Arizona Republic from Phoenix, Arizona • Page 432

MESA NEWS 15 THE MESA REPUBLIC FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2006 Firefighter caps his lens after 7 years As photographer, he captured scenes that others couldn't i ljiu ii i i. li. i. i. Mil win i HWiKiylWWPBWWWIWW fWWWgBW miH, By Senta Scarborough SENTA SCARBOROUGH ARIZONAEPUBLIC COM Rick Montemorra goes where every newspaper reporter, television cameraman and curious neighbor wants to be: Behind the yellow tape.

The veteran firefighter paramedic has seen it all through a camera lens for the past seven years. "I love when the incident is over and the crews start looking down and I pull out the telephoto," Montemorra ti-w 1 A1-- I I saiu. i love me tireuness in the eves- They have accom plished so much in such a short period of time." Montemorra, who spent 26 years with the Mesa Fire Department, is retiring Saturday to move to Pinetop, where he hopes to spend his days on the Rick Montemorra PHOTOS BY RICK MONTEMORRA Rick Montemorra has taken countless pictures over the year, such as a statewide exercise for weapons of mass destruction in 2003 (above). Photos below are clockwise from top left: Firefighters train to battle a propane fire. A firefighter puts out hot spots in a house fire.

Firefighters Dean Morales, John Montgomery, Mark Keller and Anthony Arenz speak to a boy about fire safety. Jeff Morales of Ladder 209 extricates a person from a wrecked vehicle. MUMMWUI I -lllllll II WO ski patrol. As the department's first documentation specialist, Montemorra, 53, has shot the gamut of events: Fires, life-saving rescues and what often goes noticed, such as retirements and safety programs. On Monday, at his own retirement party, he placed hundreds of photos on tables for firefighters to take as a parting gift.

Montemorra's job was to document every aspect of fire service. He routinely listened to radio traffic to head to emergencies and fires. But if he was the first on the scene, he was a paramedic, not a photographer. Two years ago, Montemorra left the camera behind to help save a grandfather and his two grandchildren when a truck crashed into a gas pump and burst into flames. His photographs serve as a practical tool for safety training and to critique the incidents to find ways to improve, Assistant Chief Mary Cam-eli said.

They also give other crews the ability to learn from calls they didn't work. Montemorra has also photographed those who often go unnoticed, such as fire mechanics who make sure the trucks and engines roll, fire investigators, and firefighters installing smoke alarms inside Mesa homes. "Ifs not always about the wet stuff or the hot stuff," Montemorra said. His award-winning photography has been featured in department brochures, on its Web site and in numerous fire service magazines, calendars and training manuals. One of his favorite photos is of a father receiving an American flag in Colorado Springs, for his son, a firefighter who died in the line of duty.

"It crushes your heart to look at the gentleman," Montemorra said. "I didn't realize how that photo would impact me." I I ti i More online See a slide show of Rick Montemorra's work at mesauiicentral.com.