Odessa American
ODESSA, Texas — Twenty-five years is a long time for anyone to stay on the job, even more so for a firefighter. Just ask Lorenzo Rivas.
Rivas, a 54-year-old lifelong Odessa resident who is retiring from the Odessa Fire/Rescue as a firefighter/paramedic, was lauded Friday for his wit, humor and powerful voice.
Humorously, Rivas was also remembered for — at least by Assistant Fire Chief Glen Hogue — not being able to stop reacting to the sight of a patient “throwing up.”
“Fun times, fun times,” Rivas muttered with a smile amid the chuckles.
A gathering of loved ones, relatives, colleagues, friends and civil servants crowded a classroom at the Odessa Fire/Rescue Fire station on Second Street where Rivas was praised for his service during a celebrity roast-like retirement send-off. Several people gave their heartfelt testimonials about the man they affectionately called “Lo” with funny stories and a few sentimental ones.
Rivas’ daughter, Raquel, nearly made everyone’s eyes brim with tears as she spoke of the man who not only gave it his all to the citizens of Odessa, but was also a doting father and loving husband to his wife, and cancer survivor, Brenda.
Lorenzo Rivas is retiring from OFR after 25 years. pic.twitter.com/h8XHNEm7Ha
— Edyta Blaszczyk (@OAphotoEdyta) April 15, 2016
“My daddy has been the hardest working man I know,” Raquel Rivas said while fighting back tears. “Firefighting never took away from his job of being a dad. He was the rock in our family.”
Rivas, in turn, praised Raquel and his three other children, Michael, Isaac and Lorenzo III. But the veteran firefighter lavished praise on Brenda, telling her that while Rivas initially wanted to be a police officer, she supported him in whatever he pursued.
“I couldn’t do it without you,” he said.
Rivas also mentioned how “God’s fingerprints were all over his career,” and placed him where Rivas needed to be in serving the community since he began his firefighting career on April 29, 1991.
There were many family occasions that were missed, but “we chose to do this, to be role models for our family,” Rivas told his fellow firefighters. “God is good.”
“Good” is how Mayor David Turner described Rivas, adding that he did a “fantastic” job of serving his community and marveled at his longevity on the job.
Turner was among a number of people who waited patiently to hug the 1981 graduate of Ector High School (before it became a junior high school) and wish him well in his future endeavors.
“Twenty-five years,” Turner said. “You don’t find that very often anymore.”
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