Firefighter who battled Eaton Fire may be paralyzed after off-duty motorcycle crash, loved ones say

PASADENA, Calif. (KABC) -- Just months ago, he battled the Eaton Fire, helping to save lives and homes. Now, the community is rallying behind a Pasadena firefighter in his time of need after an off-duty accident left him severely injured.

According to loved ones, Armen Hagopian -- a firefighter paramedic from Pasadena Fire Department Station 36 -- was involved in a serious off-duty motorcycle crash on May 20.

When friends and family got the call on Tuesday that Hagopian was severely injured in a motorcycle crash, they thought the worst.

"Your mind just goes straight to, like, 'Is he dead?' You know? My heart dropped," said Hagopian's cousin, Ani Khachoyan. "To see him in that condition is really difficult."

Thankfully, he wasn't dead, but Hagopian did suffer a severe spinal cord injury. After the crash, he's paralyzed from the waist down with limited sensation, and his fellow firefighters say there's "no indication that his condition will improve."

"It hits you hard, you know? Most of the time when you see us at emergencies, we keep our composure when it's out in the public. We're trained for all these situations, but when it's one of your own, it just drives a little different," said Raffy Bitchakdjian, the president of Pasadena Firefighters Local 809.

Members of his Station 36 family have rallied around Hagopian's family and girlfriend.

"We've been by his bedside pretty much since the occurrence," Bitchakdjian said.

"We actually just saw him today, and he was in so much better spirits... having his therapist give him so much encouragement, and I saw him smile today, so I was super excited about that," Khachoyan said.

Hagopian's friends and family say he has the right personality to stay positive during his recovery.

"Armen is honestly the kind of guy that comes by the station, definitely is a fun day. He's a big jokester. He's got a good heart, hard worker," Bitchakdjian said.

"He's so funny. He's so positive. He's such a hard worker, that I have no doubt that he's gonna fight. Whatever he has to do, he's going to do it," Khachoyan said.

Loved ones set up a GoFundMe dedicated to supporting Hagopian's medical care and recovery. So far, it's raised nearly $85,000, but this is going to be a long and likely very expensive journey ahead.

"Armen has dedicated his career to selflessly protecting others. Most recently, he spent days battling the flames of the Eaton fire, risking his life to save the lives and homes of many in our community," loved ones wrote on the GoFundMe page "Now, it is our turn to rally around him and support him in any way we can."