final firetruck ride
COLUMBUS — Retired Columbus Fire Chief Bob Walla, 82, passed away on July 9 in Columbus. He was a member of the Columbus Volunteer Fire Department for 47 years. During his tenure, he served as chief from 1980 to 2010. Walla dedicated his life to public service through the fire depart - ment. He was elected Firefighter of the Year in 1981 and again in 2008. He joined the department in 1965 and retired in 2011. He had lived in Columbus since 1946, where he attended high school, WCJC, and the University of Texas. He was also a skilled musician, playing the saxophone, clarinet, and drums.
A siren sounded three times in honor of Walla. The standby crew activated the siren system once Walla entered the cemetery. This was the first time the overhead si -
ren system was activated for a fire - fighter arriving at his final resting place. Walla was laid to rest in the St. Anthony Catholic Cemetery in Columbus on July 16. His final firetruck ride was aboard a 1955 Mack B-85 pumper, which Walla was instrumental in rebuilding as an antique.
While the Columbus Volunteer Fire Department (CVFD) was attending his funeral and burial, the CVFD went out of service while Bernardo VFD, Frelsburg VFD and CCOEM backed into the Co- lumbus fire station to take over re sponse duties.
Fire Chief Richard LaCourse said, “It’s a very rare occurrence that the fire department goes out of service for any occasion, but a time to honor one of our passing chief officers is one time it hap pens. A department that is requested to back-in as our representative, takes the request seriously and with honor.”
“When I submitted my application, right out of school, Robert Walla was already the fire chief of the Columbus Fire Department. He was chief for all of my career as a firefighter, the lieutenant and then captain,” said LaCourse. “He was the longest-standing fire chief in Columbus Fire Department history after he took over as chief from my grandfather, Fire Chief Lucian (Sarge) LaCourse. Fire Chief Robert Walla was a driving force in my elevation in ranks.”
Former Columbus Fire Chief tak- ing his final ride aboard the 1955 Pumper he helped restore. Banner Press photo by Ramona Ferguson
The entire CVFD went out of ser- vice for the funeral of former fire cheif Bob Walla while several oth- er area fire depments "backed in" to the CVFD fire station to cover.
Courtesy photo
