Firefighters and lifeguards honor their own

Greg Risling

NEWPORT BEACH -- Under the fireworks that lit up the sky over the

Newport Dunes Resort and Marina, members of the city’s Fire and Marine

Department glowed with excitement.

Not only were they there to recognize three of their fellow employees,

but they were also treated to a free light show.

The annual awards ceremony honoring the Newport Beach Fire and Marine

Department was more than a gathering. It was a show, both in and out of

the air, with three men garnering the department’s top honors.

First, there was Thomas Lloy, who was named the department’s

Firefighter of the Year. Lloy, 42, has been working for the city since

1983. Tabbed as “outstanding” by his superiors when he was up for

performance review, Lloy worked as a battalion aide for a year before

returning to his job as a firefighter.

His bosses said Lloy has shown good interpersonal skills when handling

tough situations and has been commended for his work with school kids.

The same can be said of hometown hero Mitch White. The 41-year-old

Newport Harbor High School graduate was named Marine Safety Officer of

the Year. He started, like most young teens who live near the beach, by

becoming a seasonal lifeguard back in 1975. He literally and figuratively

climbed the lifeguard ladders, working as a tower guard, unit operator

and seasonal lieutenant. There hasn’t been a position he hasn’t occupied

within the department.

Following a series of retirements, White was named acting lieutenant

and helped fuse the fire and marine departments together. Today, White is

a marine safety supervisor who helps train new lifeguards.

Speaking of lifeguards, David “Arn” Van Dyke supposedly knows every

stretch of beach in and around Newport. The 34-year-old Lifeguard of the

Year has worked either on a tower or as a unit operator since he joined

the department in 1987.

But where Van Dyke really excels is in the water. He took home

All-American honors in high school and junior college competing in water

polo. He also was an excellent wrestler in high school and named state

champion. He has used those skills by volunteering his time as a coach

for the Newport Harbor wrestling team in 1993.