Monday, June 23, 2008

Flower Mound Fire Chief Eric Metzger achieves lifelong dream of being firefighter

By Minnie Payne

Flower Mound Fire Chief Eric Metzger

FLOWER MOUND — Eric Metzger, 47-year-old Flower Mound Fire Chief, is quick to praise his 72 employees who work for the fire department, 60 of whom are firefighters staffing three frontline fire engines.

“I try to see the firefighters every day and want them to know that I really appreciate their service,” he said. “In fact, I kind of envy them, because it was so much fun when I was on the truck.”

The firefighters are rewarded every day, he said, by making a bad day a little bit better for citizens.

“For example, a young couple had a house fire last night and things were lost, but they have their baby and they’re all right,” he said.

The town is getting ready to build two more fire stations, he said, and will acquire two more fire engines, creating 27 more line positions.

“The population was 10,000 when I came in 1986, and has grown to over 62,500, thus the need for five stations,” Metzger said. “Citizens voted a one-fourth cent retail sales tax in November to help pay for the additions, which they hope will be phased out after five years.

“Also, during the past three years, the department has secured over $2 million in funding generated from grants and new revenue to improve the service provided.”

Metzger started to work as a firefighter as a part of the Comprehensive Education Training Act (CETA) when he was a junior in high school in the rural town of Rogue River, Ore.

“When I was in high school, I actually moved into the firehouse,” he said. “When we were in class, they would ring the bell three times which meant that the fire truck was being called out.”

He said that even as a child he developed a positive image of firefighters as his family lived down the street from the fire station, and he would play football with the staff.

Metzger was born in Oakland, Calif., but lived in Pleasanton, Calif. until he was in the ninth grade when his family moved to Rogue River

“Dad was in trucking and had a stroke at age 63,” he said. “He (dad) decided to leave the city and settle down, so we moved to Oregon and he bought a mom and pop grocery store.

“About 200 people lived in the area where we lived, and we actually had a covered bridge in town.”

Metzger attended Rogue Community College from 1978 to 1981, studying fire sciences. In 1987, he earned an associate degree in fire protection technology from Midland College. Through a correspondence course, he earned a Bachelor of Arts in fire administration in 1991 from Western Illinois University.

“I continue studying two weeks out of a year on campus at the National Fire Academy, Executive Fire Officer Program,” he said. “I’ve spent over one-half year there with other fire administrators, learning to be more aggressive and understanding what the fire threat is, as well as what new issues are out there.

“It also deals with management issues.”

James Roberts, retired Midland, Texas Fire Chief, supervised Metzger four years.

“When Eric worked for us he was a fine outstanding young man,” Roberts said. “It was very apparent from his work ethic, dedication to the job and his intelligence that he would attain the high calling of being a fire chief some day.”

Metzger has been married to his wife, Janice, for 29 years, and they have three children, Alison, 29, Ryan, 26, and Aaron, 25.

“Janice has been a very tolerant wife,” Metzger said. “Being that I’m on call 24/7, I’m gone all the time.

“I’m sure that she felt like at times that she was a single mother.”

Not everyone has the calling, he said, but to him being a firefighter is the best thing in the world.

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