Kirt Vojvoda, Battalion Chief with Watsonville Fire Department, hung up his helmet June 23 and stepped into the world of retirement after 34 years of battling fires, car crash rescues, medical calls, false alarms, hazardous materials spills and more.
The Watsonville native, whose grandfather was a well-known farmer around town and Aromas, was a student at MacQuiddy and Mintie White elementary schools, E.A. Hall and Watsonville High, said he knew he wanted to be a firefighter from an early age.
“It all started with Watsonville Fire in 1989 when I became a reserve firefighter,” he said a day before his final shift. “I was given my first assignment right after the Loma Prieta earthquake struck in 1989. It’s been not only a good career, it’s been a blessing, for me.”
He went from reserve to firefighter to engineer, captain, Fire Marshal and eventually Battalion Chief.
In an interview posted on the City of Watsonville’s website, he added: “What made it great was that I was able to be a Watsonville firefighter for that many years because there’s nothing like serving the community you grew up in.”
In reviewing his career, he highlighted the Ice House Fire on Kearney Street that burned for a week.
“I was on the first company at the Apple Cold Storage fire on Beach Street,” he said. “There was the ‘89 quake, of course, and the Wall Street Inn fire. I was at the Trabing wildland fire—that was big—and the Stag Hotel fire. Add to that the many out-of-county strike teams I’ve served on.”
Vojvoda said a medical call to the Watsonville Senior Center where a woman had collapsed on the floor with a heart attack also stands out. The medical care his crew provided proved to be life-saving.
Vojvoda has worked under five chiefs and has served on numerous boards, committees and nonprofits including the Slavic American Cultural Organization where he continues as vice president. He also served more than a decade as union Local 1272 president and has received numerous awards including Firefighter of the Year and the Watsonville Fire Outstanding Achievement Award. At a farewell party at Station 1, Supervisor Felipe Hernandez presented Vojvoda with a framed proclamation, noting, among other things, his “exceptional service.”
Added up, his family has thus far served more than 90 years in public service and his son, Drew, is currently a Watsonville firefighter/paramedic. He also played a role in the creation of the Watsonville Fire Department Chief Gene Friend Museum at Fire Station 1 on Second Street.
At the close of his final shift, by tradition, a dispatcher with the county’s 911 service announced over the radio a farewell message, closing with: “Chief Vojvoda, we thank you for your service and express our best wishes to you and your family for a long, healthy and happy retirement.”
Fire Capt. Rick Pettigrew said he learned a great deal from Vojvoda.
“He’s a team player and has been a pleasure to work alongside,” he said. “Kirt always had a good sense of humor and he brought a lot of talent to the department.”
At 56, Vojvoda said he is looking forward to relaxation, but has also signed up to volunteer as a commissioner on the Santa Cruz County Fire Department Advisory Commission.
“Ever since it began in 1989 this has been a dream career for me; I can’t believe it’s over,” he said. “I don’t have the words to explain—being a public servant where you can help people. Being a Watsonville firefighter was the icing on the cake.”
