Fire Chief Frank Rizzio will retire from the Pea Ridge Volunteer Fire Department in November, he confirmed last week.
“The opportunity presented itself - I’m old enough to get the pension,” Rizzio said. He turns 55 in November. Coupled with his two years of service in the U.S.
Navy, he has 26 years of public service.
“I’m not going to have a scanner.
I’ll be able to sleep at night,” he said when asked if he’ll continue to listen to the Fire Department radio traffic.
While he’s retiring from the department, he still has his full-time job as a biomedical equipment technician.
Asked about the thing that makes him the most proud about his service, Rizzio responded humbly: “Over the last however many years, I’ve taken part in some of the most profound moments in my life and other people’s lives - that sums it up,” he said.
Later, he added: “I go home and can’t believe that (something) happened like it did - helping people get out of a bind somehow. I’ll think ‘holy smokes, what just happened - wow!’”
“Things like going and helping, and I’m just making up a name here, Mrs. Smith, get into bed at night because her husband of 60 years can’t do it anymore; to help someone in a terrible traffic accident; or someone whose house is on fire and salvage what we can for them; or going down the street to help a neighbor.”
Rizzio moved to Pea Ridge in 1989 - urban flight, he said. He joined the volunteer fire department in July of that year. He was elected chief in 2001.
Reflecting on his time as chief, he said he has the satisfaction of watching the department grow.
“Watching the development of other personnel in the department, seeing the progression of the entire fire service in Benton County - those have been very rewarding,” Rizzio said. “Seeing the planning going on today carry forward for generations to come - being part of that heritage ... has been an amazing sight to see, to witness firsthand.”
He explained that many people have been involved in the Pea Ridge department since its inception when in approximately 1950 “a bunch of men got together and decided they were going to do what had to be done to protect Pea Ridge.”
“The general public doesn’t really know what happened, when it happened, or what’s going on now,” Rizzio said. He hopes that “in 10 years myself and my people set a precedent like those men did for the future. Everyone is working for the betterment of the county.”
News, Pages 1 on 04/24/2013