VIDEO: Garden Grove Fire Chief Tom Schultz died Sunday following a brief battle with cancer, the department said. He was 54.
Shultz's death came just one day after fellow firefighters announced he was battling stage 4 pancreatic cancer.
He served as chief of the Garden Grove Fire Department since 2015, according to the agency. He also served the communities of Fullerton and Brea during his three-decade-long firefighting career, Garden Grove city officials said in a written statement.
"Garden Grove has lost an admirable man and an exceptional leader who proudly devoted himself to protecting lives and serving a community that will forever be in his debt," Garden Grove Mayor Steve Jones said. "Our most heartfelt thoughts and condolences are with his family during this difficult time, shared by all those who knew him."
Shultz was diagnosed with advanced-stage pancreatic cancer earlier this month after seeking treatment for abdominal pain at St. Jude Medical Center in Fullerton, city officials said. The disease had already spread to his liver.