City of Miami Firefighter died August 11, 2008. Ozzie was 49 years old. For 9 months he battled an aggressive cancer with the same dignity, courage, and faith that characterized him throughout his life.
Ozzie was a 25 year veteran of the City of Miami Fire Department, recipient of the Hardwick Award for graduating number one in his class. He worked at Station 9 in Lemon City throughout his entire career. He was part of the Dive Team specializing in underwater rescue and recovery and also volunteered to fight all the major forest fires throughout the state.
On 9-11 he volunteered to go to New York where he spent 2 weeks helping with the New York Department of Fire. For many years he was a member of the elite Honor Guard of the City of Miami, having travelled far to attend funerals of firefighters. But he always said that there was no training to prepare him and his Miami fellow firefighters for what they saw in those 2 weeks in
September.
Ozzie also was awarded a Departamental Commendation for his extended tour of duty in Bonita Springs and neighboring communities during the Hurricane Charley relief efforts.
Ozzie's other passion was horses. He was an expert rider and camper. The sight of Ozzie on his American Quarter Horse golden palomino, "Yellow", was a common fixture at all the major trail rides and cattle drives throughout the State of Florida and the S.E. states.
Ozzie was a member of the South Florida Trail Riders (Dade) and hosted several rides from his farm along with his brother. He was also a former director of the Florida Cracker Association, and for 10 years he rode the 100 mile Cracker Trail every year. He was also a regular rider at the yearly Osceola Ride and Wagon Train, as well as the yearly Seminole Cattle Drive. However, his favorite rides were those back woods camping trips with only his wife, children, and his dogs Dixie and Two Socks.
Please donate to the Ozzie Alvarez Memorial Fund to build a pavilion in his name at Picayune State Forest at the Belle Mead Trailhead.