Leechburg Volunteer Fire Department names first fireman of the year

Jesse Sterlitz knew he was going to be a firefighter from a young age.

With his uncle, Clay Sorisio, being being a member of the Leechburg Volunteer Fire Department for 30 years, Sterlitz naturally had his personal life intertwined with department life.

As a boy, he chose to spend his Halloween nights riding in the fire truck during patrols.

“Why go trick-or-treating when I could ride in the truck with the lights and sirens?” Sterlitz reasoned.

He said he felt like grew up with about 20 grandfathers.

“They weren’t afraid to let you know if you were doing something wrong, but they’d always teach you from (the mistake),” Sterlitz said.

Sterlitz became a junior member at 14. At 18, he was sworn in as a full member and has been “running into burning buildings with a smile” for the past 10 years. From 2020 to 2021, he served as captain and was promoted to second assistant chief in 2022, a position his uncle also held.

Being a volunteer firefighter can be a thankless job, Sterlitz said, but his services did not go unrecognized by his peers. At the department’s annual Christmas party, Sterlitz was named Leechburg Volunteer Fire Department’s first ever firefighter of the year.

“It was a good feeling to know they have the trust in me and the faith in me,” Sterlitz said. “It’s even more rewarding knowing that you’re doing better for the community.”

Fire Chief John Foster, 47, decided to start a new tradition to remind the department’s volunteers how much he appreciates their time and work.

“I hope they know in the back of their minds that I appreciate them, and I wanted to verbalize it,” Foster said. “I can’t do what I do without every one of them.”

Foster said he hopes to continue the tradition for years to come. In his over 30 years of experience in fire departments, Foster said he’s seen other departments give out the award.

Foster hopes the award will help boost volunteer retention and cultivate an environment where members feel seen and valued.

He said members can nominate people throughout the year. The winner, who Foster will select, will have their name added to a plaque hanging in the fire station, receive a personal plaque to take home, and get dinner on the department.

Sterlitz received a $100 gift card to National Public House in Leechburg.

“Jessie has really, really stepped up to the plate,” Foster said. “He’s the kind of person that if I call him, he’ll be there in a moment’s notice.”

DJ Zelczak, fire company president and a borough councilman, said he wasn’t surprised when Foster told him about the award.

“(Foster) is very appreciative, and I thought this was an outstanding idea,” he said.

Both Zelczak and Foster have known Sterlitz since he was a child.

“I watched him grow into this incredible firefighter, then to one of the best firefighters I know, then to a really good leader,” Zelczak said. “He really deserves it. He’s the kind of guy that makes you proud. Jesse is professional and incredibly knowledgeable — an outstanding firefighter.”

Throughout his time with the department, Sterlitz has taken over the department’s fire prevention program. Tasks include teaching children fire safety. He said he can’t walk through town without getting recognized as “Jesse the firefighter.” His dog, Spartan, has also become a bit of a local celebrity after being deemed the town’s honorary firehouse dog.

He’s been trained in water rescue and has worked with other departments over the years with calls. He recalled when 100 volunteers came together in search of a missing boy in 2021.

“It happened on a Friday afternoon,” Sterlitz said. “Within an hour about 100 people were either there or on their way. It was a very moving moment to see the resources that came. …Even more came out the second day.”

Sterlitz has also had a hand in recruiting new volunteers when his wife, Shay, decided to join in 2020 after the couple married in 2019.

Sterlitz said it took some convincing for Shay to support his dedication to running into burning buildings. She ended up joining as a social and administrative volunteer so the two could spend more time together.

Despite the joy he’s experienced in the department, Sterlitz recognizes the challenges of being a part of a small volunteer company in need of more volunteers.

“One of the easiest parts is going and fighting the fire,” he said. “The hard part is the burnout and the wear-and-tear.

“It’s hard to get people to volunteer. Being a younger generation growing up in the fire department with the older generation, those guys are older and I hate to say it, but they’re dying. Losing those relationships is one of the hardest parts.”

One of the biggest lessons he’s learned being a member of the company is to listen to stories, and get to know others on an individual level.

“You think they’re going to be around forever because they’ve been in your life for the past almost 30 years,” Sterlitz said. “I go out of my way to listen to the older guys because there’s going to be a day you wish you could speak to them one more time.”