Tears marked the spot at two emotional junctures of last night’s City Council meeting.
The first was not a surprise because the subject was the late Mayor Albert Vera. But the second time was quite unexpected, when youthful Chris Sellers was sworn in as the Fire Chief, succeeding Jeff Eastman, who retired last December from Culver City’s nationally acclaimed premier Fire Dept.
[img]880|left|||no_popup[/img]
[img]881|left|||no_popup[/img]
[img]882|left|||no_popup[/img]
[img]883|left|||no_popup[/img]
[img]884|left|||no_popup[/img]
[img]885|left|||no_popup[/img]
No, it was not Mr. Sellers who teared. Everybody knows chiefs don’t cry.
As Mayor Chris Armenta stair-stepped Mr. Sellers’ career, from his fire cadet days in Ventura County in 1979, through a brief stopover with the city of Los Angeles prior to his arrival in Culver City in 1984, he etched a portrait as appealing as the beautifully touching family scene that followed.
During the past 26 years, the mayor said, Mr. Sellers may have had only one job, but a bushel of titles. He has been Fire Engineer, Fire Captain, Emergency Medical Services Coordinator, Battalion Chief, Assistant Fire Chief, and all winter and spring he was the Acting Fire Chief
Surrounded by his progeny, Evan, 17, and Sarah, 14, and his wife Susy, age unknown and that is the way it is going to stay, Mr. Sellers was legally inducted into the chief’s office by Mayor Armenta.
As you can see from the accompanying photos, each family member had a turn at participating in the ceremony.
Notwithstanding a splendid, perfectly pitched acceptance speech by her husband, it was Mrs. Sellers who made memories for their handsome family.
During the swearing-in, emotion and several tears crisscrossed and surged to the surface, forcing her, gracefully, to daub at damply overwhelming good feelings, drying them away.
In Culver City, as in many communities, the Fire Dept. often is trumped for attention by the Police Dept., which some persons regard as more glamourous because it is perceived to be a riskier investment.
And so, here was one of those infrequent moments at City Hall when the Fire Chief was invited into the display window.
Many in Council Chambers had their first inspection of Chief Sellers. They listened ardently because Fire Chiefs are asked to talk less frequently than plumbers or truck drivers. Their speeches traditionally are scheduled at decade-long intervals so as not to breed uncomfortable familiarity.
Resplendent in gleaming uniform, the understated Mr. Sellers withdrew his prepared speech from a vest pocket, but immediately re-tucked it, saying that he wanted to speak from the heart. What followed was a modest accounting. “As a little kid,” said the chief, “I wanted to be a firefighter. That was my dream. I have a pretty good imagination, but I never dreamt of being a fire chief.
“So the fact I am here surprises me. It took me 48 years to get prepared for this position. I have had a lot of help along the way. It started early with my mom and dad. Being raised in a family with a brother and sister, it teaches you how to live in a fire station and get along with people. And then with my family, learning to be a husband and a father helps you. All of those experiences molded me into the person I am. A lot of people helped me along the way, who believed in me and supported me.
“At the end, what I would like to say is that the city is facing a lot of challenges ahead, but I also see opportunities and a very bright future.”
