Many residents of McAllen, Edinburg, and surrounding cities remember Johnny G. Economedes as the first rescue worker to arrive at the scene of major tragedies and also one of the last to leave. As the Edinburg fire chief from 1977 until his untimely death in 1999, Johnny was known for agressively taking control of accident scenes in an effort to save as many lives as possible, utilizing whatever means were at his disposal. He was truly an "angel of mercy" to hundreds of local residents during moments of danger and distress.

A 1951 graduate of McHi, Johnny went on to get a degree in Physical Education at Pan American University and then served in the U.S. Army during the Korean Conflict. After military duty, he worked as Director of Parks and Recreation for Edinburg and was also a swimming instructor for the city. In 1955, Johnny joined the Edinburg Volunteer Fire Department, where he served as volunteer chief from 1977 to 1982. He became the city's first paid fire chief in 1982 and kept this position until his death at the age of 65.

Bust of Johnny at Economedes High School in Edinburg

Johnny was a distinguished gentleman and was respected by Valley residents and nationally recognized for his many accomplishments. He was honored by Lieutenant Governor Bob Bullock for his many contributions to the community while Edinburg's fire chief. He was nationally recognized for his efforts during the tragic 1988 roof collapse at the Amigo Store in Brownsville. Click here to read a detailed account (in Adobe PDF format) of the Amigo roof collapse.

Johnny served as president of the Edinburg Chamber of Commerce and was co-chairman of the Edinburg Economic Development Board. He also chaired the Hidalgo County 911 Board and served on the Texas A&M University Fire School Advisory Board. He was also active with the City of Edinburg Emergency Management Disaster Planning.

Johnny G. Economedes was a man of strength, sincerity, and generosity who gave unselfishly of himself to others and his knowledge, compassion, and valued counsel will never be forgotten by those who knew him.