Pat Gordiski Retires from the Fire Department After 50 Years of Service
By Michael Korvyakov
Few people can say that they’ve saved a life, and even fewer can say that they do it for a living. But Pat Gordiski, a Greenwich fireman, has made that his duty over the last 50 years of his career. On Saturday, July 30th, 2022, after decades of working at the Greenwich Fire Department, Gordiski retired at the age of 73.
Gordiski joined the Greenwich fire department after serving four years in the United States Air Force. What initially brought Gordiski into the fire service was his desire to help those around him. “I just love helping people,” he said. Those who worked with him certainly agreed. “He’s a great guy and he’s very passionate about the job,” said Scott Teulings, a fireman who has worked with Pat for three years.
When asked what he would miss the most, without hesitation he said, “the guys, they’re my family.” And it’s evident that he’s not eager to leave. Gordiski last’s day was spent working at the fire department. “He’s working until 8 am, so he could be responding to a call tonight,” joked Ryan Crook, another fireman at the department.
Gordiski’s 50 years in the department make him the longest serving member of the Greenwich fire department. In honor of this historic retirement, Glennville, the company which holds retired fire trucks, sent over the non-decommissioned truck that was the first truck Gordiski rode when he started in 1972. Back then, before they used sophisticated technology to communicate for fire rescue, he was known for pressing the alarm system to send word of a call, which earned him the endearing nickname, “zinger.”
With Gordiski leaving, it’s clear that the Greenwich fire department has some big shoes to fill. Lieutenant Jeff Locher, who has worked at the department for 27 years, said of him, “He has an amazing breadth and depth of knowledge of the town itself.” He continued, “sixty square miles of Greenwich, and he knows pretty much every square inch. That’s huge.”
In celebration of his retirement and his years of service to the town, the fire department held a retirement ceremony on July 29th, 2022, with many of his colleagues, friends, and family in attendance. As a testament to his impact on the town, many big names of Greenwich were in attendance — among them First Selectman Fred Camillo, State Representatives Stephen Meskers and Kimberly Fiorello, and State Senator Ryan Fazio. Camillo brought with him an official declaration from the Town Hall announcing July 29th, 2022 to be Patrick Gordiski day in the town of Greenwich. Meskers and Fiorello presented him with an official citation from the Connecticut General Assembly for his service to the town. Each spoke of Gordiski’s undying commitment to and the impact he made on the town.
In his last shift at the department, he got a chance to ride alongside his son, Matt Gordiski, who has been a fireman for over ten years. “Matt, no pressure, just 38 more years,” Fire Chief Joseph McHugh joked. But although Gordiski is no longer going to be working at the Greenwich Fire Department, he’ll continue to be a volunteer firefighter at the Port Chester fire department and a model citizen in the town of Greenwich.
