DO YOU NEED A FIRE MARSHAL TO TELL YOU WHICH WAY THE WIND BLOWS?

By Juan Montoya

Ensconced within the byzantine offices in the restored Dancy Building in Cameron County is the office of Fire Marshal Armando Lucio.
Lucio's name almost never appears in the media. Instead, the only inkling residents have of the work he performs is when the office issues a "burn ban" because of drought conditions and high winds.
Still, the office is pretty important since it's under the Cameron County Judge's Emergency Management Office and operates under the aegis of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. It's headed by former Los Fresnos Police Chief Johnny Cavazos, who comes out of the Dancy Building woodwork and makes dire predictions if residents don't heed his hurricane evacuation routes and preparedness warnings.
Dressed in his signature starched and pressed faded jeans, roper boots, George Strait western shirt with an impressive badge, and gallon hats (the more volume they hold the better), Cavazos issues forth his declarations.
The mission of his office, his website states, is to "support county and local governments in the areas of civil defense, disaster mitigation and preparedness, planning and response to and recovery from man-made or natural disasters."
Cavazos was fired Nov. 6, 2003 from Los Fresnos for alleged money mismanagement. The former city manager who was fired in part because of an investigation headed by Cavazos, alleged he misspent some $500,000 without authorization. Cavazos denied the allegations.
We'll never know what the truth was because Cavazos made sure his contract with the city stipulated, among other things, that should he ever leave officials would not be allowed to publicly address why or how he left.
Lately his office – a branch of FEMA – has also posted clips on its website on ways to deal with HINI. And the latest feather in the CCEM hat was teaming with Hidalgo County to run sign-language hurricane warnings for the deaf population in both counties when Dolly struck the area. The program was offered to Texas counties by the office of Gov. Rick Perry.
They will receive recognition during the next county meeting Thursday, October 29, 2009.
But Lucio doesn't have to worry about all that. As fire marshal, he is in charge of making sure things don't catch on fire and that we follow the rules of dealing with Prometheus' gift to Man.
"Unfortunately, most of these incidents are preventable and caused by careless behavior," stated Lucio. "An ounce of prevention in this case will save lives, homes and everything we hold dear."
Perhaps due to the indefatigable efforts of Cavazos and Lucio, the county's casualty rate from hurricanes and preventable fires is perfect: 0. This year it appears that hurricanes know better than to mess with Cameron County. So far, none have dared to rear their ugly little thunderheads in our direction. And county fires have not destroyed our surroundings.
For their untiring and uncompromising work, Cavazos earns a tidy $55,498 and Lucio another $50,000.
Good work if you can get it, hey?