CAMARILLO, Calif. – A Thousand Oaks Boy Scout created a bronze tribute to first responders at the Ventura County Fire Department’s Regional Training Center.
Scout Gerritt Beatty lives with a plate bolted to his skull from an accident where he was seriously injured. His experience with emergency medical personnel triggered thoughts of all first responders when the time came to choose a service project to complete his Eagle Scout rank.
His ideas developed into plans for three 6-foot-tall bronze statues with a plaque dedicating it as a tribute to those first responders.
Gerritt’s challenge was to find a place to put it. After multiple rejections over an eight-month period, he approached the Ventura County Fire Department. Fire Chief Dustin Gardner supported the idea and offered space at the department’s Regional Training Center near the Camarillo Airport.
Gerritt raised $20,000 for the project and navigated the challenges of construction. The statues were unveiled February 25.
