Following his time in the military, Pete Santana began his fire service career as a member of the Gilroy Rural Fire District in 1972. Three years later, he joined CAL FIRE, where he would rise to the rank of captain and spend the remainder of his career before retiring in 2005. During his time with CAL FIRE, Pete worked extensively with volunteer programs in the area, including those designed to teach school children about fire safety. In his spare time, Pete loved to golf, spend time with his family and make memorable movies of family events. Pete is survived by his wife, Nancy, and their son and daughter. He died in 2013 after a two-year battle with job-related cancer at the age of 64.