Before Robert Rocha landed in Corpus Christi, he knew very little about the city.
He was familiar with the highway 37 city exit on Interstate 35 from San Antonio. He knew that the Corpus Christi fire department was similar in size to the fire department in his native Kansas City.
And he knew that this was a coastal settlement with more pleasant weather than in his hometown.
More than 11 years later, Rocha steps down as Corpus Christi Fire Chief, leaving behind an agency with increased staffing, higher degrees, more fire stations, and other improvements.
Roshi’s last day in the department was Friday.
Rocha, 65, has worked in the fire department for 40 years and supervised more than 440 firefighters and paramedics in Corpus Christi.
Born and raised in Kansas City, Kansas, Rocha was the fifth of six children born to his Mexican immigrant father and his Kansas native mother. He began his career with the Kansas City, Kansas fire department, working his way up to second in command.
He received a bachelor’s degree in management and human relations from Mid-America Nazarene University and an MBA from Benedictine College, a route he calls the less-travelled path.
“I chose a strategy different from that of other fire chiefs educated in emergency management or public administration,” Rocha said. “I wanted to run the fire department more like a business—not a political organization, but a business. The one that should bring in money, the one that should have value, the one that should generate return on investment.”
Before becoming Corpus Christi fire chief in 2011, Rocha, a single father of four, had never been to the city but knew from his travels to donate equipment and offer firefighter training in Mexico.
During his tenure as chief, Rocha emphasized the importance of higher education in his department. To become a Corpus Christi firefighter, you must earn your paramedic certification from Del Mar College. Rocha has gone one step further by offering monthly stipends to those who continue their education to earn a bachelor’s degree.
“Almost all of my commanders have a bachelor’s degree, as well as several master’s degrees, so I have a more educated command staff,” Rocha said.
During his time in the fire department, Rocha reached almost full staffing, increased the number of medical units from nine to 14, built two new fire stations, a third is coming soon, and the passage of Bond 2022 allowed the construction of two more, modernized the entire fleet, created hazardous materials teams as a Type I FEMA Response Team, staffed AMBUS for state and local missions, was chairman of the local emergency planning committee, and created the SOS Vaccination Program, which was adopted by Gov. Greg Abbott. model state of Texas in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.
This program was aimed at getting COVID-19 vaccines to the elderly who did not have the opportunity to commute or wait hours at the vaccination point. It was aimed at seniors who participated in city programs such as Meals on Wheels.
“We didn’t try to do anything other than give the vaccine to people who needed it but couldn’t get it,” Rocha said, “and it was so popular and so innovative that the governor of Texas came and praised the fire department for their efforts and tasked her throughout the state of Texas to follow the Corpus Christi model of vaccinating our most vulnerable population.”
Rocha is a member of the Nueces County Fire Chiefs Association, the Texas Fire Chiefs Association, the National Fire Chiefs Association, and the International Fire Chiefs Association, and President of the City Fire Chiefs Association.
He is also on the board of directors of the United Way of the Coastal Bend, a member of the financial board of the Catholic Church of Our Lady of Guadalupe, and a fourth-class Knight of Columbus.
“Chief Rocha has had an outstanding career, earning the deep respect of his fellow firefighters and supervisors across the country,” Mayor Paulette Guajardo wrote in a text message. “As president of the Metropolitan Fire Chiefs Association, he has placed Corpus Christi at the forefront of the global scene. All of us in the city express our gratitude to Chief Roche for his leadership and service.”
Roshi’s retirement plans include the opportunity to spend time with her two grandchildren. While he won’t be a fire chief, he plans to remain part of the community.
“I’m 65 years old, but I still have a lot of miles on the tread of my tires,” Rocha said. “I think I still want to be active, be it the fire department or just community service. It’s time for a new challenge and I’m always ready for it.”
More news
More:Port of Corpus Christi Seeks Second Permit for Harbor Island Desalination Plant
More:How would Texas’s proposed budgets fund public education? Here’s what we know.
More:#TBT: The first issue of Caller went out of print in 1883.
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/dmn/NCWU4CTR6BCSTOT4T3NAH2MC3U.jpg)