Deputy public safety director retires, hangs up one of many hats
Courtesy of Washington County Department of Public Safety
Ron Sicchitano holds a plaque presented by the Washington County Commissioners recognizing his 25 years of service, upon his retirement as deputy director of the Washington County Department of Public Safety.
Ron Sicchitano holds a fire alarm box given to him by the staff at the Washington County Department of Public Safety as a retirement present after 25 years of service.
Ron Sicchitano has been answering emergency calls since high school.
Even though he’s retiring as Washington County Deputy Director of Public Safety, he’ll continue answering calls for public service under one of the many other hats he wears.
“It’s been an experience, without a doubt,” Sicchitano said in a recent interview.
Sicchitano, 55, of Bentleyville, served in the county position for 25 years. He started as the training coordinator for fire, police and EMS, and eventually became deputy director. Jeffrey Yates, the director for public safety, called Sicchitano a “tireless worker” with “invaluable expertise.”
“Ron kind of did it all,” Yates said. “He’s been very instrumental in a lot of the different programs we’ve had here. He’s literally trained thousands of people.”
Sicchitano is a state-certified instructor for emergency medical and hazardous materials training. He’s also an adjunct instructor for the state fire academy. He plans to continue teaching in those fields throughout his retirement. He’s worked with Noel (Mac) McMullen, a state-certified fire instructor in Washington County for years training firefighters.
“His knowledge, commitment and dedication has saved countless lives in our community,” McMullen said, wishing Sicchitano well in his retirement. “The Washington County Fire Training Academy is a better place today because of Ron’s hard work and focus on training.”
Washington Fire Chief Gerald Coleman has also worked with Sicchitano for decades. He said Sicchitano has always been there for his department, whether on a scene or teaching classes.
“I don’t think people understand what all Ron did,” Coleman said. “There’s big shoes to fill over there if and when they replace him. Above and beyond anything, he’s a good friend. I wish him the best of luck.”
Yates said the county does plan to fill Sicchitano’s position by the end of the year.
“There’s a lot of experience there that’s hard to work up to, but we have to move ahead,” Yates said.
North Strabane Township Fire Chief Mark Grimm said Sicchitano provided countless hours of training for his department.
“He’s been instrumental through the whole COVID-19 crisis, working with departments,” Grimm said.
Sicchitano said to “never say that you know it all,” because something new will come up – this year it was a global pandemic. Sicchitano said he helped the county develop response plans for COVID-19 by going over similar plans developed in the early 2000s during the H1N1 virus, or swine flu.
Another hat Sicchitano wears is white, as an assistant fire chief with the Bentleyville Volunteer Fire Department, where his career began. Ron’s father, Ron Sicchitano Sr., is Bentleyville’s current chief. Ron Jr. was one of their first junior firefighters.
“I’ve been there for 39 years now,” he said.
Now, his entire family volunteers there, including his wife, Gina, and their two sons, Dominic and Dante.
Ron met Gina in high school, around the same time he received his EMT certification in 1984. They were married in 1988, and he convinced her to become an EMT as well. They worked as EMTs together at Ambulance & Chair and went to paramedic school together, obtaining their license in 1993, Sicchitano said.
Both continue to work for Ambulance & Chair and are state-certified EMS instructors. Their sons also hold EMS certifications and work full time as North Strabane Township firefighters.
“They weren’t ever pushed that way, but they accepted the challenge to go do that,” Ron said. “I’ve been brought up around the fire service. Once it’s in your bloodstream, it’s there.”
Ron recalled some of the more memorable moments of his career, like working on the medical and disaster plans when the Coca-Cola Star Lake Amphitheater first opened in 1990.
He also remembers when one of his calls was later retold on “Rescue 911,” a docudrama series that aired in 1989. The call happened that summer, when a toddler fell into a feed bin in South Franklin Township. The child got stuck and buried in grain, which he then inhaled. Sicchitano and his partner suctioned the boy’s airways, which were packed with feed, impeding his breathing. The feed, which “has a lot of bacteria in it,” Sicchitano said, went into his lungs.
The grain had to be surgically removed from the boy’s lungs, but he survived. Sicchitano remembers returning to the farm to film the episode.
“To actually see the boy playing with his bike and riding around – that was probably one of the most rewarding things,” he said.
The EMS field has changed a lot since, Sicchitano said, and it will “continue to evolve,” especially after this past year.
“The N95 (face mask) is going to be a standard use every day for responders.”
Sicchitano plans to continue his involvement with the county’s SWAT team as a tactical medic, the Pennsylvania Urban Search & Rescue Team, and the Special Medical Response Team based in Indiana County. He also plans to remain as a volunteer with the county’s Hazardous Materials Team.
“I don’t know how much I’ll truly be retired,” Sicchitano said.
Ambulance & Chair Executive Director Larry Pollock is happy to have Sicchitano fill a new role at the nonprofit with a focus on education, training and special operations.
“I think he’s going to be missed in his current role, but one thing I know about Ron is he doesn’t stop,” Pollock said. “He’s the guy you go to when you don’t know where else to turn. He’s the most reliable person I know.”