CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — For the last 11 years, Robert Rocha has been the leader of the Corpus Christi Fire Department. At the end of this week, he is set to retire, leaving a legacy of commitment to the Corpus Christi community.
The sound of sirens will no longer mean he has work to do, but the sound will always remind him of the men and women putting their lives on the line every day to help the community.
"Whenever I hear the sirens, I always think about when I was a firefighter, fire captain, I think about the danger, but, I say a prayer that the firefighters will continue to do the great work that they do and they're always going to be close to my heart," Rocha said.
Rocha spent 28 years in Kansas City, KS before coming to Corpus Christi- a move he said changed his life.
"Coming down to Corpus Christi really was the icing on the cake for my career," Rocha said.
The years did not come without challenges, which is expected for someone in the field of public safety.
"Providing quality service to our residents has always been the top priority that I have, and it takes the men and women of the CCFD to really deliver that level of service," Rocha said. "But there's dangers with the type of work that we do. Every night I go to bed, I think about the firefighters, and when I wake up, I think about the firefighters."
To celebrate his years of service, the men and women of the Firefighters Association will have a reception on Friday to send Rocha into retirement.
Though he is leaving his position, he does not plan to leave the Coastal Bend.
"I am going to make Corpus Christi my home," Rocha said.