VIDEO: At what he thought was just an ordinary company meeting at the Hope Fire Company Fire Hall in Northern Cambria, 84-year-old Fred Kuzma was recognized for his 60 years of being a member Tuesday night. “It’s just been one heck of an adventure and life,” Kuzma said. “I appreciate everybody and their friendliness. Everything about them is great.” Peter Barczak is the chief of the fire company and has served alongside Kuzma for the majority of his tenure. He said it’s been a pleasure since the beginning. “I’m not far behind him,” Barczak said. “He had 60, I’m at 58. But we’ve been through thick and thin, we’ve been here for a lot of years through the good times, the bad times. And this company here we’ve made it work.”
Since joining when he was 24 years old, Kuzma said that he has made so many memories that it would be impossible to just pick one as his favorite. He said he’s watched the company grow through the years with new faces and challenges to face, and that it is up to the next generation to carry on the company’s legacy. “I just hope in the future that there’ll be some more 60-year-old members,” Kuzma said.
