Allen Bohac has spent the past 50 years serving as chief of the Skidmore Volunteer Fire Department — often buying gas for the pumper trucks with his own money, skipping nights out with the family to answer the phone in case there was a fire, and missing work and holiday get-togethers to help neighbors whose homes were ablaze.

Now, five decades after he and other community members organized the town’s volunteer fire department, Chief Bohac is retiring.

The community — indeed, people from all over Bee County — thanked Chief Bohac last week for his time and devotion with a retirement party.

The festive occasion was held at the Bee County Courthouse.

Bohac’s fellow firefighters, as well as firefighters from Beeville and other surrounding communities, attended the joyous ceremony organized by Precinct 4 County Commissioner Ronnie Olivarez, who is also a member of the Skidmore VFD.

County Clerk Mirella Escamilla Davis helped plan the party.

“We owe Chief Bohac a debt of gratitude for dedicating himself to the community of Skidmore for 50 years,” Olivarez said. “It’s people like Chief Bohac, who serve their communities voluntarily and give of their time and money unselfishly, that make Bee County a great place to live.”

Olivarez presented Bohac with a plaque in honor of his five decades of service.

Bohac — pronounced Bohosh — turned 81 on Dec. 5, and the last of the 25 original charter members still serving.

Commissioners proclaimed by written decree Saturday, Dec. 5, 2009, as Chief Allen and Nell Bohac Day in Bee County.

“Your dedicated interest and devotion to duty has undoubtably been augmented by the uncompromising support of your loving wife, Nell Bohac, who herself founded the Skidmore Fire Department Women’s Auxiliary and, alongside Chief Bohac, devoted much of her time to the service of the Skidmore community,” the proclamation says.

Bohac accepted the plaque and framed proclamation humbly, and thanked those who took time out of their busy lives to recognize him.

“I’d do it all over again,” he said.

Bohac and other community members established the fire department in 1959 with 25 volunteer firefighters.

“Allen knew this was something the community needed,” said Skidmore firefighter Paul Abel. “You see, this town had already had several fires and the waiting time for the Beeville (fire) department to get (to Skidmore) was just too long. He knew that if the trucks and people were closer that there would be a better chance to save lives and homes.”

The first station was located on Sullivan Street and they refitted an old ton-and-a-half Ford aircraft fuel truck into a fire truck.

Before the advent of pagers, the rural fire department was forced to rely on a siren to summon firefighters. A telephone line was run from the siren to a 24-hour cafe in town. Townsfolk knew to call the cafe to report a fire. However, when the cafe changed hands, the fire department was forced to find another method of summoning firefighters.

“So more wire was run to Allen’s house and to Ed Brundrett’s house,” Abel explained. “Allen and Ed would take turns staying at home to take calls for the fires. They took time out of their lives to make sure that people could always reach the fire department when they needed help.”

The department didn’t have much funding at first, and Bohac helped organize fund-raisers to help pay for fuel, fire hoses and other equipment needs.

Skidmore residents Joe and John Cramer recall times when Bohac “would come in and give money out of his own pocket to put fuel in the trucks so that they could roll out, if needed.”

Realizing that spaghetti supper fundraisers and car washes would never provide enough funds for the small department’s needs, Bohac and others convinced voters in the mid-1970s of the need to create emergency service districts in Bee County. The South Bee County Emergency Service District was approved by voters and once in place was able to levy a tax rate of up to 3 cents per $100 of property value to help fund the department.

Thanks to Bohac’s foresight and hard work, the emergency service districts provided a steady source of funding for volunteer fire departments across Bee County, Abel said.

“These upgrades not only served the community better but kept the firemen safer,” Abel assured those attending the reception.

Under Bohac’s leadership, the all-volunteer department eventually moved into a new, spacious building at 423 E. Refugio St. on July 1, 1991.

The building was named the Allen L. Bohac Fire Department in honor of the chief’s tireless service to the department and the community.

One of Bohac’s proudest moments came on his 81st birthday.

“After 50 years of working on hand-me-down trucks or old worn-out trucks other fire departments had retired, or building trucks out of fuel tankers, Chief Bohac took delivery of a brand-new 2009 Pierce fire engine,” Abel said.

Abel, his voice choking with emotion, thanked Bohac for his five decades of service.

“Spending time away from their family to go at a moment’s notice to fight a fire or help someone who was ill, spending hours on end working on trucks so that they can roll out to the next fire or wreck and save someone’s home or life; never knowing when that next call will come in but always going when it does, making sacrifices to serve others in times of need — that’s service any way you look at it,” Abel declared.