Longtime Arnold firefighter, No. 2 Chief Keith Dziobak dies

The Alle-Kiski Valley firefighting community is mourning the death of longtime Arnold firefighter and officer Keith Dziobak.

Dziobak died Tuesday night. A cause of death was not immediately known. He was 57.

A firefighter with Arnold No. 2 since he was 17 years old in 1982, Dziobak was in his second stint as chief of the department, said Chris O’Leath, the department’s secretary, public information officer and a former chief.

Of his 39 years with the department, Dziobak was its chief for 12 years over those two tenures. A life member, Dziobak had also served as a lieutenant, assistant captain and assistant chief.

Dziobak was one of only 12 chiefs in the history of Arnold No. 2, leaving after his first time as chief when his job as an electrician and industrial crane installer took him to Ohio, O’Leath said. Dziobak took back the chief’s position from O’Leath in 2018.

“The majority of his time as an active member, he was an officer,” O’Leath said. “He was an amazing guy. He lived and breathed for the fire service.”

New Kensington fire Chief Ed Saliba said he has known Dziobak for as long as he’s been in the fire service himself, about 36 years.

Saliba called Dziobak a good friend, who he last saw on Sunday. He learned of his death with a phone call Wednesday morning.

“He’s a very good person to work with. They would do a lot of mutual aid with us and us with them,” Saliba said. “Keith was a very good leader. He had a good head on his shoulders. He always kept his composure. He always knew what to do. He was always safety oriented and wouldn’t put his guys where he wouldn’t go.”

Mark Marmo, chief of Lower Burrell Volunteer Fire Company No. 3, has known Dziobak for 38 years, which is as long as he has been a firefighter.

“I don’t know if he meant more to me as a friend or as one of the best firefighters I’ve ever been around or a combination of the two,” Marmo said. “There is only one Keith and that mold is now broken.”

Dziobak’s personality jibed well with the multitude of personalities he dealt with in the volunteer fire service, Marmo said.

“His ability to command his staff and neighboring communities was impeccable,” he said.

Remo Ficca, financial secretary of Lower Burrell No. 3, knew Dziobak for more than 25 years as a firefighter, then a friend.

“He was a consummate firefighter and a mentor to many firefighters,” Ficca said.

On the lighter side, Dziobak, Ficca and others enjoyed Friday nights sampling craft beer.

“Keith knew all of the craft breweries and also made craft beer himself,” Ficca said.

Arnold Mayor Joe Bia said he has known Dziobak about five years.

“He was a great guy, a great leader and a great fire chief at No. 2,” Bia said.

O’Leath said assistant chiefs William Weber, who is Dziobak’s brother-in-law and former Arnold police chief, and Ken VanTine are handling things at Arnold No. 2.

Dziobak and his wife, Amy Dziobak, have been married 20 years, O’Leath said. Amy Dziobak is the administrative assistant for the city.

Visitation will be from 2 to 4 p.m. and 6 to 9 p.m. Friday at Rusiewicz Funeral Home, 1400 Fifth Ave. in Arnold. Services are scheduled for 11 a.m. Saturday at the funeral home.

Staff writer Mary Ann Thomas contributed to this report.