Flower Mound fire chief announces retirement

After 28 years of serving the Town of Flower Mound, including 22 as fire chief, Eric Metzger has decided to enter a new chapter of his life.

Chief Metzger’s last day with the town is June 30 or when a new chief is selected.

“It’s time for me to explore other opportunities, decompress, and see what else is out there after 37 years in the fire service,” Chief Metzger said. “I’ve made a lot of friends here and I love the community. I’m most proud of our customer service attitude. After all, it’s the men and women in blue that make the difference. It’s never been about me, it’s always been about our residents and taking care of our fire department to ensure its long-term success. As for the next phase, my wife Janice and I plan to get back in touch with our rural roots and move to east Texas.”

In the 2011 Citizen Survey, respondents gave the Fire Department a 98 percent approval rating. Chief Metzger said this high approval rating is indicative of continued support by Town Council, town staff, and previous town councils.

When Metzger was first hired, Flower Mound was still a small community, with two fire stations staffed by one person each. Volunteers often rounded out the numbers when answering a call. Today, the fire department has five stations with roughly 100 firefighters, paramedics, and administrative staff.

“Chief Metzger has been indispensable to our Fire Department for many years, especially during periods of rapid growth which often proved challenging to consistently meet the community needs,” said Flower Mound Town Manager Jimmy Stathatos. “We wish him all the best and realize we will have large shoes to fill when it comes to finding the next Flower Mound Fire Chief.”