One of the biggest challenges was the 1995 conversion of the SPFD, “helping to move the department itself as a living breathing organism of people from the mindset of being a volunteer only firefighter” to the new model combining full- and part-time personnel. The conversion required “a long period of transition and a very difficult period of adjustment for the volunteers during those years.” But making the changes, “keeping the organization on a fairly even keel without sacrificing the quality or level of service,” proved to be a successful group effort, much like the creation of the EMT program, he noted.Notable incidents include one of Chief Skeels’ first, where a Hospital Hill brushfire required a climb “with a couple of sections of fire hose over my shoulder... for whatever reason I didn’t have gloves on.” Soon, a “really bad, ugly rash” broke out on both his hands, and Chief Skeels discovered he had a severe case of poison oak the same week he was scheduled for “my very first jury trial. It was a three day trial, and every time I went back to the defense table I had to drag out Kleenex I was carrying and bandage my hands.”Another rash was that of a series of packing house arson fires, a memorable time, as was being overrun by fire on Sulfur Mountain and responding to tragic airport accidents. In the 1980s, exposure to a still unknown toxic substance landed Chief Skeels and other firefighters in the hospital after they “started dropping like flies” at the scene of a garage fire, where the garage was being used for manufacturing jewelry.“I’ve worked with a great bunch of people and, other than my family, my fire service career in Santa Paula is the best thing that ever happened to me,” said Chief Skeels. “I can retire from the SPFD and be an ordinary citizen, not have a pager on my nightstand as I have had for the past 30 or so years.”Once retired, Chief Skeels will have the opportunity to continue to put out fires, though of a different kind. Soon, a shingle somewhere in Santa Paula will again read Paul Skeels, Attorney at Law.
Santa Paula’s first career Fire Chief Skeels to retire after 31 years of service
May 12, 2006
Santa Paula News
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By Peggy Kelly
Santa Paula TimesIn the mid 1970s when the screams of Shrieking Sam - the Santa Paula Fire Department siren - would be heard throughout the city, a young attorney would leave his downtown practice and race to the fire station, startling people as he sprinted past in his suit. And once Paul Skeels arrived at Station 1 he traded in the business suit for firefighter turnouts, a mode of dress he adopted professionally when he became the city’s first career Fire Chief.After 31 years with the SPFD, including 18 years as Chief, Skeels will retire on June 30. During his tenure, “Chief Skeels has completely transformed the Santa Paula Fire Department,” said City Manager Wally Bobkiewicz. “The citizens of Santa Paula today are safer because of the improvements he championed during his career. All Santa Paulans owe Chief Skeels a sincere debt of gratitude for his years of service.”Chief Skeels moved to Santa Paula in 1973 to practice law with C. Russell King. Although circa 1953 home movies still exist showing “me driving around in a little fire engine, trying to ladder up my grandmother’s house,” Chief Skeels didn’t seriously consider fire service until asked at a Chamber breakfast if he was interested in serving on the city’s then-all volunteer fire department. “I thought about it and said that would be great... that’s how it started.”Later, Chief Skeels found himself in the “right place at the right time” when in 1989 he became the last chief to be elected by his peers, and shortly thereafter became the city’s first ever career fire chief. “I thought if I could do that for a living for a while that would be wonderful, and it has been,” he noted.During his tenure as Chief, Skeels led a complete makeover of the SPFD, including implementing an Emergency Medical Technician program. In 1995 the City Council created three full-time Captain and three full-time Engineer positions, which enabled the SPFD to staff a fire engine around the clock - supplemented by paid call volunteers - at the 10th Street station; seven years later the entire station was full-time. “Response time to most emergencies and the overall level of service to the community was greatly improved,” noted Bobkiewicz.With the steady increase in the number of emergency calls, the Council approved another Chief Skeels-recommended reorganization in early 2005 that allowed the opening of Station 2 with three full-time Captains supervising Reserves, another program started under Chief Skeels’ watch. Chief Skeels also served as Interim City Manager from late 2001 to late 2002 and, in addition to his Chief duties, has served as the City’s Business Ombudsman since then.Chief Skeels considers improving the level of service has been an accomplishment, although “It’s been a very long and difficult process” because of the city’s fiscal constraints. He’ll never forget the “first-save” of a person found in full cardiac arrest by SPFD EMTs, who used the department’s new defibrillator. “And he’s still walking around today....”
