During his 55-year career, Katy fire Chief Rufus Summers has accomplished much: from hiring the first minority firefighters at the Bellaire Fire Department to creating the first all-female fire academy class at Houston Community College.

However, the last several years of his long career has seen Summers help build Katy’s department into a more professional organization.

“It’s a real rewarding career. I don’t think you can find a greater career than firefighting,” Summer said. “The thing I always ask people when they apply to become a firefighter is if they want to help people. That is a real key to this job.”

Katy fire Chief Rufus Summers retires after May 2, when he is replaced by Katy’s new fire chief, Russell Wilson.[/caption]

Summers followed his father and an uncle into the ranks of firefighters. During his career, Summers worked for the Houston Fire Department for 21 years, served as fire chief of the Bellaire Fire Department for 18 years and was the chair of the HCC Fire Protection Program for more than 14 years.

In 2013, Katy Mayor Pro Tem Chuck Brawner asked Summers about helping guide the city’s fire department into a new phase.

“When I got here, there were          14 people full-time,” Summers said. “We added 22 people. The first thing I did was write a training program for them.”

Summers said the toughest moment of his career was when a 30-year-old firefighter committed suicide at the Katy fire station last year.

“It’s not something easy to talk about,” Summers said. “That was probably something that I hadn’t had experience [dealing with].”

Despite the tragedy, Summers said he was proud of how the department coped with the incident and were drawn together more closely.

“In the midst of the tragedy, this team came together like you wouldn’t believe. They all worked together,” he said.

Katy City Administrator Byron Hebert said Summers has aided the transition to a more professional fire department.

Summers became a firefighter in 1961, a milestone marked by this yearbook entry.[/caption]

“He’s brought a seasoned type of leadership that the department needed,” Hebert said. “He has gotten them more into a professional type of firefighting program. Now, the people here can feel a lot safer than just    having part-time people.”

Summers said he will help the city’s new fire chief—Russell Wilson—adjust to the community when he starts May 2. He also plans to spend time with his family.

“I loved the job. It’s been more fun than I can tell you,” Summers said. “All of this has a great deal of effect on people. It’s really rewarding when you can help people get out alive and survive.”