CCFD retirement ceremony honors decades of leadership and sacrifice

An emotional ceremony honors three Corpus Christi fire chiefs retiring after decades of leadership, dedication and lifelong service to the community.

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Three longtime leaders of the Corpus Christi Fire Department answered their final call Tuesday night as the city honored their decades of service during a retirement ceremony filled with pride, gratitude and reflection.

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Fire Chief Brandon Wade said the ceremony recognized more than careers — it honored families who stood behind the department’s leadership through long shifts, emergencies and years of sacrifice.

“This is a day of celebration,” Wade said. “These individuals have really worked and dedicated so much of their lives and so has their family to the fire department and to the city of Corpus Christi.”

Among those retiring was Battalion Chief Michael Schmidt, who reflected on the responsibility of leading firefighters through some of the department’s most challenging moments.

“I’m very proud that everyone went home to their families under my watch,” Schmidt said.

Assistant Fire Chief Billy Belyeu said leaving after two decades of service comes with mixed emotions.

“It’s bittersweet,” Belyeu said. “I got in at 21, so I spent over half of my life here within this organization.”

Belyeu said the bonds built inside the department extend well beyond the firehouse.

“It’s the best organization in the world,” he said. “The camaraderie with the men and women of the department — they’re so dedicated, it’s really hard to break those bonds.”

He said the department became an extension of his own family.

“I have met a lot of great people that have become true family members for me,” Belyeu said. “My kids call them uncles — that’s how close-knit of an organization this is.”

Deputy Fire Chief Kenneth Erben also reflected on what the department has meant to him and how it has shaped his future.

“The firefighters here, the officers here, the community — they’ve given me such a skill set that I will be successful wherever I go,” Erben said.

While he joked about what he will not miss, Erben said leaving the department itself will be the hardest part.

“I certainly won’t miss the mosquitoes. I certainly won’t miss the heat,” he said. “But I wholeheartedly will miss the department.”

City leaders and colleagues thanked the retiring chiefs for decades of dedication, leadership and service to Corpus Christi — closing a chapter defined by sacrifice, loyalty and a lifelong commitment to protecting the community.