Hernan Galarza was just like Milwaukee's other 41 firefighters who were sworn in Thursday. He successfully completed the 16-week program and now looks forward to working as a member of the city's fire service.
But Galarza will stand out when he reports for his first shift Sunday. At 51, he is Milwaukee's oldest recruit to become a firefighter.
“I have always wanted to serve," Galarza told WTMJ-TV. " I always wanted to do something for the community.”
Before becoming a firefighter, Galarza was a small business owner and had worked in sales. He also has participated in four Ironman competitions throughout the state, activities that have helped him stay physically fit.
Galarza isn't the oldest person to try to become a Milwaukee firefighter, but he is the oldest to complete the program. And while many of his colleagues are as old as his daughters—"To be honest, Galarza, I never thought I would graduate with someone as old as my grandparents," joked a fellow firefighter Thursday—he tries to adhere to the adage that age is just a state of mind.
"Age is just a number," he told WTMJ. "It’s all in your head. I feel like I am a 20-year-old."
