IRVINGTON — John Santos Velez was about seven years old when he first showed up at the Irvington Fire Department.
He’d hang out with the firefighters but he’d also do things around the fire house to help out, even directing out of town fire trucks to fire scenes when they responded to mutual aid calls in the days before GPS.
That was more than 50 years ago and Velez, or Captain John, as he’s known around the firehouse even though technically he doesn’t hold that title, has been with the department ever since.
His affiliation with the department won’t end but his official service did on Thursday, Dec. 19, when a ceremony was held to recognize his retirement and honor his many years of service. “I’m going to stick around here,” said Velez, who currently lives nearby in Vauxhaull. “It’s one big happy family. I’m happy to have them.”
The fire station in Civic Square was full for the event, including retirees and firefighters from other departments.
Velez, who is 60, is an Irvington native, a 1984 graduate of Irvington High School, and, officially a 34 year veteran of the department. His speciality is communications.
“I do communications for the department, maintain radios, stuff like that,” he said.
While he’s always been around the fire department, he worked 10 years with the rescue squad and in the Office of Emergency Management before being hired full time.
“It’s in my heart, I love the job,” he said.
He has many memories of big events – including a three alarm fire on Chancellor Avenue that they fought all night – but one job from his early days with the rescue squad stood out; a young girl was in bad shape, having a seizure, but they gave her oxygen, stabilized her and got her to the hospital where she was able to recover.
Retired Fire Chief Donald Huber, who was with the department from 1980 to 2006, said Velez predated him.
“John was here all the time,” Huber said. “Even before I was on the job, John was a young boy who showed up at the fire department and it wasn’t long before he became a fixture.”
Velez was eager to learn all he could about firefighting, Huber said.
“He had a thirst for knowledge,” Huber said. “As time went on, everybody built strong bonds with him but he also became very knowledgeable.”
Huber said that members of the IFD young and old were taken by his kind spirit, desire to be helpful, and uncanny interest in all things related to the fire service.
“The story of Santos Velez is even much more than his long list of admirable achievements as part of the Irvington Fire Department; it’s also about a young boy who overcame considerable adversity and challenges along the way from childhood to adolescent to adulthood,” Huber said.
South Essex Fire Department Chief Joseph Alvarez turned out to pay his respects and told a story about responding to a mutual aid call for a fire in Irvington when he was a young firefighter with the Maplewood Fire Department.
“The first time I met you, you had three houses going (on fire),” Alvarez said. “This is 27 years ago.”
Alvarez said they were having trouble locating the fire scene when out of nowhere Velez appeared, banged on the truck, yelled and directed the crew to the fire.
“You scared the bejesus out of me,” Alvarez said with a laugh, before adding; “You are an example of what the fire service is – a brotherhood and a sisterhood.”
“It’s a big family here and it’s been a good run,” Velez said when pressed to speak to the crowd who had shown up to wish him well. “This is bittersweet because I’m going to miss everybody.”
Mayor Tony Vauss, who was at the event, said he’s been working for the town for 27 years and he knew of Velez when he started.
“He was always here, he’s a fixture,” Vauss said.
The mayor gave Velez a white shirt, typically worn by deputy chiefs, and told him he was giving him an honorary promotion to that rank.
Huber said that while Velez didn’t hold the rank of captain, he was given the kind of respect a captain has earned.
“For all intent and purposes, he was a captain – not in the civil service – but he was,” Huber said. “A lot of people said we adopted him but really he adopted us.”
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