By Theresa-Marie Wilson
Cal Fire Pismo Beach division Fire Captain Rick Howard was recently recognized by the city council for his 27 years of service.
Howard began his career with Cal Fire as a wildland firefighter in the San Diego unit in 1987 and joined with the Pismo Beach Division in 1988. He was promoted to fire captain in 1996.
The council commended Howard for his key role in the development of the Pismo Beach Lifeguard Division. In 1994, Howard established the first Jr. Lifeguard program in the county with only 16 participants. Over the 21-year span, more than 2,500 youths have participated in the program.
“Having the privilege to run the lifeguards and the Jr. lifeguards has been a blessing,” Howard said. “I am very proud of what it has become today. It has been a great career.”
Mayor Shelly Higginbotham has been a longtime supporter of the Jr. Lifeguards.
“My kids went through the program, and it changed their lives,” she said “My boys are lifeguards now and my daughter, you couldn’t get her out of the pool. You have touched many lives, thank you.”
Howard’s first summer as a lifeguard in Pismo Beach was in 1989. At that time a Central Coast lifeguard competition was held between about a dozen participants from Morro Bay, Avila Beach and Pismo Beach.
“It was a great event that we did until 2003 when we were holding the event in Avila Beach the morning of a fatal shark attack,” said Howard. “We didn’t hold the competition for a few years after that.”
Last summer, Howard brought the competition back to the coast.
“It is a great opportunity to bring all the lifeguards to train all summer long in extreme physical fitness, and to showcase their skills,” he said.
Further, Howard was recognized for mentoring more than 170 reserve firefighters and supervising more than 125 seasonal ocean lifeguards and responded to more than 13,000 calls for service during his tenure.
A proclamation by the city read in part, Howard’s “easy going manner, calmness under pressure and expertise will be missed by his fellow firefighters and lifeguards.”
“Captain Howard, you represent the goodness of the fire service,” said Cal Fire Pismo Beach Fire Chief Rob Lewin. “A firefighter’s job is to protect life, property and our natural resources that we always cherish so much. You have always done this; you have always recognized that this is what is important. This is your community. You live in this community and you have served this community your entire career. That is a rarity now in the fire service. Some people who stay one place don’t grow, but you grew the entire 27 years of your service. We are so fortunate in Cal Fire to have you.”
Howard was presented with a plaque containing the proclamation and a plaque from Cal Fire.
“We are a beach community, and safety on the beach is paramount, and between the Jr, lifeguard and lifeguard programs, you have helped make this a much safer community,” said Councilman Ed Waage. “Who knows how many people whose lives have been saved or rescued during your tenure here. It is a legacy we are proud of and we want to thank you for your service.”
Cal Fire, a California state agency, functions as the County Fire Department under a contract with the County of San Luis Obispo, and has done so since 1930.
