Ralph Bates

Ralph Bates worked for the Orange County Fire Authority from 1975 to 2005 as a firefighter/ Hazardous Materials Specialist. He’s been playing the pipes since 1997, as a way to honor fallen firefighter families in Orange County. As soon as he heard about the Pipes & Drums of CPF, he expanded his personal goal to include families all over the state.

Since then, piping has become a major hobby for me and he plays in three bands. He also likes to read, ski, hike and bicycle.