Passion remains as Beaufort-Port Royal Fire Chief Sammy Negron steps aside
It was a brisk January morning, but a bay of Beaufort's new fire station on Ribaut Road had to be open for a ceremonial ribbon-cutting.
Sammy Negron, who will retire as Beaufort-Port Royal fire chief Jan. 15, stood outside the new facility and considered a red truck parked out front. He had seen engine tear way from Station 2 days before, lights flashing and siren blaring and felt the familiar rush that has kept him in the game 10 years after being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis.
But it's time to step aside.
Negron has noticed the symptoms of his disease. His neurologist at Medical University of South Carolina says he can better fight it away from the station.
"I needed to make the right decision for my health, but more importantly for the health and safety of the firefighters and the community they serve," said the 50-year-old Negron, his distinct accent molded growing up in Ponce, Puerto Rico.
Negron will be replaced by Reece Bertholf, a Minnesota native who briefly served in the same unit with Negron at Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort before both joined the fire department. Negron served 12 years in the Marines and 20 as a firefighter, the first four as a volunteer.
Among his proudest memories as chief are rebuilding the department after it lost much of its top leadership due to a tight budget before Negron took over in 2010.
He also points to an audit of fire equipment and vehicles that he said eventually saved the city hundreds of thousands of dollars and an improved fire insurance rating for Beaufort and Port Royal.
Negron was diagnosed in 2005 with multiple sclerosis, a disease in which the immune system attacks the central nervous system.
A wide range of symptoms result, including numbness, fatigue and dizziness. Negron has struggled with strenuous activity, involuntary muscle movements and maintaining balance, he said.
Negron maintains a regular physical training regimen. He plans to continue to consult on city projects when needed and to travel regularly to Idaho to visit his 7-month-old granddaughter.
"One thing someone that is battling MS cannot do is just slow down," Negron said. "If you don't use your mind, if you don't use your muscle, if you don't use your body, they tend to deteriorate."
Bertholf said Negron has not shown effects of his fight while leading the department.
The men, both volunteer firefighters and Marines, share similar stories.
Bertholf, 37, grew up in small-town Minnesota with uncles and family friends who were firefighters. He joined the Marines out of high school -- boot camp in San Diego and service in Okinawa, Japan, and Beaufort, where he has been the past 15 years.
"When I look back at my story, there were clues all along that there was firefighting in my blood," said Bertholf, who has a degree from USC Beaufort and an MBA from The Citadel. "It wasn't something as a child that I woke up one morning and said that's what I'm going to do."
When Bertholf's promotion was announced in November, Negron talked of his successor's drive and work ethic. The men posed for photos during the fire station opening, ceremoniously uncoupling a fire hose in front of an open bay and the department's sparkling new ladder truck.
Bertholf said he is glad Negron is able to retire, though earlier than Negron might have hoped.
"Any firefighter is fortunate to reach retirement and go out and be able to enjoy the rest of their lives," Bertholf said. "Because not everybody gets to."
Follow reporter Stephen Fastenau at twitter.com/IPBG_Stephen.
Related content:
- Beaufort-Port Royal Fire Chief Sammy Negron to retire, Oct. 16, 2015
- Veteran Beaufort firefighter named Negron's successor as fire chief, Nov. 3, 2015
- Video: Fire Chief Reece Bertholf: "The new station brings us into modern times.", Jan. 8, 2016
This story was originally published January 10, 2016 at 6:38 PM with the headline "Passion remains as Beaufort-Port Royal Fire Chief Sammy Negron steps aside."