Father-son firefighting leadership continues in Leechburg
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The Leechburg Volunteer Fire Company has new leadership from a fifth-generation firefighter.
John A. Foster was appointed chief Jan. 1, replacing his father, Tom, who was appointed chief emeritus after 36 years of serving as chief and 50 years as a firefighter.
“I was 5 when my dad became chief, and I’ve been training for this my whole life,” said John Foster, 45. “I have a great group of guys under me, and everybody is like family.”
The father-son duo might have different leadership styles, but they share the same level of commitment to volunteerism and service to the Leechburg community.
“Dad is old school but efficient,” John Foster said.
“He’s too book-learned,” Tom Foster quipped. “Everyone thinks they can do it because they read it in a book or saw it on the computer.”
But the realities of running a volunteer fire company involve completing more training programs, such as Firefighter I (FFI) certification.
FFI is an 180-hour essentials course facilitated by John Foster.
Leechburg Councilman D.J. Zelczak, who also serves as company president and training officer, praised both men’s leadership skills.
“This guy (Tom) is, without a doubt, one of the best leaders I’ve ever seen. He cares about everybody. He’s a great communicator,” Zelczak said. “And John is a very good communicator, and he cares about the opinion of the other firefighters — weighing and filtering their input and then making the hard decisions on his own.”
A Leechburg native, Tom Foster was born on Canal Street, the same street where the fire company is located.
“I was born here, and I’ll die here,” he said.
John and his father are Leechburg High School alumni, graduating in 1996 and 1971, respectively.
John is employed as a plumber and previously worked as an EMT for eight years, during which he delivered four babies in less than three months.
In addition, John serves on the Leechburg Volunteer Fire Company Rescue Team.
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Reflecting on his early days as chief, Tom Foster got emotional recalling the two fatalities he has experienced.
“I still think about them every day,” he said.
Foster and his son have responded to thousands of emergency requests over the decades, including the stereotypical “cat stuck in a tree” call, but one rescue remains burned in both men’s memories.
“A black bear up a tree. That’s one of my crazy memories. I was a junior fireman, and Dad woke me up and said, ‘C’mon, we gotta get a bear out of a tree,’ ” John recalled.
The wayward black bear had climbed a tree near the Leechburg High School football field and officials from the Pennsylvania Game Commission were trying unsuccessfully to shoot the bear with a tranquilizer.
The company’s aerial platform was used to get Game Commission officers close enough to take that shot.
In Tom Foster’s inaugural year as chief, his company fielded 18 emergency calls.
“My predecessor said, ‘What in the hell are you doing? We only had 10 calls the year before,’ ” Tom Foster said.
In 2021, the fire company responded to 115 calls that included fires, downed power lines, downed trees and gas leaks.
The fire company has a roster of about 30 vounteers.
Second Assistant Chief Jesse Sterlitz, 26, grew up with the Fosters and considers them family.
“I grew up here in the station since I was a toddler,” Sterlitz said. “My uncle was assistant chief for 36 years. I’m glad Tom’s still around. He gives us guidance and is still around to tell me when I’m screwing up.”
Seeing John named chief is a natural fit for the company, he added.
“I’ve watched John come in, start as a fireman, then make captain and work his way up,” Sterlitz said. “He deserves it.”
As chief emeritus, Tom can fill in if needed in the other chief’s absences.
“I will always remember all the good people I have worked with over the years. I’ve been blessed with that, and that’s something I’ll always have with me,” he said.