By Brent D. Wistrom
The Wichita Eagle
Copyright 2007 The Wichita Eagle  
Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Business News 

WICHITA, Kan. — Almost 50 years ago, a young Larry Garcia was headed to the post office to test for a job. But the cloud of smoke rolling off a burning house near Second and Washington redirected him — and his career — forever.

In announcing his retirement Tuesday, the Wichita fire chief recalled stopping and seeing a little old lady trying to get out of the front door of the house.

The latch on the screen door was stuck.

"I asked her to step back and stuck my foot through there," Garcia said, noting she wasn't in too much danger.

That day reporters jumped on the story — as did the fire chief, who summoned Garcia over.

Garcia said he told the chief about his post office test and the chief asked Garcia if he'd like a shot at being a firefighter.

"So here I am," the 71-year-old said with a batch of TV and radio microphones in front of him. "Funny way to come on, but it was nice."

Garcia spent more than 7 years as a firefighter before moving on to dispatch, then to the city manager's office and, finally, in 1987, fire chief, where he makes $118,000 a year.

He has been one of the highest ranking Hispanics in city government and his career has been marked by some of the city's worst disasters, including the KC-135 tanker crash at 20th and Piatt that killed 30 people and the DeBruce Grain elevator explosion that killed seven people.

Garcia's final day isn't set yet, but whenever he leaves, he will have worked more years for the city of Wichita than anyone else in City Hall.

He plans to golf, take up fishing again and spend more time with his wife, Carolyn, who is a youth coordinator at their church, Tabernacle Baptist.

The quiet days follow countless hectic ones.

Garcia was once targeted for demotion by then-City Manager Chris Cherches, but that plan died after the city was criticized for seizing Fire Department records.

Garcia has remained well-liked through the years, old news articles and interviews showed.

Union leaders are probably one of the only natural critics of fire chiefs have. But even International Association of Fire Fighters president Doug Pickard applauds Garcia.

"Larry Garcia is just a hell of a nice guy," he said.

Pickard said it's unusual for a chief to last 20 years as Garcia has, and at a recent conference for union leaders and chiefs, Garcia was the most experienced around.

"I'd say chiefs around the country look up to and admire Larry Garcia," Pickard said.

A nationwide search to replace Garcia is now in motion.