There were tears, touching stories and — most of all — lots and lots of laughter at a retirement party for La Grande Fire Department Cpt. Emmitt Cornford.
Amidst the range of emotions, however, one constant remained — the impact the 35-year veteran left not only on the department but the entire community.
Friends, family and loved ones gathered Wednesday night inside the department building to celebrate Cornford. He was awarded gifts, highlighted by a white helmet embedded on a plaque, to commemorate his years of service.
Scott Franks, a retired sergeant with the La Grande Police Department, regaled the audience with gut-busting stories and jokes before turning reflective. He declared that he was “proud to call (Cornford) a friend.”
The most emotional moment came when Cornford’s wife, Shirley, thanked him on behalf of their family for being “our rock.”
Other speakers included new Fire Chief Gus Bryant, Peter Benjamin, from the local Life Flight chapter, and City Manager Robert Strope, who had appointed Cornford as interim chief last October following the retirement of Chief Bruce Weimer. Strope had initially told him it would take around six to eight weeks to hire a chief.
“The process (of hiring a new chief) took a little longer, and I asked him if he’d be willing to stick around and continue to be interim chief,” Strope said. “He said, ‘I’ll stay here as long as I need to, to make this right. The department means so much to me, and I just can’t go without knowing it’s in great hands.’
“That speaks volumes.”
LGFD’s administrative assistant Jennifer Fox also spoke about Cornford’s dedication and his support of her.