Last month Tulare County law enforcement and first responders gathered to honor local heroes. Among those honored was Fire Captain Jason Elizondo. Considered a local success story, Elizondo was born in Fresno and went to school in Dinuba before eventually signing on full time with Tulare County Fire in 2008.
With a decade of service, Captain Elizondo has a long history of providing local firefighters leadership and support. A colleague and close friend of Elizondo, Captain Hank Seguin, emphasized how Elizondo’s name kept popping up because of his humble nature and dedication to make the safety of first responders a priority by supplying them with the best protective equipment.
“We felt he went above and beyond mainly because he made my life safer…And also with the newer equipment I’m able to get into something that may be even hotter because I have newer stuff. With the other stuff I may not be able to get in there because the old equipment just wouldn’t allow it.”
Fire Chief Charlie Norman praised Elizondo for being such a versatile captain. Not only was he in charge of acquiring personal protective equipment, but he was also a talented mechanic, frequently had boots on the ground dealing with some of the worst traffic accidents in the county, and managed a $300,000 budget.
“Everybody in our agency is a hero, but Jason goes above and beyond in so many ways and if I had to put one thing I would say, leadership. Being able to pass on what we know. I have a lot of information. I’ve been around for a long time. Jason has a lot of information, but that information is no good unless we’re passing it onto the next generation…When I go off into greener pastures and Jason promotes through the ranks, there will be somebody to take his place and we won’t miss a beat.”