Eddie Corral joined the Houston Fire Department in 1955., only the fourth Hispanic to serve as a firefighter in the city's history.

His career was marked by a drive for excellence and dedication to serving and protecting the people of Houston.

He retired from active service to the people of Houston yesterday.

Corral worked his way up the department ladder, rung by rung, taking competitive exams for the next highest post, including the fire marshal job he returned to after being chief.

When he came on board as chief, the fire academy was closed. Twenty-two fire stations had leaking roofs.

"The men had to arrange buckets all over the floors when it rained," he said. There were only two women in the entire department.

When he left, the academy was up and running, the roofs were fixed, there were 80 female firefighters and hundreds of ethnic minorities had been recruited.

Corral jokes that his biggest accomplishment was the annual calendar featuring firefighters. But, as chief and fire marshal, Corral launched several innovative programs that were imitated nationwide, including the Juvenile Firesetters Prevention Program; the Cease-Fire Club, a civilian fire prevention program; and the Triad, a cooperative high-rise safety program with owners of tall buildings.

The fire chief runs the department. The fire marshal, who reports to the chief, is in charge of fire prevention.

Both jobs brought different challenges, Corral said, but he is most passionate about prevention.

"There have been 400,000 people killed in fires across the country since I began my career. But 90 percent of all fires can be prevented. As fire marshal, I took that on as a challenge," he said.

You know, I don't care about Eddie Corral's heritage so much as I do about his accomplishments. He wasn't merely one of the best Hispanic fire chiefs and fire marshals in the country -- he was one of the best, period. Ethnicity didn't enter into the equation. That he is also a fine role model for the Hispanic community is simply a bonus, in my opinion.

There are two quotes that I think sum up Corral's career, both taken from interviews he gave yesterday.

The first talks about how the job of a firefighter has changed over the decades, and how it has become more professional.

"When I started at the fire department, we used have a motto. It was, 'You light them, we fight them.' Now the motto is, 'Seeking opportunities to serve.' That kind of tells you the different thinking that prevails now."

The second tells you of his love for the job, the profession, that has been his passion for half a century.

"I'll miss the excitement of helping people and the sense of duty but, after 50 years, it's time to go. It's been great," Corral said.

"Some wise man said, 'If you find something you like to do, you never have to work a day in your life.' I haven't worked a day in 50 years."

Don't you wish you could express that sort of love for what you do?

And then there is his observation on the men and women of the Houston Fire Department while visiting a number of fire sttions and fires around the city on his final day as fire marshal.

"You can't find a better group of people to work with," Corral said proudly.

Thank you and God bless you, Eddie Corral. May you have a happy retirement.

Posted by: Greg at 01:53 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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