Aug 19, 2016 3 min read

For 43 years, Paul Pivac woke from many nights of deep, comforting sleep to the resonating sound of his pager.

The assistant fire chief with Cecil Township Volunteer Fire Company No. 3 not only still welcomes the alarming melody at 63 years old, he embraces it.

“As soon as the pager goes off, the adrenaline hits,” he said.

In a matter of minutes, Pivac goes from cozy sheets to harsh flames, something his father – also named Paul – did for nearly six decades in both Muse and Cecil.

While Pivac faced many obstacles during his firefighting career, including falling off a roof and dropping helplessly through a collapsing floor, they have only kept the spark alive.

Pivac’s continued dedication to both his department and community was honored when he received the American Legion State Firefighter of the Year award earlier this year.

“Even though this in an individual award, without the backing and support of my family and firefighters – both in this department and in the surrounding area – it wouldn’t be nearly as meaningful,” Pivac said.

The award, which began at the local level with American Legion Post 793 in Cecil and went to the commonwealth for final voting, recognized Pivac for his work with the fire department, a passion that had to remain primarily dormant for two years because of a heart condition.

It also forced him to retire from his job of nearly 20 years at a concrete business in Bridgeville.

The fuel to Pivac’s fire – now accompanied by a pacemaker – is continuing a generational tradition that runs in his family to protect and serve the community.

“It’s in your blood,” he said. “It’s not just me; it’s our entire fire department. There are a lot of guys here that put in a lot of time.”

Now, four years after retirement, Pivac continues to put time into the department. He also is a volunteer for the National Cemetery of the Alleghenies and helps with a 4-H group through the winter and spring months.

Past the point of climbing ladders and dragging hoses, he now focuses on being one of the commanders and arriving at fires quickly.

And, like his father did for so many years before his death in September 2011, Pivac chooses to now be tasked with a personal responsibility to the younger members of the department.

“I don’t know who said it, but one of the goals of an older firefighter is to teacher younger firefighters how to become older firefighters,” he said with a chuckle.

To further support that commitment to others, the Muse Fire Department will hold a Battle of the Barrel Tournament at 10 a.m. today to raise money toward a scholarship fund for a local senior going into an emergency service field.

It’s a scholarship started by Pivac to honor the person who taught him the meaning of being a firefighter: his father.