2011 Blue Mass for Public Safety

The 10th annual Blue Mass for Public Safety is being held on Thursday, October 13, 2011 at 6:30 P.M. at St. Catherine of Alexandria at 3680 Arlington Avenue in Riverside, California.

The event began back in 1934 in Baltimore, Maryland when a Catholic Priest named Thomas Dade initiated the Catholic Police and Firemen's Society. About 1,100 police and firemen attended the first Blue Mass on September, 29, 1934. The Blue Mass became an annual tradition in the northeastern cities of the United States. The Blue Mass began in San Bernardino, California in 2002 when the Most Reverend Gerald R. Barnes celebrated the event which drew more than 200 men and women in blue from the Inland empire.

Since it began, it has become part of the tradition to alternate the the Mass between San Bernardino and Riverside counties. Each year, a member of the Public Safety Community is recognized by the Diocese with the Chief Patrick G. Crowe Memorial Public Servant Award.

This is a non-denominational event and has become a collaborative effort between the Diocese of San Bernardino and Public Safety Agencies.

CAL FIRE BDU Attends Weekend Events

The San Bernardino Unit of CAL FIRE was again involved in several public safety events over the past weekend. On Saturday, October 23rd, Engine 3559 and crew from Devore attended a public safety event sponsored by the Home Depot in the city of Fontana. The firefighters handed out safety information to the adults and fire safety coloring books and Smokey Bear comic books to the kids.

Meanwhile, over in the city of San Bernardino, engine 3569 and crew from Yucaipa were participating in a public safety event sponsored by Sears and located at the Inland Center Mall. Not only did the firefighters hand out lots of fire safety material, but Smokey Bear himself was there much to the delight of children and adults alike.

To end the weekend, CAL FIRE was invited to have a display of equipment that included engine 3566 and a Crew Carrier. The Sunday event was the Chino Valley Fire Muster and Chile Cookoff. A number of Explorer posts participated in the muster events, while the chile was plentiful and varied. CAL FIRE was honored to be asked to participate in these public events in order to provide safety education and information for the public.