would not be there at all.
It was Senator Bob Dutton (who grew up in the mountains) that carried legislation to re-name the portion of Hwy. 330 for Faris and he was supported in this effort by former county Supervisor Neil Derry as well as current Supervisor Janice Rutherford. Her mountain representative, Lewis Murray, was present at the dedication event.
CalFire Chief Glen Barley told the attendees that when Steve joined the department he went to the station the first day, got on the engine, got a little bit of training and he was ready to go. Naturally they got a call and, Barley said, “Steve said he’d died and gone to heaven.”
I believe that the legacy this loving, caring, funny, gentle man leaves behind is that you don’t give up and when you work together miracles truly can take place. Steve’s tenacity in getting agencies to work together has proven to not only be a success but a huge success and each of us owe him a debt of thanks because without his interest and support it is entirely likely that the mountain Fire Safe Council program would not exist.
What a privilege it was to know him. I know his friends and family honor his memory and are grateful they had the opportunity to know Steve. The sign on Hwy. 330 will be a constant reminder to those who knew him and those who didn’t that the sign represents a great man who wasn’t president of the United States, who wasn’t a senator or congressman. Steve was an “ordinary” man who I believe would be shocked (yet honored) by the bright green sign that carries his name on the highway that so many people travel each day.
David Matza attended the event on behalf of Senator Mike Morrell and Janet Nelson represented Assemblyman Tim Donnelly.
Joan Moseley's Mountain Top Echoes 