Firefighters Honor Injured Colleague Returning Home From Hospital

LIVERMORE, CA — Alameda County Fire Department Engineer and Livermore resident Brandon Franco received a hero’s welcome across Thursday, when he was released from the hospital after suffering burns fighting the Corral Fire.

Franco suffered burns to multiple parts of his body fighting the 14,000-acre Corral Fire on June 1, and underwent surgery at the Santa Clara Valley Medical Center in San Jose. When he was finally cleared to go home, he was greeted by several on-duty companies, off-duty personnel, staff members, and members of the San Jose Fire Department.

At around 9:15 a.m. Thursday, members of the Alameda County Fire Department and the Livermore-Pleasanton Fire Department stood on overpasses all along I-580, from roughly Fallon Road to Vasco Road, to show solidarity with Franco, who has served the department for 22 years.

Franco returned home to his family and ranch in Livermore. During his time in the hospital, the Oakland and Alameda County Firefighters Local 55 organized a fundraiser to help manage the ranch in his absence, which has raised $77,389 from 757 donations as of Friday.

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