Pembroke Pines, Florida Says Goodbye To Retiring Fire Marshal, EMS Chief

Now they have reached a milestone together. Halpert, the city's fire marshal, and Deegan, division chief in charge of emergency medical services, have retired from Pembroke Pines Fire-Rescue.

"It will be a change in routine, and I will mostly miss the camaraderie of the firefighters and the friendliness of the office staff," said Deegan, who served 25 years with the city. "It's the greatest career anyone could have had."

After 28 years, Halpert, who started out as a city volunteer firefighter, said he is ready for more challenges.

"I feel like I'm being reborn at 52 years [of age], and I feel lucky with an opportunity to reach more goals in my life," Halpert said. "It's the only place I worked as a firefighter and I did it for free at first, but it was enjoyable and it became my career. I will miss the adrenaline."

The friends , who officially retired June 23, decided to leave after they reached maximum pension benefits.

"It was union activity that brought us together," said Deegan, 51, of Plantation. "Back then we'd negotiate a contract every year, and it's now every three years. We had the same beliefs with safety as the most important thing, and also the wages."

Although their fire careers went in different directions, they remained close.

Halpert went into fire prevention and inspections, while Deegan, who started as a paramedic, stayed with the medical side of the job.

Deegan worked in the main building, 9500 Pines Blvd. While Halpert was just a few blocks west, at the City Hall building, 10100 Pines Blvd.

But the two would meet for weekly lunches. Now, they plan to get together for dinners.

"Our friendship was created here on the job," said Halpert, of Hollywood. "We talk a lot, about the future, the fire department and when I'm getting married."

For six months, Halpert and Deegan prepared their divisions for their respective exits.

"So when we were ready, we could leave and they could still do their jobs. Other departments may not be as lucky," Deegan said.

The fire prevention division recently merged with the city's building department, becoming the building/fire prevention division.

The building department's Joseph Montopoli is now the division chief; and Dave Raines, who also serves as fire marshal, is assistant division chief.

Michael Hohl, assistant division chief of emergency medical services, was promoted to division chief.

After retiring, Halpert plans to go back to school for a master's degree, and Deegan looks forward to concentrating on home repairs and family.

The two friends met in 1978 when they worked at the old fire station at North Perry Airport, running rescue calls together.

At the time, there were fewer than 20 in the entire department, which has grown to 250. A starting firefighter then made about $9,750, compared with about $38,000 today, Deegan said.

Back then, Pines Boulevard was a two-lane road from Florida's Turnpike to U.S. 27, and the city population was about 14,000, according to Deegan. It now has reached to about 160,000 people.

Halpert started in 1975 with a team of three fire inspectors; now there are 12. The longtime fire marshal said fire prevention has advanced through the years but the number of annual fires has remained the same.

About 20 years ago, there were about 270 fires a year, he said. In 2002, there were 278 fires.

When Deegan started in 1978, the department was responding to about two to three calls a day on Pines Boulevard, between the turnpike and Flamingo Road.

"Many of the calls were from retirement communities for cardiac arrest or car accidents," Deegan said. "The city had a lot of woods, pasture land. The major retirement community was Sunswept, and Hollybrook Golf & Tennis Club was the only condominium."

In the early 1980s, both were transferred to Station 89 in Century Village and worked there together until Halpert was transferred to City Hall. The fellow firefighters had since been separated.

Though they came from different backgrounds -- Deegan's family were Pittsburgh, Pa., coal miners while Halpert's were South American jewelers -- the men seemed to share much in common.

"Our personalities are probably more similar as we are both somewhat laid-back, and we have a similar sense of humor," Deegan said. "Over the years, we stayed interested in each other's lives."

Halpert said, "We have stared the devil in the eye when fighting fire and we are leaving the city with a smile on our face knowing we did a good job."