At 8am on Saturday morning, the Morongo Valley Fire Department closed off their portion of Ocotillo St. and opened their bay doors to serve up pancakes, eggs, and bacon to 70-80 community members at $5 a plate. $1 raffle tickets were sold by Coyote Cone’s Shawna Johnson to further benefit the department, where MV Fire Department caps, gift certificates to local businesses, and a large bag of bird seed were given away.
At 10am sharp, Fire Chief James Brakebill swore-in eight new members of the fire crew, including EMT and paramedic, who have finished their probational first year and have since joined the union.
Firefighter Reserve Gus Pardo
When he was sixteen years old, Gus started his career as fire explorer with San Bernardino Fire for five years, then attended the VVC Fire Academy gaining the knowledge and experience to pursue his career. He’s currently attending VVC for a degree in fire science.
Firefighter Paramedic Ivan Gutierrez
Ivan grew up in Norwalk, CA as the youngest of three brothers and one sister. His first-aid training in high school sparked his interest helping others along with his music education which sparked his interest in teaching
Right out of high school, Ivan became an EMT. Soon after, he became an EMT instructor for UCLA and El Camino College for two years.
Ivan moved to Orange County, working as a 911 ambulance operations manager for the city of Brea, before attending Victor Valley Paramedic School where he graduated at the top of his class. He married his wife immediately after, and currently lives in Brea with her and his dog. Ivan has been serving the residents of Morongo Valley since February 2023.
Firefighter EMT Yvonne Frayre
Yvonne grew up in Torrance, CA as the middle child of five with three brothers and one sister. Watching her mother work in the medical field sparked her interest in helping others. Yvonne became an EMT in 2014 before becoming an instructor for El Camino Community College and West Coast EMT.
For seven years she worked as a 911 ambulance operator for Los Angeles County. In 2015 she started her fire career as a Wildland Firefighter for the Angeles National Forest. She was on Handcrew 76 for two seasons and Engine 13 for one season. Yvonne welcomed her son Brandon in 2019. Residing in Diamond Bar, Yvonne has been serving the residents of Morongo Valley since March of 2023.
Firefighter Paramedic Julia Dietro
Julie was raised in the city of Apple Valley. She graduated from Excelsior in Victorville in 2012. From her love for winter sports, she pursued a job a ski patrol. In 2015 she became an EMT before deciding to be a paramedic. Julia graduated from Victor Valley Paramedic Academy in 2017 and has since worked as paramedic. Through her a father, a firefighter of 37-years, she discovered her love for the fire service. After working for the Lane Fire Authority in Oregon as an FFPM, she has since returned home and looks forward to serving the residents of Morongo Valley.
Firefighter Paramedic Rudy Vargas
Rudy Vargas was raised by a single hardworking mother of five in Fontana, CA and graduated from Kaiser High School. After high school, when he was an iron worker he would witness the Pasadena Fire Dept responding to calls during his lunch break and thought, “I could do that.” He attended Chaffey College in Fontana, taking the EMT course. He worked on a 911 ambulance in Orange County at Emergency Ambulance for two years, then attended Crafton Hills paramedic program at AMR Rancho as a paramedic for one year. Vargas was also a reserve firefighter in Yucaipa for one year.
Engineer Nathan Berry. C-Shift
At 16 years old, Nathan Berry started his career as a fire explorer with 29 Palms Fire for two years, before moving to Yermo Calico Fire Dept as an engineer for four years where he gained valuable experience and certifications, before receiving a college degree in fire science. To bolster his professional goals, including a better understanding of building construction, he’s done roofing and building construction in 29 Palms where he currently lives with his dog.
Engineer Gilbert Vasquez, B-Shift
Gilbert Vasquez Jr. has a family of four kids with his wife Lisa and three dogs, raised in the high desert. Starting his career as a Fire Explorer with Adelanto City Fire Dept, he was hired five years later with San Bernardino County Fire Dept as Paid Call Firefighter for seven years before working his way up to drive operator and ambulance operator. He was hired full time with General Atomics ARFF Dept where he became a full time engineer in charge of ARFF vehicle maintenance, then later, a Certified Engineer through state fire training and an instructor. Five years later, Gilbert Vasquez has worked his way up the ranks at MVFD and is now a Certified Company Officer, offering training and lots of love to our small town.
Firefighter EMT David Ofahulu
David Ofahulu has been an MVFD Reserve for the past eleven months. He was born and raised in Orange, CA until he met his lovely wife, Jane Marie, and followed her to the desert where they’ve lived in Yucca Valley for the past six years. Davis began his fire career obtaining his EMT license in 2016. In 2017, he joined a volunteer disaster relief group Team Rubicon where he was trained in wildland fighting. His first fire season was with GFP Enterprise, a type 2-Initial Attack handcrew of Redding, CA. In 2018 he joined the USFS as a firefighter on Engine 57 in Idyllwild, CA. In 2019 after a work-related injury, David sat the season out, then continued in 2020 as a seasonal firefighter for Cal Pines CSD in Alturas, CA. In 2021, David attended the 55th Fire Academy at Victor Valley College, graduating as an Assistant Academy Commander. After acquiring his Firefighter 1 Certification, David became a seasonal firefighter for Smartsville Fire Protection District, a volunteer dept outside Sacramento until the end of 2021 fire season when he attended ARFF (Aircraft Rescue Fire Fighting) Academy and became a firefighter/driver operator for Mission Aviation Fire Rescue at Southern California Logistical Airport in Victorville, CA. In summer of 2022, David was blessed with the opportunity to become a Reserve Firefighter with Morongo Valley Fire. Currently, David works full time with MAFR but loves picking up shifts with MVFD for his days off. Firefighter Ofahulu has also been attending classes learning how to be a peer supporter for fellow first responders through the California Fire Chaplain Association.
