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New full time firefighter Christopher Villaverde.
Christopher Villaverde is the newest full-time Firefighter at the Superior Fire Department. Christopher was born and raised in Superior. He always knew he wanted to go into public safety, but growing up he thought he would one day become a cop. It wasn’t until the ninth grade when he entered the Explorer program and got some on hands experience working with both the Police and Fire Department that he realized he wanted to become a Firefighter.
Christopher started out working as a Reserve for the Superior Fire Department. He worked as a reserve for two years before getting hired on full time this October. The thing that surprised him most about the job he says was, “Day one you are behind a steering wheel.” In a bigger department, the Firefighters don’t get a chance to drive the ambulance and fire trucks right away. At Superior, the new firefighters get hands-on driving experience with all the apparatus since there are only two full-time firefighters on each shift.
Christopher has been working the last two months helping test all the hydrants in town, this December he was in charge of the Santa Drive, and he has gone on many medical calls.
But so far, he has only responded to one fire call. On that fire call, there was a lot of smoke, but no actual flames.
Yet being on that fire, Christopher got a chance to work with a Fire Investigator from Coolidge. Watching the Fire Investigator work left quite an impression.
“It was something very interesting,” Christopher told the Superior Sun. He says he can see himself heading to school to add Fire Investigator one day to his resume.
First Christopher plans to advance from an EMT to a Paramedic. But he also has higher aspirations.
“When I got hired one of the questions they asked was where do you see yourself in 15 years. I told them, I see myself behind a desk, interviewing others,” he said. “I want to become a chief.”
Christopher Villaverde at the age of 5 when the Superior Fire Department came to visit the Head Start. Photo courtesy Christopher Villaverde.
Christopher has a long history with the Superior Fire Department. On his cell phone, he has a picture of himself at five years old decked out in a fire helmet and mask. He was a kid at Head Start when the Firefighters came to visit. And now as a full-time firefighter, he has gotten the opportunity to visit the Head Start kids and inspire a whole new generation.
Working full-time at Superior is the first step in what Christopher hopes is a long career in the fire service.
Christopher Villaverde comes full circle and visits the Head Start, encouraging a new generation. Photo courtesy Superior Fire Dept.
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