MAZON – For 34 years, Thomas Sereno Jr. has been fighting fires, hoping one day to be named chief of the volunteer fire district where he has served.
On Jan. 1, Sereno’s dream came true as he became the fire chief of the Mazon Fire Protection District.
“I wanted to give it a try; I’ve held every other position,” Sereno said.
His daughter Melissa Pumphrey, also a volunteer firefighter for Mazon, said he’s the perfect man for the job.
“I know from experience at a scene with him that he is a great leader,” she said. “He is someone you can trust, and that is what you need on the outside when you are inside fighting the fire, you have to trust your leader to get you out.”
She said when she got the text message from her dad Dec. 28, letting her know he had been chosen, she let out a scream.
“I was actually screaming when I found out,” she said. “I was so relieved. I know it’s something he’s wanted.”
Sereno said one of the first things he wants to work on is recruiting new members to the district. He said the district has 14 or 15 active members.
The district holds a training every Wednesday night and Sereno hopes if someone within the district is interested in becoming a firefighter, he or she will come to training with questions.
“If they are interested, they can just stop by during training. If they are still interested after meeting with us, they can fill out an application,” Sereno said.
The weekly training is something that Sereno is passionate about. He said no firefighter can have too much training.
“He’s very into training,” Pumphrey said. “He’s always said no question is a stupid question.”
She said he makes the training fun and hands on, which helps her and her fellow firefighters learn.
“He just wants to teach, it’s what he’s always done,” she said.
Pumphrey said her dad has seen a lot in his 34 years of serving and brings the experience from both big fires small fires to the classroom when he explains how to safely react to a situation.
“He knows his stuff,” she said. “He’s lived through so many fires.”
The position of chief became open after former Chief James Seerup resigned.
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