St. Paul firefighter Rodney Edwards, 'Mayor of Frogtown,' retires after 31 years

After 31 years of protecting the city where he grew up, the "Mayor of Frogtown" has retired from the St. Paul Fire Department.

Rodney Edwards was raised in the neighborhood he spent the past two decades protecting. When his father died, he said he learned about it when a call came into Fire Station No. 18. He sometimes knew the parents of young victims when his crew was called to a shooting involving them.

"That's the nature of this job," Edwards, 58, said. "You never know who you're going to run into, who you're going to help. I was glad to be there for them."

Edwards spent about 20 years at Fire Station No. 18, 681 W. University Ave. There, he and his colleagues prided themselves on being the first to arrive on a call, he said. There's a saying on the back of Ladder 18 that if you can read the sign, you're "second in," Edwards said.

Every spring through fall, when Edwards sat with his crew outside after dinner at the station, people walking or driving by would yell out his name, said fellow firefighter Tom Henry, who spent 11 years on the same crew as Edwards.

"It was fun to drive down the street, and you could not get from Dale Street to Lexington (Avenue) without getting three people to yell out at him and wave at him," Henry said.

Prior to becoming a firefighter, Edwards worked maintenance at nursing homes, he said. The father of three, who also helped raise a nephew, wanted a career change and had contemplated becoming a nurse until he learned

about training for upcoming firefighter tests. In 1978, he took and passed the physical and written tests, he said. In 1980, he joined the ranks.

"I'm a caregiver," he said. "I've always liked helping people"

He was a firefighter until 1992, when he was promoted to fire equipment operator.

Edwards earned four lifesaving awards during his time with the department, said St. Paul Fire Chief Tim Butler. He "epitomized what we do, who we are, what we stand for," he said.

In 1992, Edwards was among a group of black St. Paul firefighters who sued the city and its then chief over alleged racial harassment and discrimination in the department.

"The lawsuit...it brought about change," Edwards said.

Of the department's 433 fire suppression staff members, 33 are African-American, said St. Paul Fire Marshal Steve Zaccard.

Edwards said he would like to see more African-American firefighters in St. Paul.

Edwards first thought about retiring two years ago, after he fell from a ladder that had given way, noting it wasn't the determining factor in his decision. He bounced back like a "Slinky."

"Firefighting is dangerous, no matter what your job is," Edwards said. "I wanted to go out with good health."

His colleagues called him Humpty Dumpty after the incident, Henry said.

Because Edwards was always concerned for the safety of his crew, he went above and beyond, he said. It's not typical of fire equipment operators to climb up and down ladders, tools in hand, as Edwards did that day, he said.

"Other drivers don't do that," he said.

Brady Gervais can be reached at 651-228-5513. Follow her at twitter.com/bgervais and twitter.com/ppUsualSuspects.

Source: http://www.twincities.com/news/ci_19601015?source=rss

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