Westfield fireman Curt Gezotis (photo courtesy of the Gezotis family).
WESTFIELD—The city recognized one of its longest-serving firefighters this week, as firefighter-EMT Curt Gezotis retired Friday.
Gezotis retires wearing badge #2 after nearly 33 years in the department, which included eight years working on the department’s ambulance as an EMT. During that time, he has seen many sights, some good and some sad, and has even seen one of his three sons help to battle a fire as part of the same department.
“It was certainly a pleasure to serve the city, especially to make it nearly 33 years relatively unscathed,” Gezotis said the morning following a 24-hour shift. “I was very fortunate, in my opinion, to live the American dream.”
According to Gezotis, his desire to become a firefighter first came when he was a child.
Westfield firefighter Curt Gezotis (left) retiring after 33 years of service to the city of Westfield stands with his son, Nicholas, who became a Westfield firefighter in 2016 (photo courtesy of the Gezotis family).
“My uncle was a firefighter and we used to go down to the firehouse and visit him,” he said. “as a kid I’m jumping on the trucks, seeing what the firefighters do.”
But before he became a firefighter, he first chased a dream of playing baseball. Gezotis said that he was chosen by American International College (AIC) to attend and play college baseball there, and began in the field of criminal justice because there was no study of fire sciences there at the time.
However, after a while he said he realized he “wasn’t going anywhere” at AIC, and decided to transfer back to his hometown’s college, then-Westfield State College (WSC).
While at WSC, he scored a 99 out of 100 on the civil service examination, which is a state-wide test that prospective firefighters, police and other civil servants must take in order to begin careers in their desired jobs. He was hired during his senior year at WSC and began working full-time while finishing his degree in criminal justice.
Westfield firefighter Curt Gezotis (photo courtesy of the Gezotis family).
He began on the ambulance, working as an EMT and participating in a number of harrowing situations, several of which Gezotis received commendations for his efforts. In 1987, he rescued a girl from drowning under the Tin Bridge and she survived.
Then in the mid-1990s, Gezotis said he was seen by the media pulling a man out from one of the Hampton Ponds after the man fell through the ice, who also survived.
“Most of our work is done before press gets there, but this one was on the news,” he said.
However, Gezotis said that there were the bad calls, as well. He said the incident that stuck with him most was during his first week on the job. He had responded to a call for a child not breathing. Gezotis said he was one of the first on scene, and he took the baby and attempted to revive it while in the back of a police vehicle with an officer driving to the hospital.
The child didn’t make it.
He could recall the smell of the baby, the situation. It lingered.
“I smelled that—the scent—for three weeks,” Gezotis said.
He said that these types of calls he and others avoid talking about, though.
“We don’t like to talk about the bad stuff because it’s just not good for anybody to listen to our devastating calls,” he said.
Gezotis continued on through his career, eventually leaving the ambulance and serving as a firefighter for the city. Still, he maintained his skills as an EMT, which is standard for the department. He said that firefighters tend to assist on many medical calls in the city, and that those calls make up over 70 percent of the volume the department sees.
However, as their job implies, they also fight fires. Gezotis said that the adrenaline during fighting a fire is unique and the danger is real, but the training that each person goes through gives him and others confidence that they will make it home at the end of their shift.
“If you train properly and you train well—which you do most of the day—then you’re ready for it,” he said.
This mindset even helped Gezotis during the most recent fire he helped fight, which occurred last week on Mechanic Street. During that fire his son, Nicholas Gezotis, was also working with him, and his son went into the home.
Westfield firefighter Curt Gezotis (left) stands with his son, Nicholas, at the first and last fire they fought together on April 21, 2017 (photo courtesy of the Gezotis family).
“On that particular day, I was driving the truck and my son was the one running in,” the elder Gezotis said. “To see the name on the back of the jacket was a little worrisome.”
However, he said that he had faith and confidence in the training and in his coworkers to help make sure his son will do well.
“I think in the city of Westfield, because of our extensive training program, it gives me confidence he will do fine,” he said. “He has the instincts to be a firefighter.”
According to Westfield Mayor Brian Sullivan, the city will miss Gezotis’s services, and Sullivan said that if he ever had an emergency, he would like to see Gezotis there.
“Personally, I know if I was in a critical situation he would be one of the responders I would like to see arriving,” Sullivan said. “I wish him the best of luck in his retirement and know he won’t be going too far away as he teaches his son to be the next generation of great Westfield first responders.”
In addition to Nicholas, Curt has two other sons: Christian, a registered nurse at Mercy Medical Center, and Shaun, a senior at St. Mary’s High School.
Also in the family is Christina, Curt’s “childhood sweetheart” and wife he said, and the person that may benefit most from his retirement.
“As a firefighter, because of our schedule, we have to work a lot of nights, weekends and holidays,” he said. “Now that I’m retired I can spend time with my beautiful wife and give her the attention she deserves.”
