HOLYOKE — After 31 years with the Fire Department, Fire Chief Jeffery Przekopowski has decided to retire this summer.
“I’m excited, it’s time,” Przekopowski, 55, said in a phone interview Thursday. He will be officially stepping down sometime in June. “A chief’s job is 24-7, 365, so it can take its toll,” he said.
Przekopowski’s career began in April 1991, when he was assigned to the station in South Holyoke, which has since closed. He worked his way through the ranks, holding most of the positions in the department before becoming acting fire chief when former Fire Chief John Pond retired in January 2020. He was sworn in the following month as the full-time chief.
“I take a lot of pride in taking care of my people and my firefighters and my citizens,” Przekopowski said. “It’s bittersweet, a little bit.”
Przekopowski said there had been many heroic moments he has witnessed at the department, but also his fair share of tragedy.
“We’ve also had our catastrophe — loss of buildings, loss of life,” he said. “They all impact me in terms of how we move forward as a department.”
Looking back, Przekopowski said that in past decades, the city would experience several big fires every night. Over the years, the Fire Department has implemented fire protection programs to significantly decrease the number of fires in Holyoke.
“And we’re proud of that,” he said. “We’re proud that this is a safe city to live in now.”
Interviews are scheduled at the end of February for candidates to succeed him, Przekopowski said, and he’ll then work on implementing a succession plan to get the new chief up to speed.
In 2021, Przekopowski earned $160,122.
Dusty Christensen can be reached at dchristensen@gazettenet.com.