Today we’d like to introduce you to Ricardo Centeno
Hi Ricardo, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Ricardo Centeno is a Fire Chief of the 10th Battalion with the Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Department. He began his career over 26 years ago as a childhood dream of becoming a Fire Fighter. He is the first Mexican-American Captain as well as the first Chief Fire Officer in the history of the Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Department. The Chief holds an Associates degree in Emergency Medical Services with Miami-Dade College and a Bachelor’s degree with St. Thomas University. Chief Centeno is certified with the State of Florida as a Fire Instructor III and also as Fire Officer II. He is a certified Paramedic and also a member of the Miami-Dade Fire Rescue’s Dive Rescue Team.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Struggles, full of them.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am founder of Raza Mentors, a 501(c)3 based in the deep south dade county area. The organization was formally organized after more than 2 decades of successfully mentoring fellow Latinos in the community. The basis was a network of professionals built over the same time period.
The mission of the organization is to serve as a resource to assist underprivileged minorities by providing a network of established professionals to provide guidance and encouragement toward a productive future.
What matters most to you? Why?
Furthering our culture matters to me. I am a child of migrant farm workers. Agriculture work was a never ending cycle. It ended with me and I strive to have other children break that cycle as well through the work of our non-profit.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://razamentors.org/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/raza_mentors/
