CABAZON, CA – Assemblymember Greg Wallis today joined the families of Assistant Chief Josh Bischof, Captain Tim Rodriguez, and Pilot Tony Sousa, along with CAL FIRE personnel, Morongo tribal leadership, public safety partners, and local and state leaders, to dedicate a stretch of Interstate 10 in their honor.
The Assistant Chief Josh Bischof, Captain Tim Rodriguez, and Pilot Tony Sousa Memorial Highway will serve as a lasting tribute to the three men who tragically lost their lives in August 2023 after a helicopter went down in Cabazon during the Broadway Fire.
“After the tragedy, I stood on the Assembly floor to ask my colleagues to adjourn in their memory. It simply wasn’t enough,” said Assemblymember Wallis. “We needed something permanent, something on the ground in the communities they served. This highway is a small thing measured against what their families have lost, but it is lasting, and it is placed here in the heart of the community their loved ones served.”
The dedication was made possible through Assembly Concurrent Resolution 37, the resolution names the stretch of Interstate 10 between Cabazon and Malki Rd, near where Bischof, Rodriguez, and Sousa gave their lives. Assemblymember Wallis, along with Assemblymembers Bills Essayli, Dr. Corey Jackson and James Gallagher joint authored ACR 37.
Senator Rosilicie Ochoa Bogh, Assemblymember Natasha Johnson and CAL FIRE Unit Chief and Riverside County Fire Chief Robert Fish also spoke at today’s dedication.
“This stretch of highway runs through the center of the 47th Assembly District, and it is a road I travel often from one end of the district to the other,” Wallis said. “Every time I pass these signs, I will think of them. Some drivers will know their story. Others will see their names for the first time and want to learn more. That is how memory works when you put a name on something permanent.”
The ceremony brought together families of the fallen, CAL FIRE leadership and personnel, Morongo tribal leadership, elected officials, public safety partners, invited guests, and members of the press. The program included a land acknowledgement, invocation, Presentation of Colors by the CAL FIRE Honor Guard, remarks from legislative and public safety leaders, and the presentation of Assembly resolutions to the families.
“To the Bischof, Rodriguez, and Sousa families, we hope today brings some measure of comfort,” Wallis said. “We hope this stretch of highway brings you pride every time you see it. Assistant Chief Josh Bischof, Captain Tim Rodriguez, and Pilot Tony Sousa were remarkable public servants, and their names will now be carried forward for generations.”
