Friends and co-workers gathered at the Cuero Fire Department on the cold and drizzly day of the recent cold front to wish first responder Juan Soliz a happy retirement. He served 19 years and seven months as a fire and AEMT for the Cuero Fire Department.
“I thank the City of Cuero for all that it’s done to support us,” Soliz said, sharing his experience of joining the fire department. He became a firefighter at 42 years old after serving as a volunteer firefighter.
“I worked days at Dr Pepper and went to school at night,” he said. After a year and a half of school, he got his fire certification then started on his EMT coursework.
Wayne Berger “This is the big day we wait for,” Mayor Emil Garza said. “Not just us but our family. We need to thank Margaret (Juan’s wife) also because she was right there all those years also.”
The mayor urged every first responder in attendance to hug their relatives when they went home. “Tell them the mayor said to give you a hug.”
What do the Solises have planned for retirement? Big trips. The Cuero Fire Department began January 1st advertising on its Facebook page for a Firefighter/ EMT with “the drive, the commitment, and the desire to help protect lives and property.”
