Fountain Valley's hometown Fire Chief dies unexpectedly after decades of service

Yahoo

3 days ago

Fountain Valley is mourning the sudden loss of its hometown fire chief, Bill McQuaid, who died unexpectedly Friday afternoon while off duty, city officials announced Saturday.
'It is with profound sadness that we share the passing of our Fire Chief, Bill McQuaid,' the city said in a statement. 'Chief McQuaid was more than a leader—he was a mentor, a friend, and a steadfast pillar of strength within our department and community.'
McQuaid is survived by his wife, Tracy, and daughters, Allyson and Julie. He also leaves behind his mother, Judy; his sister, Tracy, and brother-in-law, Keith, along with their children Ashley, her husband Troy, and their son Joshua; as well as his brother Mike and sister-in-law Stacia.
Raised in Fountain Valley, McQuaid joined the city's fire department as a reserve before being hired full-time in 1996 as a firefighter-paramedic, according to a 2023 profile published by the Los Angeles Times. He later held the roles of fire engineer, captain, battalion chief and division chief of operations before being named fire chief in January 2023.
His career was guided by a promise he made nearly 30 years ago to then-Fire Chief Bernard Heimos, McQuaid told the Times: that if he were given the chance to serve his hometown, he would stay for the duration of his career.
'If somebody was going to give me that opportunity to get into it, then I was going to give them my all,' McQuaid said in the 2023 interview. 'Second, Fountain Valley is my home, so having the opportunity to serve in my dream career in my own hometown, in my own backyard, was an opportunity that I was willing to commit to for the entirety of my career.'
McQuaid's service extended far beyond city limits. According to the Times, he led strike teams into some of California's largest wildfires, including the Thomas Fire in 2017 and the Dixie Fire in 2021. He also helped coordinate local vaccination sites during the COVID-19 pandemic.
More recently, McQuaid spearheaded efforts to combat the opioid crisis by partnering with local high schools to train staff on how to respond to overdoses and distribute Narcan.
'With the large-scale opioid and fentanyl usage that's going on and the adverse results that are coming out of that, we've partnered with our high schools to train the teachers and train the high school staff how to respond to those emergencies,' McQuaid told the Times. 'We're providing them with the Narcan… so that they can get rapid response, even before we can get there, to help us in the process of saving lives.'
A graduate of Fountain Valley High School, McQuaid lived in Huntington Beach with his family and earned a master's degree in public safety leadership and executive management from Arizona State University in 2022, according to the Times.
'His loss is felt deeply across our department and throughout the city he served so faithfully,' city officials said. 'We are grateful for the legacy he leaves behind and will continue to honor his memory in all that we do.'
The city has not released a cause of death. Details about memorial services have not yet been announced.
Luis Zuniga contributed to this report.
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