Aspinwall man dedicated volunteer firefighter for SAVES

Jake Poznik of Aspinwall was born in Poland, adopted by an Aspinwall family and brought to America as a baby.

He doesn’t remember coming to America but recalled a happy and fun childhood filled with bike rides all around the borough.

Since then, Poznik, 30, has explored every inch of the historic borough he has called home for his entire life.

“I’m homegrown,” said Poznik as he recalled his favorite bike stop in the borough, the now closed J&W Variety Store on Brilliant Avenue.

“I would get fireworks, drinks, candy and there was a flower shop and post office built into the building,” Poznik recalled.

Poznik graduated from Fox Chapel Area High School in 2013.

He became a volunteer firefighter for the former Aspinwall Fire Department, now Southern Allegheny Valley Emergency Services (SAVES), when he was 16.

“A family friend was involved and encouraged me to check it out. I grew up with him running to calls and I thought it was a good thing and cool,” Poznik said.

Courtesy of Jake Poznik

Jake Poznik, 30, of Aspinwall has been a volunteer firefighter since he was 16.

A fake snake winds around Poznik’s fire gear inside the firehouse. His nickname is Jake the Snake.

“But I actually hate snakes,” Poznik said.

Poznik works full-time for Aspinwall Borough and works with a team of three other employees to maintain the borough.

Aspinwall Borough manager, secretary and treasurer Melissa Lang O’Malley praised Poznik’s work ethic.

“He’s a delight to work with. He’s reliable, hard-working and always down for a laugh. I appreciate all he does for the borough and the fire department,” she said.

He’s the son of Dana and Joe Poznik and big brother to Patrick Poznik.

The brothers volunteer together at SAVES. Patrick Poznik was adopted from Warsaw. When Jake was 5, he traveled with his parents for Patrick’s adoption.

“Helping someone on their worst day is the reward of volunteering as a firefighter,” Poznik said. “If someone’s having a bad day, then we show up and try to help solve it.”

Fire calls come through via an Active 911 app alert on Poznik’s phone.

He said most of the time, the calls wake him during the middle of the night.

Many fires happen while folks are asleep, like the fire he responded to caused by an overloaded wood-burning stove in a garage.

“I feel like a lot of fires can be prevented. Like someone had a candle burning unattended and it burned all the way down and caught the house on fire,” Poznik said.

Courtesy of Jake Poznik

Volunteer fire fighter Jake Poznik of Aspinwall on scene at a fire in Penn Hills.

His most recent fire call took him to Millvale, where a woman cleaning her home got careless with something, possibly a cigarette.

“The front of the yard caught on fire and then the house caught on fire,” he said. “People run up devastated (during fires) and you have to do something to distract your mind after the fire,” he said. “You never get used to the devastation but you do get more accustomed to it.”

Riding bikes is Poznik’s favorite stress-buster to cope with the demands of firefighting. That, and eating chicken wings.

Last year he logged more than 1,000 bike miles and enjoys the Butler Freeport Trail and other Pittsburgh area trails including one in McKeesport.

SAVES has about 60 volunteers.

“My girlfriend and I walk around town and she sees how I know everyone. She’s amazed by that,” he said. ”I’m very determined to take care of this town.”