Lee Trawick
Reporter2@riverbendnews.org
Many firefighters grow up considering the generations before them to be heroes. However, City of Live Oak Fire Chief George (Chad) Washington Croft III admits, for him, his introduction into the fire service was a bit different. Croft grew up in Suwannee County, where he graduated from Suwannee High
School in 1985. While there, he was a standout three-time wrestling State Champion. It wasn't long before he caught the eye of the college ranks, where he was awarded the opportunity to wrestle at Clemson University in South Carolina. Then, in 1986, he felt the call to join the United States Army.
Following an injury in the Army, Croft returned home in March of 1987. He wasted no time in trading one superhero cape for another when he was hired by then-City of Live Oak Fire Chief Howard Wright. He laughs when reflecting on his first three weeks at the State Fire College in Ocala, Fla.
“Chief Wright sent three of us down there together. Back then, if you failed a test, you got one make-up, and if you failed that test, you were kicked out,” Croft remembered. He recalled how, during their second week, one of the other men he was sent down with failed one of his tests, so the three began cramming for the make-up exam together. However, one of the other men he traveled with failed both his second test and his make-up. “So, Chief Wright drove down to Ocala to pick them up and I was left with another guy's truck all week. The next week, everything in my car was stolen, including the department's self- contained breathing apparatus (SCBA). There Chief was, back down there helping me figure things out. I was down there, thinking, 'Man, I ain't sure I chose the right path here. What am I doing here?'”
However, today he is grateful he stuck it out; he borrowed his father-in-law's old Jeep and completed fire college. From then on, Croft was off and running. “In fire college, they teach you the basics of fighting fire,” he recalled. “Then, when you join a department is when you learn how to fight a fire. For me, I was always one of those guys who wanted to know every aspect of the fire service.” Two years after working under Chief Wright, Croft wanted to try his hand with a larger department in Lakeland, Fla. He worked there for better part of 11 months before returning to Live Oak. Croft remembers sitting in front of Chief Wright and discussing his return to the Live Oak Fire Department. “Chief, if you are man enough to bring me back, I'll be man enough to stick it out,” Croft said. It was a plea Croft always remembered making and, 34 years later, felt he honored.
Croft climbed the ranks through the department on his way to being named Fire Chief at the age of 35 in September 2002, becoming the youngest chief in the history of the department. As he looks back over his career at those who journeyed with him, he reflects on Chief Wright and something he once said: “As a public servant, your job description is: do whatever it takes to get the job done.” Croft always tried to live by those words, whether it be on the truck, in a city council meeting or within the community. He understood his platform and his responsibilities to, not only his department, but the community as well.
Croft admits the relationships he has built over the years may not have all become close friends, but he appreciates those he has worked with throughout his career. He recalled his days as an early firefighter with Allen Bedenbaugh. The two were young and created many great memories together. However, Bedenbaugh wasn't the only friendship he built. He served with three assistant chiefs along the way, each of which Croft is grateful for.
“The department is family here. We spend a third of our lives here with one another. We are all family, and even their families as well,” Croft said. “Countless times, in emergency situations, firefighters' families would come and stay at the firehouse for safety purposes, such as when hurricanes or storms would come through. We all have a tough job to do here, where it takes 100 percent focus, and we can't focus on our jobs if we are worried about families we have left at home to fend for themselves while we are out serving the public.”
As his career comes to an end, Croft will join the ranks of the great fire chiefs before him and some of his greatest mentors along the way, as he is only the sixth chief in the department's history. He has always done his best to avoid the spotlight when possible. However, he is proud of his career and hopes he has honored those before him.
“When looking back over my career, I'm proud of the relationships I built along the way. The fact that we, as a department, were able to lower the citizens' ISO rating from a six to a three, as well as helping to create an auto-aid agreement,” Croft said. “When I took this job, my intentions were to leave this department better than I found it, and I feel I've done that. I feel I am leaving it in a good place. However, over everything, I am most proud of as a department is the loss of life and property we have prevented through constant training and continued education.”
Croft prides himself and his department on continued training and education, along with evolving tactics with the goal of fire safety for his firefighters and the community. He also continued his education by graduating with his Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration and Fire Science in 2012. That same year, he took the department in a new direction with the understanding that the safety of the community is the main priority. As many of their calls were emergency medical service (EMS) related, Croft mandated all firefighters must be EMS certified.
Following his 36-year career as the Live Oak Fire Chief, Croft will officially retire on Friday, June 2. Many firefighters view their profession as a calling. “For me, it was a job that was open after the Army. Looking back, I would not have guessed I would have been here 36 years. I took this position because it was a job, but it did not take long for it to sink into my blood. Over the years, it became more and more of who I am. What started out as a job became who I am, and I'm proud of that,” Croft said.
It is a career he can hang his hat on as he enters the life of retirement. He was proud and honored to be Live Oak's Fire Chief for the past 36 years and now looks forward to hooking up his RV and hitting the road with no destination in mind. “We have four or five places mapped out, but who knows, we'll go wherever, and I'm okay with that,” he said. Advice he would give to the next chief would be to “Take care of the citizens and the city, and they will take care of you. Always remember the most valuable asset in a department is the people in the department.”