Faces of the Valley: Arnold firefighter returns to city, assumes leadership of Engine Company No. 2

Eric Gartley’s journey into the volunteer fire service started on his back porch in Arnold about 24 years ago.

There, with his then-infant son, Gartley watched as volunteer firefighters from Arnold Volunteer Engine Company No. 2 responded to a stove fire at a house off Woodmont Avenue. He decided he wanted to do that and got an application.

“They were helping somebody because they needed it,” he said. “I wanted to be part of that.”

Today, Gartley, 49, is the chief of Arnold No. 2, where his son, Luke, 24, also is a firefighter.

Gartley is the 13th person to be the chief of Arnold No. 2 in its nearly 100-year history. Founded in 1924, the department will host the Western Pennsylvania Firemen’s Association convention in 2023 before celebrating its centennial in 2024.

“I have big boots to fill,” he said. “I want to be able to progress things while at the same time keep what they’ve worked so hard to build.”

Gartley became chief in June, after the sudden death of Keith Dziobak in March. Dziobak, 57, had been with the department since he was 17 and served as chief for 12 years over two separate terms. He most recently had been chief since 2018.

“We were a little lost at the time,” Gartley said. “It completely blindsided us and the entire community.”

Willie Weber, a former chief of Arnold No. 2 and former Arnold police chief, stepped into the fire chief’s position again after the death of Dziobak, his brother-in-law, and before Gartley took over.

Weber had been chief when Gartley first joined the department.

“I’ve known Eric a pretty good piece of time,” Weber said. “He’s very qualified for the job.”

Amy Dziobak, Keith Dziobak’s widow and Weber’s sister, said she doesn’t know Gartley too well.

“When Willie gives a nod to someone, he’s obviously a good choice,” she said. “I think he’s going to do a great job. I’m sure they’re in good hands.”

A native of Pittsburgh’s Sheraden neighborhood, Gartley had been an auto mechanic for almost two decades when he decided to do more as a firefighter.

“I saw what old mechanics looked like,” he said. “I didn’t want to be one.”

After leaving the auto field, Gartley worked first in fire protection for First Energy at the Beaver Valley Power Station in Shippingport for more than five years. He has been a safety officer at Allegheny General Hospital for four years.

After first joining Arnold No. 2, Gartley was there for only a few years before moving to Stowe to be closer to family. He was there for more than seven years before moving to Crafton for his son’s education, staying there for more than 10 years.

Gartley volunteered as a firefighter in both communities. It was in Crafton where the most memorable moment of his service happened.

During a Fourth of July celebration in a community park, Gartley, also an emergency medical technician for about nine years, investigated a commotion from a playground and found an 11-year-old girl in cardiac arrest. Along with another firefighter and two police officers, they brought her back.

“The amazing feeling of that was several weeks later she walked into the fire hall and handed me a thank-you card,” he said. “I can’t explain the feeling.”

After his son graduated, Gartley moved back to the Alle-Kiski Valley in 2018 and now makes his home in New Kensington with Kris, his wife of 12 years.

“I wanted to be back in Arnold where it all started,” he said.

Weber said he was humbled when Gartley came back to Arnold No. 2 upon returning to the area.

“He could’ve went to seven different companies that would have took him,” Weber said. “He came back to Arnold No. 2 where he started his journey with the volunteer fire service. That tells you something about him and what his experience was in the company before he left.”

Gartley returned to Arnold a better firefighter than when he left. Upon going to Crafton in 2010, he became more passionate about becoming better trained.

“I thought I knew a lot, but I really didn’t,” he said. “I realized I wanted to get better at it.”

His education has included a degree in fire science from Community College of Allegheny County and another in fire administration from Columbia Southern University, where he is working on a master’s in emergency management.

Gartley contributed to a National Fire Protection Association textbook on engine company operations.

He has collected various certifications and is a licensed fire inspector and instructor. He teaches hazardous materials classes and is a technician on the Westmoreland County Hazardous Materials Response Team.

“He’s really made the fire service a huge part of his life,” Arnold firefighter Chris O’Leath said. “He embodies a lot of the traits of a leader that you would expect of a leader. He’s firm and fair. He’s extremely knowledgeable in the fire service. He’s not looking for glory as much as he is for service. Like any volunteer, he has a great pride in serving the community.”

Gartley said he pursued his education in part to prepare himself to someday be a fire chief.

“I wanted to be as prepared as possible,” he said.

Leading a roster of about 30 active firefighters and replacing the department’s nearly 30-year-old engine is a challenge Gartley faces along with the other financial and manpower issues.

The 1994 HME engine is one of the department’s three vehicles. It had cost $275,000; a replacement is expected to run $750,000.

“It’s seen its years, and it’s due for replacement,” Gartley said. “We take exceptional care of that truck. It has served the city very well, and it continues to perform. The cost of maintenance is creeping up.”

When not at his job or fighting fires, Gartley works on his vehicles and rides a motorcycle. He belongs to the Red Knights, an international motorcycle club of firefighters.

As a firefighter, Gartley said he hasn’t even reached the halfway mark yet.

“It’s still something I enjoy doing,” he said. “I enjoy using my skills and abilities to change an outcome.”