Behind the Badge
He loved his job so much that, when off duty, he rarely was out of earshot of his beloved radio scanner.
The crackling of emergency calls made him always feel connected to his family at Metro Net Fire Dispatch in Anaheim.
For John Delgado Jr., the radio fell silent Oct. 4 when, after bravely battling several health issues for nine months, he died.
Delgado was 41.
For 12 years, the native of Orange helped 911 callers during the worst moments of their lives, calmly walking them through traumatic experiences.
Pallbearers, including brother Michael Delgado (beard), carry out the casket containing Metro Net Dispatcher John Delgado as firefighters salute at the conclusion of memorial services at La Purisima Catholic Church in Orange on Oct. 22.
Photo by Steven Georges/Behind the Badge OC
Behind the Badge OC featured one of the most dramatic calls of Delgado’s career at Metro Net, when he methodically walked a frantic father through CPR after the man’s son was born in a toilet at home.
“John was very dedicated to his job and he took the responsibility of a 911 dispatcher very seriously,” said Gary Gionet, manager of Metro Net, whose official name is Metro Cities Fire Authority — the agency that handles fire calls for Anaheim and seven other cities.
“John was credited through his career with Metro Net with some lifesaving events and assisting with complicated child births,” Gionet said. “So in John’s passing there was also life to celebrate because of him being on the other end of those 911 calls.
Anaheim Fire & Rescue Battalion Chief Kevin Stewart salutes as the casket containing Metro Net Dispatcher John Delgado is carried out of La Purisima Catholic Church.
Photo by Steven Georges/Behind the Badge OC
“The void John leaves with his dispatch family will be felt for a very long time.”
Family and close friends joined several colleagues at Metro Net, as well as firefighters from cities the agency serves including Anaheim, Fountain Valley, Fullerton, Newport Beach, Orange and Huntington Beach, at a funeral and burial for Delgado on Oct. 22.
“John Boy,” as Delgado lovingly was nicknamed, was a man of service, the Rev. Bill Barman said at Delgado’s funeral Mass at La Purisima Catholic Church in Orange.
Members of the Fire Service Honor Guard — two each from Anaheim Fire & Rescue and the Huntington Beach Fire Department — upheld the fire service tradition of silently holding silver axes as funeral attendees entered and left the church.
Family members attend the funeral of Metro Net Dispatcher John Delgado at La Purisima Catholic Church in Orange. From left are brother-in-law Shawn Lyons, sister Jacqueline Delgado Lyons, mother Emily and father John Sr. Photo by Steven Georges/Behind the Badge OC
Firefighters and dispatchers gave Delgado a final silent salute as his coffin was taken out to a hearse, which then delivered him to his final resting spot at nearby Holy Sepulcher Cemetery in Orange.
Delgado was born at St. Joseph Hospital in Orange and attended La Purisima Catholic School through the eighth grade.
His mother, Emily, now 62, was a stay-at-home mom who raised Delgado along with a younger brother, Michael, now 32, and a younger sister, Jacqueline, 30.
Delgado’s father, John, 63, is a Vietnam veteran and a retired air conditioning and heating mechanic for the County of Orange.
Firefighters from various fire departments, including Anaheim Fire & Rescue and Huntington Beach, attend the memorial service for Metro Net Dispatcher John Delgado.
Photo by Steven Georges/Behind the Badge OC
John Delgado Jr. played football and baseball at El Modena High School and throughout his life remained very active in the community, volunteering his time as a first-aid specialist to needy families in Orange and Los Angeles counties and also Mexico, said his sister, Jacqueline Delgado Lyons.
“He was always like a second father to me,” Delgado Lyons said.
Delgado worked as a forklift driver for Fedco after high school before he and a good friend decided to look into dispatcher as a possible career.
“It’s something that sparked his interest — he really liked to help people,” Delgado Lyons said. “He was very nurturing and always had an interest in the medical field.”
Before joining Metro Net in 2003, Delgado worked as a dispatcher for three ambulance companies. His interest in the fire service was sparked by family vacations to Sequoia National Park while growing up.
“There would often be brush fires and people being flown via helicopter due to medical issues,” Delgado Lyons said. “He would be the first to volunteer for whatever was needed.”
Family members attend the memorial service for Metro Net Dispatcher John Delgado. Pictured here are sister-in-law Victoria Delgado and nephews Johnathan Michael Delgado (right) and Mykel Luis Delgado.
Photo by Steven Georges/Behind the Badge OC
Outside of work, Delgado, who was single, doted on his three nephews: Johnathan, 5, and Mykal, 2 (his brother’s children) and Aiden, 1, his sister’s son.
“He treated them like they were his own kids,” said Delgado Lyons, whose husband, Shawn Lyons, is a staff sergeant in the U.S. Army. The family lives outside Nashville, Tenn.
Delgado was known for his eclectic taste in music — he was just as passionate about country as he was about reggae, blues and mariachi — and his love for food.
Brother-in-law Shawn Lyons and sister Jacqueline Delgado Lyons pass by a portrait of Metro Net Dispatcher John Delgado during memorial services inside La Purisima Catholic Church in Orange.
Photo by Steven Georges/Behind the Badge OC
He knew all the best places to eat in Orange County and loved to prepare meals for his relatives and friends.
“He loved to cook,” said he sister, “and when he did, he cooked for an army.”
Recently retired Metro Net Dispatch Supervisor Gloria Lee-Ré said Delgado had a huge heart. He arranged a fundraiser for her daughter Autumn when she was diagnosed with lymphoma, and also helped Lee-Ré install the wood floor of a house she was going to buy.
“He will be greatly missed,”Lee-Ré said. “The place won’t be the same without him.”
Family members attend the funeral of Metro Net Dispatcher John Delgado. From left are uncle Raymond Delgado, brother-in-law Shawn Lyons, sister Jacqueline Delgado Lyons, mother Emily Delgado, cousin Rudy Aguilera, father John Delgado Sr. and brother Michael Delgado.
Photo by Steven Georges/Behind the Badge OC
Pallbearers carry out the casket containing Metro Net Dispatcher John Delgado at the conclusion of memorial services at La Purisima Catholic Church in Orange.
Photo by Steven Georges/Behind the Badge OC
Firefighters and dispatchers file out of La Purisima Catholic Church in Orange at the conclusion of memorial services for Metro Net Dispatcher John Delgado on Oct. 22.
Photo by Steven Georges/Behind the Badge OC
Deputy Chief Adam Loeser of the Fullerton & Brea Fire Departments salutes as the casket containing Metro Net Dispatcher John Delgado is carried out of La Purisima Catholic Church in Orange after a memorial service. Photo by Steven Georges/Behind the Badge OC
Kevin Prentiss, a member of the Huntington Beach Fire Department’s Honor Guard, stands at attention at the start of funeral services for Metro Net Dispatcher John Delgado at La Purisima Catholic Church in Orange.
Photo by Steven Georges/Behind the Badge OC
A photo collage captures moments in John Delgado’s life. Photo courtesy of the Delgado family
