PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Longtime Fire Chief Robert Czerwinski died Tuesday morning after losing his battle with cancer.

 

Czerwinski was a firefighter in Pittsfield for 32 years, his last nine as chief. He most recently had stepped in as interim chief for the Dalton Fire Department.

 

Several fire departments that had worked with Czerwinski announced his passing on Facebook to acknowledge his impact on their communities and to give condolences to his family. 

 

"Those that are familiar with Chief Czerwinski know just how integral he was not only to the City of Pittsfield Fire Department but also to surrounding communities," the Pittsfield firefighters union wrote on its page. 

 

Czerwinski started his career in New York's Hudson Valley when he wanted to find a way to help his community and was encouraged by volunteer firefighters in his neighborhood.

 

He volunteered for 10 years before the medical supply company he was working for offered him a management position in Pittsfield in 1983.

 

Czerwinski wanted to stay involved in firefighting in some way, so he took the Civil Service exam and was hired as a firefighter in the Longmeadow Fire Department. The commute to Longmeadow from Pittsfield weighed on him until he got a call from the Pittsfield department regarding a paid position. 

 

He had the title of private then, and the future chief opted to sign onto Pittsfield. It was a bigger department and it had more career opportunities. He was hired on May 17, 1987.

 

Czerwinski retired in 2019, after 32 years with the city's department and 45 years in the field overall. He was promoted to deputy chief in 2003 and when Fire Chief James C. Sullivan Jr. retired, he took over as chief on Jan. 17, 2010.

 

"When you're a little boy or little girl, everybody says, 'I want to be a fireman. I want to be a fireman' and I finally got to live out that dream. It's been great," he said during an interview with iBerkshires in 2023. 

 

"I recommend it for people if they really want to make a difference in the world that this is where you can do it . Is get into public safety whether it's the police, emergency, medical, fire department or combination thereof, you can make a difference in the world. You really can."

 

It is clear based on several Facebook posts honoring him that Czerwinski made a substantial difference on several communities and the people he worked with. 

 

After retirement, he continued to work as an interim fire chief for several fire departments in need of guidance or someone to fill the role, including a stint in Dalton in 2023 and Granby in 2020.  

 

"He was an amazing man who will be greatly missed," wrote the Dalton Fire Department.

 

During his career and after, he took on several roles, including in hazardous materials and planning for large-scale disasters.

 

He chaired the Central Berkshire Regional Emergency Planning Committee, was appointed to the statewide emergency response committee, and was on the hazmat advisory board for the Department of Fire Services.

 

During his tenure, he wished there was a greater focus on fire prevention in the city. 

 

He said some of the fatal fires he responded to did not have any signs of functioning smoke alarms. He advocated for families to ensure smoke detectors are working, to have an escape plan, and to get out of the house immediately in the event of a fire.