Read by William Racowschi, Fire Chief, City of Torrance Fire Department.
DENNY R. HAAS
I’™D LIKE TO ADJOURN TONIGHT’™S COUNCIL MEETING IN MEMORY OF DENNY R. HAAS, FORMER TORRANCE FIRE DEPARTMENT BATTALION CHIEF/FIRE MARSHALL, WHO PASSED AWAY ON NOVEMBER 13, 2009.
DENNY HAAS, A RESIDENT OF BOULDER CITY,NEVADA, PASSED AWAY AFTER A LENGTHY ILLNESS ON FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2009. HE WAS 75.
HE WAS BORN IN SOUTH GATE, CALIFORNIA, AND GRADUATED FROM WASHINGTON HIGH SCHOOL IN LOS ANGELES.
DENNY BEGAN HIS FIRE DEPARTMENT CAREER AS A FIREFIGHTER ON AUGUST 27, 1962. HE ROSE QUICKLY THROUGH THE RANKS, PROMOTING TO FIRE ENGINEER IN 1968, FIRE CAPTAIN IN 1972, AND TO BATTALION CHIEF IN 1979. AS A FIRE CAPTAIN, HE SERVED AS ONE OF THE EARLY PARAMEDIC COMMANDERS, A TITLE KNOWN TODAY AS EMS COORDINATOR. DENNY SERVED THE CITY IN MANY CAPACITIES THROUGH THE YEARS BUT HIS MOST EXTENSIVE AND FAR REACHING CONTRIBUTIONS CAME WHILE HE SERVED AS FIRE MARSHAL. THIS WAS DURING THE TIME TORRANCE WENT FROM A HEAVY INDUSTRIAL CITY TO THE BALANCED COMMUNITY WE ARE TODAY.
DURING HIS TENURE AS FIRE MARSHAL CHIEF HAAS WAS THE OVERSEER OF MAJOR ADDITIONS TO BOTH OUR HOSPITALS, THE CONVERSION OF SEVERAL INDUSTRIAL PLANTS ALONG THE WESTERN AVENUE CORRIDOR TO COMMERCIAL CENTERS, AND NOTABLY THE CONSTRUCTION OF TOYOTA MOTORS NORTH AMERICAN HEADQUARTERS ON 190TH AND WESTERN. HE WAS ALSO INSTRUMENTAL IN MOVING OUR FIRE PREVENTION DIVISION TO ITS PRESENT LOCATION IN THE CITY HALL COMPLEX.
CHIEF HAAS WAS ALSO A STATEWIDE EXPERT IN THE FIRE PREVENTION FIELD. HE WAS PAST PRESIDENT OF THE SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA FIRE PREVENTION OFFICERS ASSOCIATION AND CHAIRED THEIR BUILDING CODES COMMITTEE. IN THAT CAPACITY, HE REPRESENTED ALL SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA FIRE DEPARTMENTS IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF BUILDING AND LIFE SAFETY CODES WHICH WE STILL USE TODAY TO PROTECT LIVES AND PROPERTY.
DENNY WAS AN AVIATION ENTHUSIAST, EARNING HIS PILOT’™S LICENSE IN 1985. HE ENJOYED TRAVELING THE WORLD.
CHIEF HAAS IS SURVIVED BY HIS WIFE OF 35 YEARS LYNNE, FOUR SONS, RICKY, MIKEL, JEFFRY, AND DONALD; SIX GRANDCHILDREN, TWO BROTHERS, AND NUMEROUS NIECES AND NEPHEWS.
SERVICES WILL BE HELD IN HENDERSON, NEVADA, ON NOVEMBER 21.
WE EXPRESS OUR DEEPEST SYMPATHY TO THE HAAS FAMILY AND FRIENDS.COUNCIL MEETING OF November 17, 2009