Celebration of Life for CAL FIRE Assistant Chief Josh Bischof
A memorial service was held today for one of the three firefighters killed in a helicopter crash while battling a fire in Cabazon earlier this month. It was live streamed this morning.
You can watch the celebration of life service for Assistant Chief Josh Bischof below:
Hundreds of people gathered to mourn the loss of Assistant Chief Bischof at the Toyota Arena in Ontario to pay tribute.
Members of his fire family remembered him fondly as being someone who loved to have fun outside of work, with trips to Mexico, Hawaii and the Sierras with his co-workers.
While at work, those who knew him said he got the job done was a great leader.
"In all my years with Cal fire, I've known many men and women in our department," said Bill Weiser, Riverside County Fire Chief and Cal-Fire Riverside Unit Chief. "And I can say without hesitation, Josh Bischof is the most genuine man I've ever known. He was not precocious or ego driven, but humble, intelligent and brave."
Assistant Chief Bischof got his start in his career as a volunteer firefighter in Mountain Center before working for the San Bernardino National Forest Service Vista Grande Hot Shot Crew in 1998.
In 1999, he was promoted to firefighter 1 with Cal-Fire stationed at San Jacinto station 25 and in September of 2000, he was promoted to firefighter 2 at Station 87 in Indio where he remained for nearly 11 years. During his time in the valley, he was promoted to Fire Apparatus Engineer at Station 87 in June 2003 and then Fire Captain in March 2008.
Bischof's wife Cheryl also shared stories about her husband, saying he was a loving husband who was devoted to his job, but the devotion and love he had for his family was unmatched,
"His patience was unmatched, his love unconditional and his commitment to his family, unwavering." Said Cheryl Bischof, wife of Josh Bischof. She fought back tears as she said that the trips they took with their fire family never changed, even with the addition of their children the interest and enthusiasm in the trips didn't stop.
Cal-Fire Assistant Chief Josh Bischof, Fire Captain Tim Rodriguez, and pilot Tony Sousa lost their lives in the mid-air collision on Aug. 6.
The memorial service for Rodriguez was held on Monday, with hundreds gathering in Ontario to honor his life.
The celebration of life for Pilot Tony Sousa will remain private, with no livestreaming available, CAL FIRE confirmed.
The aftermath of the helicopter crash has prompted a comprehensive investigation led by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).
"We’ll examine the airframe, the engine and other components as necessary," said Eleazar Nepomuceno, an NTSB aviation accident investigator. "Once the wreckage has been recovered, our team will collect archived information which will include the pilot, the machine, and the environment."
NTSB officials have announced that a complete investigation will take 18 to 24 months, with a preliminary report expected within 15 days of the crash. In the meantime, NTSB investigators plan to use drones to photograph the wreckage from all angles and throughout various times of the day.
