For Richard Houts, fighting fires was a natural fit. His father was a fireman, his uncles and cousins, too. By the age of 16, he was at it as well.
So began a five-decade fire service career interrupted briefly by military service and some semi-retirement work for a corporation (a consultant for fire suppression issues, no less).
Much like serving in the Armed Forces, he said, fighting fires is “fighting a foe and the people you work with you can trust.”
Added Houts, “As much as anything, it’s very exciting.”
A five-decade-plus career in the field came to an end on June 30, when Houts resigned as Fire District 3 commissioner, a board he spent a combined 17 years with helping develop policies and procedures, handling personnel issues and maintaining budgets.
Houts pointed to some failing health — emphysema and diminishing hearing — as reasons for leaving. He noted that when he started fighting fires in the 1940s, he didn’t have air masks or ear protection.
“It’s a problem for old firefighters,” Houts said.