Procession for fire Chief John Callahan making its way through downtown SLO

A hearse carrying the body of fire Chief John Callahan is making its way through the streets of downtown San Luis Obispo this morning.

Two fire trucks, one from the Los Angeles City Fire Department and one from San Luis Obispo, are following the hearse.

The procession left Reis Family Mortuary right at 8 a.m. It will make its way to Grand Avenue, where the chief’s casket will be transferred to a horse-drawn 1906 Seagrave Chemical Wagon used by San Luis Obispo City Firefighters in the early 1900s.

The procession will continue up Grand Avenue to the Performing Arts Center at Cal Poly, where the memorial will be held from 10 a.m. to noon, followed by a reception at the Madonna Expo Center, from noon to 4 p.m., at 100 Madonna Road.

Callahan died of a massive heart attack Aug. 18 while playing softball with the city league at Santa Rosa Park.

Callahan, 61, spent the past five years as the chief of the San Luis Obispo Fire Department and 32 years with the Los Angeles Fire Department, where he worked his way up the organization, retiring as a deputy chief.

The San Luis Obispo City Council during a special meeting on Thursday voted 4-0-1 to declare Friday’s memorial services for Callahan a city event and cover the costs associated with having public safety staff at the service. Councilman Allen Settle was absent.

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