An author of a best-selling emergency response training book, “Rapid Intervention Teams,” and an engineer with over four decades of experience building and enhancing fire protection systems, Greg Jakubowski’s, 62, extensive knowledge and background in the fire service is next to none. After living in Wallingford for over two years, Greg decided to share his expertise with his community and volunteer with Garden City Fire Company.
“The members at Garden City are extremely professional and actively seek out ways that they can improve their service to the community. They respect me and listen to my input as a former chief and a fire instructor,” said Greg.
His love for firefighting began in his teenage years, volunteering at a local fire company through the Boy Scouts, and grew exponentially when he enrolled in the University of Maryland’s fire protection engineering program.
“It was a perfect match for my interest in firefighting and building things. I got to live in the University’s firehouse for free, run calls and gain a lot of experience designing new buildings and fire protection systems,” he recalled.
Greg went on to earn a master’s degree in public safety from Saint Joseph’s University and teach courses there. Despite maintaining a residence in Eastern Pennsylvania, Greg’s career has taken him all over, working on large-scale, multi-million dollar projects in Singapore, Brazil, England, Ireland, and Wyoming, to name a few. During that time, and when located in the United States, Greg remained active in the volunteer fire service and has volunteered with seven other fire companies, serving in all ranks up to Chief.
Since joining Garden City Fire Company in August 2024, Greg has already led several training sessions.
“Being able to share my experience and right away being able to mentor some of the younger members, and even some of the younger officers and offer suggestions, has been great,” said Greg.
Garden City Fire Company is entirely volunteer and is always seeking new residents to join its ranks. No previous experience is required; training and gear are provided.
“What you learn as a volunteer is going to help you in other aspects of your life, and you’re going to encounter instances where that knowledge is going to be handy,” he added.
Visit www.GardenCityFirefighter.org/Contact and submit a volunteer inquiry to get started.