Firefighters Gather In Huntington Beach For Annual St. Patrick's Day Celebration
HUNTINGTON BEACH (CBSLA.com) — The luck of the Irish has brought a group of firefighters from Dublin and New York to Huntington Beach for some California fun.
On Friday, the firefighters enjoyed surfing lessons from the Orange County Fire Authority (OCFA) before chowing down on tasty barbecue courtesy of the Huntington Beach Fire Department.
"It was fun. We fell off. Got caught in a few waves but got back out again. It was great fun," said Deirdre Taylor, an Irish firefighter.
Rain threatened most of the morning but the sky opened up just before noon.
"We were lied to. They said it was 75 degrees here 24/7 but this is still better than 8 inches of snow in New York so we're quite happy here," said Jerry Brengel of the FDNY.
The firefighters, who are also members of various bagpipe bands, are expected to perform for the public at the Huntington Beach Pier on Friday evening. KCAL9's Michele Gile reports that it's all part of a large St. Patrick's Day celebration –- an annual tradition hosted by the OCFA.
"Over the years, we've all established kind of a brotherhood with people from other fire departments and pipes and drums," said Andre Clarizio of the Huntington Beach Fire Department.
