Gilroy Firefighters Show Caley Camarillo the Ropes

When Gilroy firefighter-paramedic Robert Silvia heard that his daughter’s classmate, Caley Camarillo, was getting an inside look of the San Jose Fire Department, he thought Gilroy could do better.

That included a ride to school on Friday—in one of the department’s ladder trucks.

“She did a ride-along with San Jose and loved it,” said Silvia. “I thought, ‘Why don’t we set up something special for her?’" 

For years, South County organizations and residents have come together to help spirited 9-year-old Camarillo and her family with the young girl’s struggle with cystic fibrosis.

Recently, the third-grader at has an increasing reputation as an aspiring firefighter.

“She told me, ‘In 11 years, I’m going to come back here to work,’” said fire Capt. Marc Stelling. “I said, ‘You better make it 10, because I want to work with you before I retire.’”

Firefighters at Gilroy’s Sunrise Station gave Caley a tour of the station that morning before meeting up with her classmates at Luigi Aprea. The team showed students the extending ladder and gave them a chance to fire a hose.

“It’s always wonderful to see the community reach out and put her on a pedestal,” said Teresa, Caley’s mom.

Teresa said she and her husband, Martin, have become well versed in caring for Caley’s condition: lung exercises and medication help to treat the disease, taking 2½ to three hours a day.

Cystic fibrosis, a condition doctors identified in Caley when she was an infant, causes problems with breathing and digestion, and has no cure.

The past few years have been a challenge, said Teresa, but her daughter’s condition has been stable since January. Caley spends a few hours a day with her class at Luigi Aprea.

“She’s being as much a 9-year-old as she can be,” said Teresa.

Gilroy’s communication center sent an emergency tone to the Sunrise Station that morning as part of Caley’s tour.

“Gilroy fire testing Sunrise Station—and thank you for visiting, Caley,” was said as part of the transmission.