Posted on: Friday, October 31, 2003

Ex-Rainbow fighting fires in California

By Stacy Kaneshiro
Advertiser Staff Writer

A former University of Hawai'i infielder has turned fireman. And not the relief pitcher kind.

Jody Napuunoa, who played for the Rainbows from 1993 to 1996, is a reserve firefighter who has been called upon to battle raging brush fires in Southern California. He reported for duty yesterday.

"They're draining their resources," said Napuunoa, who has been a reserve firefighter at the West Riverside Station since January.

Napuunoa, who lives in Chino Hills, said the fire is about 40 miles from his home. But last week, the fire was only 10 miles away.

"It was completely black," he said in a telephone interview. "You couldn't see the sky."

Napuunoa said as a reservist with the fire department, he has to spend 24 hours a month training and attending meetings. The reservists supplement full-time firefighters, he said. He said he wants to become a full-time firefighter. He admits to a little apprehension.

"I'm nervous," he said. "I've never been on anything this big. It's a new experience for me."

Napuunoa's full-time job is as the assistant director of admissions at the Art Institute of California-Los Angeles, which has classes in commercial art and culinary arts. He has been there since April. He had a similar job at the American Intercontinental University before that. Ironically, he did not finish his degree at UH.

"Interesting, huh?" said Napuunoa, who was born here, but raised in Ontario, Calif.

Napuunoa is married (Charina) and has a 3-year-old daughter and 1-year-old son.