Stephen Wakefield always wanted to be a firefighter and followed his father’s footsteps in 1976 and joined the Crescent City Volunteer Fire Department, where he served as a Firefighter, Captain, Battalion Chief, Assistant Chief, and finally Fire Chief. He served with intensity, passion, dedication and a burning desire to do the best job possible. In 2015, Chief Wakefield was a major influence in integrating Crescent City Volunteer Fire Department and the Crescent Fire Protection District to create one department that serves the needs of this community. Stephen served as Chief of that new department, Crescent City Fire and Rescue, from its inception until 2018. He passed away in April 2019 from a job-related illness.