The Hero Next Door: Jeff Fassl

Jeff Fassl, 44, is the president of Upper Nazareth Volunteer Fire Company. He has been with the company for two years, after holding the assistant fire chief position with Vigilance Hose Co. No. 1 for five years. Fassl has 16 years of experience as a firefighter under his belt.

Fassl, who was born and raised in Nazareth, is married with two children. When he’s not fighting fires or presiding over the company, he works as a quality assurance supervisor for a hydraulics company.

What kind of training have you had so far?

•Structural Firefighter One
•Incident Command
•Vehicle Rescue
•Hazmat
•Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation
•First Aid
•Automated External Defibrillators
•Pump Operations
•Tactical Operations
•And more!
What is the best thing about being a firefighter?

“Helping and meeting people.”

What made you decide to become a firefighter?

“My best friend’s dad was fire chief for Nazareth (Vigilance Hose), and I took a real strong interest in [firefighting].”

What does your family say about you putting your life at risk?

“At first they were concerned. As time goes by they learned that with experience comes safety.”

What would you tell someone interested in joining the company?

“It’s a great opportunity to help the community. You get a lot of satisfaction out of helping people in their time of need.”

About this column: Each week, Nazareth Patch turns the spotlights and honors a volunteer as a thank-you for their service and dedication.

http://nazareth.patch.com/articles/the-hero-next-door-jeff-fassl?ref=nf