Meet Chief Stefanowicz: Leading Southwick Fire Department with Dedication and Innovation

Shared from the Southwick FD Facebook Page

Meet Chief Stefanowicz. Chief has been with Southwick Fire for seven years. He came to SFD from the town of Granby MA fire department. He also had years of experience at both South Hadley District #2 and Longmeadow Fire Departments. Chief studied communication and media at Fitchburg State College, then shifted into a career in construction prior to entering the fire service. His experience with communications and construction serve him well in his role as Fire Chief, he has a wealth of knowledge to fall back on when it comes to radio systems and new station alerting technology.

Prior to becoming the Chief, he was the Deputy Chief and he will tell you, that was the hardest job he has ever had! When Chief Stefanowicz was in that role, he was pivotal in bringing the department up from a basic life support service to an advanced life support service. He spent countless hours working on the ambulance side by side with the new paramedics, getting them prepared to provide the town with the best emergency medical services possible. Chief recounts that in his years in the fire service, obtaining his paramedic certification still stands as one of his biggest career accomplishments. In his spare time, Chief gets to exercise his other passion, teaching. Chief is an instructor for the MA Fire Academy and has taught everything from call/vol recruit to Officer I and Officer II. He is an inspiring instructor and has a reputation for passing on his love and passion for the fire service.

When not at work or teaching, Chief enjoys time at home with this wife and dog Louie. He loves to travel to Quincy MA or out to Littleton CO to visit his daughters. He also loves classic cars and spends summer and fall days out and about in his classic Pontic Firebird.