Crime & Safety

A 'Zinger' of A Firefighting Career [VIDEO]

At 40 years, Lt. Patrick 'Zinger' Gordiski is the longest serving Greenwich firefighter.

 

For 40 years Greenwich Fire Department Lt. Patrick Gordiski has answered the call of duty. So it didn't seem too unusual his four-man engine crew assigned to the Glenville station to pull up to Central Station Tuesday evening.

But the seemingly routine stop was anything but that.

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Unbeknownst to Gordiski, all paid firefighters on duty had gathered at the stationhouse to honor him and the 40th anniversary of the start of his firefighting carer in Greenwich. His family, First Selectman Peter Tesei who's also the town's fire commissioner, and some retired firefighters also attended the surprise cake-and-coffee on-duty fete that featured good-natured ribbing and an explanation of how Gordiski earned his nickname 'Zinger.'

Firefighter Ted Ruehl has worked with Gordiski for 12 of the 15 years he's been on the job. "In this job you get to know one another really well. With him you have a great sense of what one another is thinking and needs. We can be at a scene working an extrication, and I'll turn around and he has the piece of equipment I need right there," Ruehl said.

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He also described Gordiski as an "encyclopedia of knowledge" and said he was honored to work with him.

Deputy Fire Chief Thomas Zack praised Gordiski for his dedication, knowledge and professionalism to always be ready to pitch in and help fellow firefighters. "When we are going to a call, I'll radio Zinger ... he knows where all the water sources are in town, where all the pools are, and the ponds."

"He's a top notch person and firefighter," said firefighter Dan Natale. "He's the type of guy who's the first to work a holiday so one of the younger guys can be home with their wife and young children. All of the younger guys coming on should have his attitude."

Back in 1972 when Gordiski started on the job there wasn't the sophisticated 911 emergency telephone and dispatch system. Firefighters answered emergency telephone calls and dispatched themselves by use of a push button bell system. "The way he pushed the alarm ... it was zing. We'd get this zing ... one if it is was a house fire, three if it was a minor alarm like an accident," recalled retired Lt. Rick Engborg who attended the gathering.

"He seemed to make sure that no matter what time of day or night, we weren't going to be in the station, he just pushed the bell," Engborg told the gathering. "The name Zinger just stuck," Engborg said as firefighters awaited the arrival of Gordiski and his crew.

Gordiski said he always wanted to be a firefighter and at the age of 63, doesn't have any plans to retire. "It's just dedication to the job," he explained when asked about his tenure that officials described as one for the record books of department history.

His colleagues, including Assistant Fire Chief Robert Kick, joked that Gordiski is as fit and agile as his fellow firefighters half his age. "I just stay busy, I'm constantly doing something whether I'm here or I'm at home," said Gordiski who readily admitted he doesn't follow a workout routine or schedule.

Gordiski said he's always enjoyed the challenges of firefighting, so much so he's been a volunteer with the Port Chester Fire Department for 45 years.

Also attending were Gordiski's wife Ginny, the couple's son Matthew, who's also a Greenwich firefighter; his brother Frank and his wife Donna.

"This is something he's always wanted to do. I met him when I was 19 and he wanted to be a firefighter," said Ginny. The couple has been married 43 years and with the exception of the four-year stint he served in the U.S. Air Force from 1968 to 1972, they have lived in Greenwich.


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