Firefighter has ‘dream job’ with Fallowfield VFC

Chris Ceccarelli recently started as the company’s new full-time daylight firefighter and EMT.

Chris Ceccarelli landed his dream job — and Fallowfield Township supervisors are eager to meet him.

He is now the Fallowfield Volunteer Fire Company’s new full-time daylight firefighter and EMT.

During a meeting this week, Chairman Bruce Smith reminded residents that the Fallowfield VFC’s first-ever, full-time paid firefighter, Noah Quattro, accepted a full-time position as a firefighter in Morgantown, W.Va. In June, supervisors learned Quattro would be leaving the township to pursue a new opportunity. While they were sad to see him go, they agreed it was a job they wanted to keep around.

In the summer of 2023, a first-ofits- kind job at the fire company was filled.

Talks surrounding the new position began in 2022 when supervisors Earl Sadler, Joe Sopchak and Smith unanimously agreed to spend about $14,000 to support a trial program.

In December 2022, supervisors saw the value in the position and unanimously agreed to incorporate it into their 2023 budget with no tax increase needed to keep the position in place.

Expenses for the position are being covered by Washington County Local Share Account funds.

While it is paid for by the township, the role is overseen by the fire company, including the hiring process.

Quattro started with the Morgantown Fire Department earlier this month, leaving a void in what has become a crucial role for the community.

The fire company currently operates with about 25 active volunteers and is run by Chief Anthony Fleming, who said he wanted to make sure the VFC did its due diligence when it came to filling the role.

About a dozen people were interested, from as far away as Nor- malville, Pa., and candidates were narrowed down to six.

When Ceccarelli was chosen for the job, he called it a dream come true.

With 27 years of service as a firefighter and EMT, he said he was born for the job.

A resident of North Belle Vernon, where he lives with his wife, Kelly, and son, Maddox, Ceccarelli has been involved in the fire service for almost three decades.

He has held numerous ranks in his tenure, including lieutenant, captain and assistant chief and brings a laundry list of certifications and other qualifications after decades of dedicating himself to a career he was passionate about.

He followed in the footsteps of his great-grandfather, grandfather and father who all proudly served at North Belle Vernon VFD.

“It’s been in my blood,” he said. “Since my great-grandfather before World War II.”

Like many young people, Ceccarelli was unsure of the path he wanted to take after high school.

He enrolled in WCCC to study fire administration but life got in the way. While he did not finish his degree, he became certified as an EMT.

Ceccarelli worked for many years with various ambulance services and with Washington County 911.

He ended up in Jefferson Hills as a part-time firefighter while maintaining his fulltime job, and a few years ago was called by Fleming to see if he could fill in shifts in the township.

“We have had part-time employees at the fire station intermittently for over 20 years and the program would always receive positive feedback from the community,” Fleming said. “Now, ever since the full-time program was adopted in 2022, the feedback from the township residents has been positively overwhelming, including several accolades to where the full-time employee has directly saved lives and property.”

When Fleming called to offer Ceccarelli the job, everything came full circle.

“On Aug. 19 I was blessed

to be offered what I call my ‘dream job’ as a full time firefighter,” he said. “After 27 years of testing and applying at numerous departments, I could have never been able to chase down my dreams without the support of my family, friends and instructors, especially Kelly and Maddox.”

He is eager to get to work, but also hopes to set an example.

“Never ever stop chasing your dreams,” he said.

It still hasn’t set in that he made his own dream come true.

“I’m still in shock to be honest,” he said. “Being able to use all of the knowledge that I have learned over the years to help the residents of Fallowfield Township is special for me.”

While he has only been on the job for two weeks, Ceccarelli fits right in.

“They have a great group of people over there,” he said. “I know it’s only been a few weeks, but they have already made it feel like home for me.”

The chief is happy to have him on board.

“We have zero complaints,” Fleming said. “His years of experience, willingness to work with others and to provide care for our community in the way that we need were the big deciding factors.”

Thankfully, there have not been major incidents since Ceccarelli started, but he is ready to go the next time an emergency pops up.

For supervisors and the community, it’s reassuring.

Smith said having someone in the role at the department has saved lives and has proven to be well worth the investment.

When Ceccarelli isn’t in the station, through a volunteer shift program also started in 2023, volunteer firefighters can be given a stipend for scheduled hours they spend there.

That program, well received by firefighters, community members and supervisors, has also proven to be worth the investment.

Last Friday, after Ceccarelli left for the day, a call came in for a structure fire in Rogers Manor.

Because of the volunteer shift program, firefighters were in the station when the call came in. They arrived on scene in less than four minutes.

“I am not sure that any or most of you realize there was a pretty serious structure fire in Rogers Manor last week, there was serious damage to the house, but thankfully everyone was OK,” Smith said. “We had two people through this program in the station, who responded within four minutes which is really incredible. Because of that, the house can be saved. It can be rebuilt. That alone should show anyone who is a naysayer about either of these programs that this for us is a no-brainer.”

Ceccarelli works at the fire station from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mondays through Fridays.

In addition to being a fourth generation firefighter, his mother, sister, nephew and brother-in-law are also in the fire service, but it’s not about legacy for him.

That doesn’t mean he isn’t willing to be part of a fifth-generation fire family.

He hopes next summer his son might choose to get involved too.

“I come from a long line of firefighters,” he said. “I don’t know if it’s about the legacy for me, it was just a natural fit.

“In high school you kind of lose sight of different things because it gets busy, but he is 16 years old now and trying to figure out that next step.”

Ceccarelli hopes to get Maddox involved in the VFC’s junior firefighter program.

“He has the same mentality as I did at that age, and they have a great program here, so I am hoping maybe we can bring him over next summer to get his feet wet and see if this is something he might want to do,” Ceccarelli said. “It was a dream for me. This was my dream. That’s all you ever want for your kid, to live out whatever dream they have and do what they want to do. I’m lucky because I can say I am.”