BUILT ON SERVICE: FIREFIGHTING FAMILIES OF LONG BEACH

LB908
10 hours ago
3 min read

By Brittany Hart Scholten

Information provided by Images of America, Long Beach Fire Dept.

Paul and Jim Meiers | Courtesy of Thomas Cordova & The Long Beach Post

The Meiers Family

Paul grew up immersed in the fire department. Backyard BBQs, station Christmas potlucks, camping trips, and helping fellow firefighters with home projects were part of life. “I’ve known I wanted to be a firefighter since I was seven, when my dad became a Long Beach firefighter,” he said.

His father, Jim, became a Long Beach firefighter in 1974, moving between several different stations throughout his career. He always longed to work at the busier stations. “I began at Station 18, which was extremely slow at the time, and I just about quit. I was used to working at Douglas Aircraft as a draftsman, where I worked 60-plus hours a week,” Jim shared.

“For us, serving the community isn’t just responding to calls,” said Paul Meiers, a second-generation Long Beach firefighter. “It’s building projects, joining parades, and raising money for the community.” In Long Beach, showing up has shaped families for generations. For many, firefighting isn’t just a job; it’s a lifestyle.

Paul and Jim share a constant desire to be engaged in work. After returning from calls, many take a break, but Paul and Jim were often found metalworking, woodworking, and building projects at the station. Many Long Beach firefighters refer to this as “wooling”—a term that also describes what Paul and Jim did when they outfitted Long Beach fire engines. “My dad and I outfitted every Long Beach firetruck from 2000 to 2018 by welding brackets to fit all of the equipment, like axes and ladders,” Paul shared.

The matriarch of their family, Joyce Meiers, firefighter wife and mother, played a vital role with the department as well. At home, she was the family anchor. In the community, she helped other firefighter wives navigate the realities of the job. “We started the LBFD Ladies’ Auxiliary in the 1970s,” Joyce said. “We baked for graduations, raised money for scholarships and burn victims, and mentored new families.” She added with a laugh, “Holidays don’t always happen on the day they’re supposed to. You celebrate when you can, and you make it work.”

The Storey Family

The Storey family shares that same hands-on spirit. Kirk Storey’s father, Hobie, joined the department in 1953 after serving in World War II and the Korean War. “He came home, took the civil service exam, and hoped to join either the police or fire department,” Kirk said. Hobie rose to fire captain, spending much of his career at Station 4 before retiring in 1981.

Kirk is driving and Dad Hobert "Hobie" Storey is seated far left

Kirk and his brother Mike grew up immersed in firehouse culture. “We learned how to treat people, work as a team, and give back there,” Kirk said. Both brothers joined the department. Like the Meiers, the Storeys are also “woolers,” working on projects, repairs, station improvements, and community construction efforts. Even after retirement, Hobie helped establish the Long Beach Firefighters Museum and volunteered for years. “Preserving the department’s history mattered to him,” Kirk said.

Left to Right: Hobie Storey, Kirk Storey, Mike Storey, Richard Storey & Grandma Loretta

Kirk spends his retirement volunteering at that same museum, working on volunteer construction projects with Mercy Construction, and helping out his son, Richard, a third-generation firefighter who joined the department in 2013. Richard serves as a captain at the Regional Training Center, training and mentoring new firefighters. Kirk supports him hands-on, rebuilding training props, repouring concrete, and bringing historic equipment from the museum so cadets can learn from the fire department’s past. Richard carries forward a lesson from his grandpa and dad: “Give fifteen extra minutes a day - to clean, teach, or help someone out,” Kirk said. “You can change the world with those 15 minutes.”

For both families, giving back is not just a duty and a privilege; it is a core part of who they are. “Since the 1950s, our family has served Long Beach - from teachers to school staff to firefighters,” Jim reflected. But firefighting is more than a career; it’s a lifestyle, a close-knit “fire family,” and a tradition of service. From mentoring new firefighters to raising funds, welding, building station projects, and supporting the community, these families have been answering the call and shaping Long Beach generation after generation.