Page 110 - History of the Colton Fire Department

1990
Kathy White was Colton Fire Departments Fire
Prevention Officers. She would orginize and produce
safety programs throughout the year, Assisted Brent Bai-
ley as Public Information Officer and other projects in-
volving disaster preparedness. Kathy’s father was Fire
Chief Mel Enslow of the city of Redlands and her brother
Kenny Enslow was a seasonal firefighter for the Califor-
nia Division of Forestry (CDF). Wildland fires can be
very dangerous and unpredictable, leaving behind what
are called snags or widow makers. A widow maker is
any loose overhead debris such as limbs or tree tops that
may fall at any time. Many times the centre of a tree
can be hollowed out from the fire and continue to burn
unnoticed from the inside. Walking through a forest
that has just been ravished by fire can be very quiet at
times with a sudden crack followed by a load thunder-
ous earthshaking thump. Falling trees and debris can be
unpredictable. On August 11, 1990, Kenny Enslow was
on a strike team assignment for a fire on the Mendocino
N.F. This would be one day after Kenny’s 20th birthday
when a snag fell from a distance with no warning, strik-
ing Kenny on the head. He was air lifted to Chico, Ca.
and then taken off life support 2 days later. There was
a Firefighter Memorial placed in Sacramento California.
Of the three firefighters that were depicted in this statue,
Kenny is the only deceased firefighter. Kenny is dressed
as the Wildland Firefighter with his hand reaching out to
help another firefighter up.

Disney commissioned this art work as a tribute to the hero-
ic fire fighting during the California Southland fires in 1993.
This would be one of the few times that Mickey would look up
to someone. From Anahiem California, a rookie Firefighter
posed for this painting.

1991
David Hall was promoted to Fire Chief as Col-
ton’s 6th Full time Chief in February of 1991. David was
always tough on training. Knowing that he would some-
day apply for the Chief of the department, Dave contin-
ued his schooling to earn his Bachelors degree in Fire
Protection. This was a tough time for Colton and many
other small cities. Money was getting tight and every-
one was questioning how the money was spent with less
A Sacramento California Firefighter Memorial. Kenny Enslow is money being taken in. This made it hard to fix, maintain
the wildland firefighter that is reaching out his hand to help another
climb the hill. and purchase new equipment that was needed. David
Hall said that the city went through 6 city managers in a
short period of time. Not being able to find the leader-
ship that the city needed to get on the right track led the
110 city further and further in the hole. The Fire department