Hollywood--Edward Moran's late father, a firefighter in New York City, made it to captain.
This week, Moran made it to chief in Hollywood.
City Manager Cameron Benson chose Moran, 49, over five internal candidates.
"Number one, he has the knowledge and the experience to be chief," Benson said Tuesday. "And number two, I really liked the way he has reached into his department and tried to build a team over there."
The job was a dream come true for Moran. At 20, he told himself he would be chief someday, committing his goal to a piece of paper. That paper has since been lost, but the dream was never too far from his mind.
"I was excited and just a little numb, knowing I'd finally realized my goal," Moran said.
When former Fire Chief Randy Burrough retired in September, Moran took over as interim chief. As chief, Moran will earn $125,000 and oversee a fire and beach safety department with 300 employees and a $32 million budget.
"He's a good man," said Russ Chard, president of the firefighters union. "He's popular with the rank and file."
Moran not only has a fine resume, but a fine way with people, said Commissioner Cathy Anderson.
"He's always been a gentleman," Anderson said.
Moran, a 29-year veteran of the department, might have become a police officer had the Hallandale Beach fire department not hired him in 1973, he said. A year later, he took a job with Hollywood.
As a firefighter, one of his most frightening moments came in 1985, when a raging fire engulfed the old Sun-Tattler building, since torn down.
A fellow firefighter was lost inside, calling for help on his radio. Moran, then a lieutenant, led a rescue team through flames for 10 minutes before finding his colleague, who was disoriented but not injured.
"It was the scariest moment ... to know that one of our firefighters was lost and in trouble," Moran said.
Moran's choice of career seems to run in the family. Both Moran's father and grandfather were firefighters in New York City, Moran's home until age 16, when his family moved to Hollywood.
His own son Daniel, 19, is certified as a firefighter and has applied to several departments. His daughter Elizabeth, 23, is a nurse and paramedic who plans to also work as a firefighter. And his brother Tom is a battalion chief with Hallandale Beach Fire-Rescue.
Now that Moran is chief, he plans to meet with firefighters in each station to hear concerns and share his vision for the department.
One goal includes building what would become the city's sixth fire station. The station, targeted for Federal Highway, would serve the southeastern section of the city.
Hollywood and Dania Beach are also discussing the possibility of merging the two departments, Moran said. If feasible, a merger could be one or two years away, he said.
