Mobile, AL, Fire Station Named in Honor of Late District Chief, Family Legacy
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Seven years ago, the Mobile Fire-Rescue Department opened a facility so impressive that one city council member termed it “the mother of all fire stations in the area.” Wednesday, the department named it in honor of a trailblazer from its own ranks.
Since opening, the new station in the Crichton area has been the subject of pride. In 2018, it was where department and city leaders chose to reveal that the MFRD had achieved a top-tier ISO 1 rating. It now bears the name of Alexander G. Trenier, who spent nearly 40 years in the department and became one of its first Black district chiefs.
Trenier, who rose to the rank of deputy chief, died in February. On Wednesday he was praised not just for 40 years of service but for his engagement with the community, particularly his work as a mentor at the Dumas Wesley Community Center.
Mayor Sandy Stimpson traced the Trenier family’s history of service all the way back to Creole Fire Company No. 1, an organization that was active as far back as the early 19th century, predating the formation of a city fire department, and one whose downtown home remains a historic landmark.
“Y’all all know why we’re here, and it is to honor the life of Alex Trenier, with his name now on the front of this fire station, which is maybe one of the finest fire stations that we have in the city of Mobile,” said Stimpson. “What a fitting honor. I think you also all know that for over 200 years, the Trenier family has been involved in firefighting in the city of Mobile.”
“Alex Trenier became one of the first Black fire [district chiefs] in the city of Mobile in 2001,” said Stimpson. “His brother Mark Trenier was Mobile’s first Black fire marshal. But that’s the Trenier family’s legacy: Breaking barriers, protecting Mobilians, and serving our community. … I can’t think of a more fitting way than to recognize his service, than having his name on this building.”
“Thank you to the administration, thank you to everyone that made this happen, and thank you to the Trenier family,” said District 1 City Councilman Cory Penn. “It’s an honor to stand here today as we gather to celebrate a man whose life was defined by service.”
Penn said Trenier’s elevation to district chief was a milestone that “opened doors for others to lead.”
Trenier’s son, Capt. John Trenier, gave a moving tribute to his father:
“As both his son and a captain in this department, standing here today carries a meaning that’s hard to put into words,” he said. “A firehouse isn’t just where we work. It’s where we live, learn, laugh, and serve. And now it will forever carry the name of a man who embodied what true service looks like.
“Chief Trenier devoted his entire life to the city of Mobile, to his firefighters, and to his community he loved,” continued Capt. Trenier. “His leadership was steady, his expectations were high, and his faith in his people was unshakable. He lived by a moral code that never wavered. And he believed in doing the right thing, no matter the cost or the consequence. Whether on duty or off, he stood by his principles with quiet strength and conviction. And that integrity defined the way he lived and the way he led. He believed in developing others, in giving everyone a fair chance to grow, and in leading with humility, not ego.
“But his service didn’t stop there. When the shift ended, he spent countless hours volunteering at the Dumas Wesley Community center, mentoring youth, and lending a hand whenever it was needed. He showed all of us that being a firefighter isn’t just about running calls. It’s about building community and lifting others up. To see his name on this building is deeply personal. It represents not just the years he served, but the values he lived by: Integrity, compassion, and dedication. And now every time these bay doors open and District 3, Engine 12, Truck 17, Rehab 1, or Rescue 12 make emergency runs, his legacy will forever be with them.
“To my family, thank you for sharing this moment,” said Capt. Trenier. “And to my brothers and sisters in the Mobile Fire Rescue Department, thank you for carrying forward his example. May the Alexander G. Trenier Fire Station stand as a lasting reminder that service is both a duty and an honor. My father lived that truth, and now his name will continue to inspire generations of firefighters who follow.”
Interim Fire Chief Barry Glisson said the naming reflected a commitment to carry on a legacy of service.
“As we gather here, we not only acknowledge one individual’s career, but also the men and women of this department, whose dedication and professionalism have built and sustained Mobile Fire-Rescue throughout many years,” said Glisson. “The Alexander Trenier Fire Station will stand as a lasting reminder of the continued commitment to duty and service to this community, to our citizens, the city, and to one another.”
The station is on Davenport Avenue, off Spring Hill Avenue in the Crichton area. When it was opened in 2019, officials said it allowed the city to put more assets closer to Interstate 65, and that its combined units constituted an “all-hazard response team.”
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