TOWN OF AMHERST, N.Y. (WKBW) — Getzville Fire Company Captain Chris Kaplewicz was recognized by the Town of Amherst Town Board for his bravery in the line of duty after saving two people from a burning home on Radcliffe Drive, last month.
This was a joint effort from various fire departments in neighboring the Northtowns of about a dozen agencies, including Williamsville Fire Department and the Town of Amherst Emergency Services.
Sadly, one of the victims died from their injuries weeks after the fire.
Kaplewicz was honored Monday night at a meeting I attended in the Town of Amherst. For Kaplewicz, he does not call himself a hero; it was just another day on the job doing what he was trained to do.
"I pulled up. It was right by my house, literally probably 10 houses down from my house. I pulled up and saw smoke coming over. They told me there was someone um trapped in the house still or still in the house. I didn't think anything about it. I put my gear on and I went to the door," Chris Kaplewicz said.
"I don't feel like I'm a hero. I think this is the things that we do, and I think that everyone that would have pulled up would have done the same thing," Kaplewicz said.
These are scenarios the department trains for sometimes three to four times a week. On top of being a firefighter for more than 20 years, Kaplewicz is also a critical care transport nurse.
"I didn't really expect this. We do a lot of things that we help people save people, we don't get recognized and Things that we just we were expected to do, we just do them," Kaplewicz said.
Past Chief and Captain Darik Will said having someone like Kaplewicz on his team is like a breath of fresh air.
"This is a very rare moment for us. It's a big honor for the fire company in general, especially to Captain Kaplewicz. This is one of the things that we don't really like to get accomplishments like this, but at the end of the day we know we did the job and we did the job right," Darik Will said.
"Someone you can trust, someone you can know they can do to get the job done in a fast, accurate, fast paced time," Will said.
The recognition comes as volunteer firefighter roles are currently hard to fill.
"We need more people. It's we're short. During the day, I was pretty much by myself until one of our assistant chiefs came and helped me out. Anyone that wants to volunteer should, should come and volunteer. We, we really need the help," Kaplewicz said.
There are roles available for those who would like to become a volunteer firefighter for the Getzville Fire Company. Training is free, and volunteers receive a stipend after completing it. Information on how to sign up can be found here.
