A 10-block segment of downtown Riverside will be renamed in honor of a fire service leader whose employment with the city spanned nearly three decades, following a vote of the City Council approving the ceremonial designation.
The council on Tuesday unanimously supported a proposal by Mayor Patricia Dawson and City Councilman Phil Falcone to identify a portion of Lime Street as “Captain Tim Strack Parkway.”
“Riversiders and people around the state are safer because of Tim Strack’s advocacy on behalf of the fire service and the firefighters who make up that service,” Dawson said. “He was an actively involved member of the community who is sorely missed.”
Signage identifying the parkway will be erected on Lime between Third and 14th streets. The street name itself — Lime — will not be changed, officials said.
“Tim Strack lived a hero’s life here in Riverside,” Falcone said. “His dedication to the Riverside Firefighters’ Association was unmatched, as was his commitment to the fire service across California.”
Strack died in April 2023 at the age of 53. The specific cause was not disclosed, with authorities only referring to it as a “medical emergency.”
Strack had been a member of the municipal fire department for 28 years and spent about two decades as president of the Riverside Firefighters’ Association, Local 1067 — the person with the longest tenure at the helm of that union in its century-long history, according to officials.
“Strack was deeply involved in both the local Riverside community and the fire service across the state and the nation,” according to a city statement. “He advocated for legislation that improved the lives and safety of firefighters and residents and business owners.”
The signs will be placed in the coming weeks at an estimated cost of $10,207. They will be situated underneath the existing street markers for Lime Street, reading “Captain Tim Strack Parkway.”