BOSTON, USA.- For the first time, a Dominican-born immigrant who emigrated from Santo Domingo at the age of 20 swore in as District Chief of the Boston Fire Department.
“It is an honor for me to receive this promotion that is the result of much work and sacrifice and many dreams to continue advancing,” says an emotional José A. Estrella surrounded by his wife Loida and his children Sophia, Samuel, Natalie, and José Gabriel.
Estrella swore in his position before the Boston Fire Commissioner, Paul Burke, in a very crowded ceremony held at Florian Hall, in Dorchester.
With almost 25 years in the fire department, Estrella feels satisfied with the achievements he has made in his career.
“Nothing is easy, you have to keep moving forward in every opportunity that presents itself, I entered as a firefighter in 1997 and then promoted to lieutenant and then captain. Now I am a District Chief which is a higher rank and greater responsibility,” he notes.
Estrella says he arrived in Boston in 1989 and a year later joined the United States Army. “I was 3 years serving and it was the best because it gave me the opportunity to learn to value life, I was in Iraq, Afghanistan and other countries,” says Estrella who holds the rank of lieutenant colonel of the Army. In 95 he returned to Boston and in 96 he took the exam to enter the Fire Department.
As a Latin American immigrant, Estrella is a source of pride and inspiration. “Both careers are honorable, everything has its sacrifice and everything is achieved by working, when I arrived in Boston in 89 I didn’t know English and I worried about learning the language and that’s what we all have to do who emigrate. Then if you have dreams, goals you have to look at what you need to achieve those goals. Everything can be achieved, you will fall, stumble on the way, but if you keep going you will achieve success, you have to persist,” advises Estrella, who served several years as captain of the fire department in the Dorchester area.
During his tenure as captain, he performed functions at the Fire Headquarters, Fire Prevention and several fire stations throughout the city of Boston.
Estrella studied at Park University, Parkville, MO, a Bachelor’s degree in Administration and at Quincy College, in Quincy, MA, Fire Sciences.
