Injured Firefighter Returns To Duty

West Point, Ca — Fire Apparatus Engineer Tim Valadez, who sustained major injuries when a mechanical failure caused his fire truck to rollover on Hwy 15 in Southern California back in August of 2002, has returned to active duty with CAL Fire and is currently stationed in West Point.

Valadez was initially told that he would not be able to return to firefighting due to injuries sustained to the right side of his pelvis and right femur, according to CAL Fire. Valadez underwent a total of seven surgeries over the past seven years, the most recent being in December of 2007. He had to attend physical therapy three times per week after each surgery, and has a titanium rod that runs the length of his femur.

Doctors recently cleared Valadez for full active duty, and he was immediately dispatched to the Humboldt Fire in Butte County where he is currently helping with the effort.

Written by BJ Hansen