The Man! The Myth! The Legend! Fire Captain II Rick Godinez would bristle at us describing him as a legend, but as the 2019 Firefighter of the Year, this 36-year veteran is LAFD royalty, in our book.
Getting to ‘Firefighter of the Year’ status has been a long, satisfying journey for Rick, who describes working for the Los Angeles City Fire Department as, “my dream job.”
Since joining the Fire Academy at 21 years old, it’s been a whirlwind of an adventure that’s taken him around the world, responding to earthquakes, hurricanes and disasters of all shapes and sizes. From the L.A. riots to the Northridge earthquake to arriving at ground zero in the wake of the September 11 terrorist attacks, Rick has seen and experienced it all.
April 2020 marks the end of a distinguished career in which he’s worn many hats. As Senior Chaplain for the LAFD he helped countless people through some of the darkest days of their lives. As the Public Information Officer, Rick was often the calm communicator in the midst of chaos. He is a member of the Board of Trustees of the Los Angeles Firemen’s Relief Association and our Widows, Orphans & Disabled Firefighter’s Fund. And Godinez was the driving force in launching the Family Support Group program.
We would like to offer LAFD Captain II Rick Godinez the biggest and warmest congratulations, on an honor well deserved. Thank you for your service!
Read more about Rick in this in-depth article from The Signal. https://signalscv.com/2020/02/going-above-and-beyond-the-call-of-duty/
By Patrick Stinson
Read more about Our LAFD Heroes
