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Fountain Valley laments the sudden loss of longtime fire chief Bill McQuaid.
“It’s a deep sadness that we share the passage of fire chief Bill McCaid,” the city said in a statement. “Chief McQuaid was more than a leader. He was a mentor, friend and a pillar of strength within our department and community.”
McQuaid was survived by his wife Tracy and daughters Allyson and Julie. He also leaves his mother Judy behind. his sister Tracy and brother-in-law Keith, as well as his children Ashley, husband Troy, and son Joshua; So does his brother Mike and step-sister Stacia.
Fountain Valley Fire Chief Bill McQuaid can be seen in undated photos. (Fountain Valley Fire Station)
According to a 2023 profile published by the Los Angeles Times, McKayde grew up in Fountain Valley and joined the city’s fire department as a sanctuary before being hired full-time as a firefighter in 1996. He later took charge of the roles of fire department, captain, battalion commander and divisional chief before being appointed fire chief in January 2023.
His career was led by a promise he made to then-shooting chief Bernard Heimos nearly 30 years ago, McKaed told The Times. He said that if he was given the opportunity to serve his hometown, he would stay for the duration of his career.
“If anyone was trying to give me the opportunity to get into it, I was going to give them everything I could,” McCade said in a 2023 interview. “Secondly, Fountain Valley is my home, so having the opportunity to serve my dream career in my own backyard, my hometown, was an opportunity I was willing to commit to throughout my career.”
McQuaid’s services are far beyond city limits. He led the strike team to some of California’s biggest wildfires, including the Thomas Fire in 2017 and the Dixie Fire in 2021, according to the Times. They also helped coordinate local vaccination sites during the Covid-19 pandemic.
More recently, McQuaid has partnered with local high schools to lead efforts to combat the opioid crisis by training staff on how to deal with overdose and how to distribute Narcan.
“With the ongoing large-scale opioid and fentanyl use and the disadvantages that emerged, we partnered with high schools to train teachers and train high school staff how to respond to those emergencies,” McQuaid told The Times. “We’re offering them Narcans so they can get a quick response even before we get there to save lives.”
According to the Times, McKayd is a graduate of Fountain Valley High School and lives with his family in Huntington Beach, where he earned his Masters in Public Safety Leadership and Management from Arizona State University in 2022.
“His losses were deeply felt throughout our department and he served very faithfully throughout the city,” city officials said. “We are grateful for the legacy he has left and we will continue to respect his memory in everything we do.”
The city has not announced the cause of death. Details about the additional service formula have not been announced yet.
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