APCO certified 9-1-1 Telecommunicator and Monroe County (Rochester NY) Fire Dispatcher Tomasz Kaczowka was killed while responding to a report of a residential fire in the early morning hours on Christmas Eve, Dec. 24, 2012. Kaczowka, who serves his hometown fire department as a volunteer, was shot and died at the scene, as he prepared to extinguish the blaze before him. He and his mentor, Past Chief Michael Chiapperini of the West Webster FD both succumbed to their gunshot wounds before the sun rose that fateful day. Two other Firefighters and a Police Officer were injured in the ambush carried out by a lone gunman before he shot and killed himself.

Kaczowka, 19, had been a dispatcher for 13 months when his life was cut short. As a Telecommunicator, he completed the APCO PST-1 curriculum with his academy class of 12 new hires. He was among the brightest and the best at a very early age. He embraced the technologies employed to fill our calling. He had previously served as a Fire Explorer with the same department prior to becoming a Firefighter and EMT.

The Monroe County 9-1-1 Center, Telecommunicators and Firefighters from across the country shared our loss as we laid Tomasz to rest. Representatives from California, Texas, Maine and New Jersey alike made the trek to pay their respects, to the one we have all come to know as everyone’s “Little Brother”.

Christopher R. Martin, Department PIO, Supervisor of Training and Accreditation
City of Rochester Emergency Communications Department