New Kensington mourns death of firefighter Chris Ploski

New Kensington is mourning the loss of a respected volunteer firefighter.

Chris Ploski was one of the city fire department’s most active members, responding to 200 to 250 calls per year while also working his full-time job, fire Chief Ed Saliba Jr. said.

Ploski, who was diagnosed just over a year ago with stage 4 small cell lung cancer, died Monday at home. He was 60.

“The community lost a good person,” Saliba said. “He’s somebody that won’t be replaced.”

A New Kensington native — born on Christmas Eve in 1961 — Ploski was a 1980 Valley High graduate. He had worked as an ironworker and security guard.

Ploski was a member of the city’s No. 2 engine company in Parnassus. He joined the department in 2009 and had been an engineer and safety officer, Saliba said.

Ploski “took his job seriously and loved giving back to the community,” Saliba said.

When he was diagnosed with advanced lung cancer in late September 2021, it had spread to the pituitary gland in his brain.

Despite his job as a security guard, Ploski had no health insurance. The fire department and community rallied to support him and his wife, Emily.

Married for nearly 40 years, the couple have a son, CJ, who also is a New Kensington firefighter.

“He fought so hard,” Emily Ploski said. “When we first started this last year, they gave him three months. He lived a year and a month. He went through 25 rounds of radiation, he went through 20 rounds of chemo, he went through seven rounds of immunotherapy. There was no more left of him to keep fighting.”

Because of his illness and treatment, Saliba said Ploski wasn’t able to be as active in the fire department as he wanted to be. But two months ago, Emily Ploski said, her husband had a burst of energy and made six calls before his health began to fail.

“He was so happy. That was his world,” she said. “That was everything to him. He lived for that, just the feeling of helping. If he was taking care of somebody, that was him.”

New Kensington Mayor Tom Guzzo thanked Ploski for his service to the city and said he would be missed.

“Chris was a brave and dedicated firefighter for our city,” Guzzo said. “Chris was the kind of person who was always willing to help, and he never looked to be rewarded. Like so many of our firefighters, Chris performed these duties because of his calling and his sense of community. People like Chris are what define a community.”

Ploski was a member and past president of New Kensington Eagles Aerie 533.

In addition to his wife and son, Ploski is survived by two grandchildren, Teagan and Tatum; six siblings, Carol Logut, Joe Ploski, Ronald Ploski, Harry Ploski, Denise Grzybek and Debra Nealer; two brothers-in-law, Guy Tocco and John Illinsky; a sister-in-law, Terri Glock; and nieces, nephews and friends.

Services for Ploski were private in accordance with his wishes. Joseph J. Cardaro Funeral Home, New Kensington, handled arrangements.