Bill Text: CA SCR21 | 2019-2020 | Regular Session | Chaptered

California Senate Concurrent Resolution 21 (Prior Session Legislation)

Bill Title: Costa Mesa Fire Captain Michael Kreza Memorial Highway.

Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Republican 4-2)

Status: (Passed) 2019-09-03 - Chaptered by Secretary of State. Res. Chapter 139, Statutes of 2019. [SCR21 Detail]

Download: California-2019-SCR21-Chaptered.html

Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 21

CHAPTER 139

Relative to the Costa Mesa Fire Captain Michael Kreza Memorial Highway.

[ Filed with Secretary of State September 03, 2019. ]

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

SCR 21, Bates. Costa Mesa Fire Captain Michael Kreza Memorial Highway.

This measure would designate a specified portion of State Route 55 from 19th Street to MacArthur Boulevard in the County of Orange as the Costa Mesa Fire Captain Michael Kreza Memorial Highway. The measure would request the Department of Transportation to determine the cost of appropriate signs showing this special designation and, upon receiving donations from nonstate sources covering that cost, to erect those signs.

Fiscal Committee: YES

WHEREAS, The untimely passing of Costa Mesa Fire & Rescue Captain Michael Kreza, at 44 years of age, on November 5, 2018, has brought a sense of immense sorrow and loss to people throughout California; and

WHEREAS, Fire Captain Michael Kreza was a distinguished California firefighter and much-loved family man, whose character, integrity, and singular commitment earned him the respect and admiration of his fellow firefighters, the members of the greater Costa Mesa community, and the countless other individuals whose lives he touched; and

WHEREAS, Michael Kreza, who was the son of a police officer, grew up in the City of Irvine and chose to follow in his father’s footsteps by engaging his passion in a career protecting the public, and enrolled in fire science classes at Santa Ana College after high school, which inaugurated his commitment to the firefighting profession as a Paid Call Firefighter with the Orange County Fire Authority; and

WHEREAS, Following his graduation from the Crafton Hills Fire Academy in 1993, Michael Kreza sought to further advance his emergency responder skills, and while working in the Hoag Hospital Irvine Emergency Department, he was accepted to the Paramedic Program at Saddleback College, from which he graduated in 1997; and

WHEREAS, Having subsequently gained experience as an Emergency Department Technician in Seattle, Washington, and as a paramedic in Las Vegas, Nevada, Michael Kreza returned to California, where he worked as a firefighter for the Big Bear Fire Department before being hired in 2000 by the Costa Mesa Fire & Rescue Department; and

WHEREAS, Throughout his 18-year tenure with Costa Mesa Fire & Rescue, Fire Captain Kreza brought his tireless dedication and boundless zeal to the force through his participation as a wholly engaged member of the department’s close-knit firefighting community, within which he shared his experience and leadership by, among other things, serving as a member of the Tools and Equipment Committee, managing the charity fund, and participating in the Honor Guard; and

WHEREAS, As Michael Kreza rose to the rank of Fire Captain and took his well-merited position as an esteemed veteran of the Costa Mesa Fire & Rescue Department, Fire Captain Kreza also served as an ever-inspiring role model, pursued his love of being an accomplished Ironman athlete, earned a bachelor’s degree from Columbia Southern University, and continually derived joy from his role as a devoted husband to his wife, Shanna, and a loving father to his three daughters; and

WHEREAS, The people of California have a special and enduring respect for the valiant individuals who daily commit themselves to the often perilous duties performed by firefighters, and the exceptional respect Fire Captain Kreza earned among his fellow firefighters and within the City of Costa Mesa bears testament to the positive impact he had in his community and in the lives of his fellow firefighters by virtue of his estimable character, leadership, and sincere concern for others; and

WHEREAS, Fire Captain Michael Kreza exemplified all the best attributes of a professional firefighter, who was known to be the heart of his family, and who leaves to mourn his passing and celebrate his legacy his devoted wife, Shanna, his daughters, Kaylie, Layla, and Audrey, and the members of the Costa Mesa Fire & Rescue Department, all of whom had the good fortune to share his company during his all too brief time with them; now, therefore, be it

Resolved by the Senate of the State of California, the Assembly thereof concurring, That the Legislature expresses its deepest sympathy at the passing of Fire Captain Michael Kreza of the Costa Mesa Fire & Rescue Department and, by this resolution, memorializes him for his exemplary record of personal, professional, and civic achievements, as well as the love and devotion he shared with his family and friends by designating the portion of State Route 55 from 19th Street (PM 2.021) to MacArthur Boulevard (R6.985) in the County of Orange as the Costa Mesa Fire Captain Michael Kreza Memorial Highway; and be it further

Resolved, That the Department of Transportation is requested to determine the cost of appropriate signs consistent with the signing requirements for the state highway system showing this special designation and, upon receiving donations from nonstate sources sufficient to cover the cost, to erect those signs; and be it further

Resolved, That the Secretary of the Senate transmit copies of this resolution to the Director of Transportation and to the author for appropriate distribution.