When Stefan Kuenzli was a young boy, he said he wanted to be a firefighter. Although Stefan took a few career turns before joining Manheim Township Fire Rescue (MTFR) as an employee in 2019, he has been a volunteer with Garden Spot Fire Rescue (GSFR) since the age of 14, and he serves GSFR as deputy fire chief today.

Stefan now works full-time for MTFR and volunteers up to 12 hours a week at GSFR, an effort he claims is not unusual among MTFR's paid firefighters. "Almost all the full-time people at Township also volunteer in their home communities," he said.

Firefighting is a tradition in Stefan's family. His father, Ernie Kuenzli, who passed away in 2019, was a lifetime member at GSFR, joining in 1975. His uncle, Randy Kuenzli, recently stepped down from the chief's position at a volunteer station in Maryland, having previously served as chief of the Southern Manheim Township Company on Fruitville Pike and captain at the Eden Fire Company, where Stefan is now stationed. Stefan's 14-year-old son, Trevor, became a junior firefighter with GSFR in October of 2021.

Stefan received his firefighter one certification in 2007, firefighter two in 2008, and his Emergency Medical Technician certification in 2009. Stefan graduated from Garden Spot High School in 2004. Before graduating, Stefan attended Lancaster County Career and Technology Center to study residential carpentry, and he worked briefly for a framer before spending 15 years at 10-8 Emergency Vehicle Service in New Holland. Stefan said that both working on fire trucks and learning about building construction have been valuable in firefighting. "It's a good base knowledge to have," he said.

Stefan said that the art of firefighting and rescue has changed significantly since he joined. "It was a different ballgame when I joined 21 years ago than it is now," he said, noting that training requirements have increased and that vehicle rescue has changed dramatically. "Vehicles are always changing," he said. "Compare a new vehicle to one from 20 years ago when we have to cut it apart. It's a lot more involved and technical than it used to be."

Construction has changed as well, and that affects how building fires are fought. "We don't deal with standard dimensional lumber," said Stefan. "They are making engineered glued-together joists and stairways that burn away a lot faster, so you have only a third or a quarter of the time to get out of the house." He noted that there are special dangers for firefighters in the smoke and chemicals they deal with in a building fire.

Stefan compared firefighting to playing football. "It's a team sport with individual assignments," he said. "Everybody on the offense has the same goal, but the wide receiver's job is very different from the lineman's job. If everybody does their job right, things go smoothly."

Readers who would like to learn more about GSFR may visit http://www.gsfr39.net, call 717-354-8311, or email chief@gsfr39.net.