Matt and Tom Kozeniewski attend Training Night at Center Square. (Photo by Scott Tiffany)
WHITPAINE — Volunteering at the Center Square Fire Department helps members achieve their career goals, no matter what profession they’re in. Brothers Tom and Matt Kozeniewski, 34 and 26, have been volunteering together at the Center Square Fire Department for the past 10 years, and the skills they’ve gained from volunteering are applicable to both Tom’s IT job and Matt’s teaching job.
Tom honed his management skills while serving in leadership positions at the Centre Square Fire Department, including President and Deputy Chief, and continued his career with RSM US LLP, a firm specializing in insurance, tax and consulting services.
“Over the past year, I’ve been promoted to a leadership role at work, where I manage the day-to-day operations of two teams,” says Tom, who works as an IT infrastructure leader. “I believe my leadership experience in the fire department directly influenced this promotion.”
Leadership, mentorship, teamwork and communication can be applied to almost any profession. Matt works as a social studies teacher in the Spring-Ford School District and believes his experience mentoring new firefighters will benefit him as a teacher working with teens. Additionally, teamwork makes firefighting and education easier and more effective.
“Being able to work together and communicate is a crucial part of any professional path in life,” Matt says. “Developing these teamwork skills through volunteer work has helped me to be successful as a teacher.”
Plus, volunteering together not only gives Tom and Matt more time to see each other, it also creates a bond that “goes beyond family,” Matt says. Because Tom and Matt are brothers, working together creates a special closeness and allows them to hone the skills they know the other excels at, whether on the field or in training.
“I work very closely with him so I know when I hand him over to answer the phones or handle various tasks around the station, there’s no hesitation on his part,” Tom said.
Tom has been interested in firefighting since he was young and joined the Centre Square Fire Department in 2009. After being persuaded to join by a few close friends, he hasn’t looked back since, developing into a leader and currently serving as Chief and Deputy Chief.
“The best part about volunteering is being able to give back to the community and provide a life safety service to the community where I live and work every day,” Tom said.
Matt now works as a firefighter and is running a public relations campaign to recruit more volunteers.
“Tom was a big influence on me getting involved, but I also think my interest in learning new skills was what prompted me to decide to get involved,” said Matt, who joined the Junior Firefighter program at age 16.
“Matt is one of the most sociable guys in our fire department,” Tom said, “Any time we’re out on the road or at an event, you can almost be sure that Matt knows someone or will strike up a conversation with the people there. This trait has really helped us as a fire department improve our community outreach with friendly faces and great personalities.”
Centre Square Fire Company is currently recruiting volunteer firefighters, junior firefighters, fire police and management members. No prior experience is necessary to join. Training and equipment will be provided. For more information about joining for lifelong friendships and a second family, visit www.CentreSquareFire.org.
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