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VOl. 127 NO. 52
HERALD PERSON OF THE YEAR Frank OzOl
His dedication to firefighting is unsurpassed James H. Vernon hosted the Atlantis Project Symposium. Page 3
Volunteer Frank Ozol, now 75, is a fixture in the Atlantic Steamer Company By Will Sheeline
For nearly six decades, Frank Ozol has responded to fire alarms, dropping whatever he was doing to climb aboard a fire truck and head toward an emergency in Melville and then, years later, in Oyster Bay. Ozol, who currently serves as Atlantic Steamer Fire Company’s second assistant chief, has been a volunteer firefighter for 57 years. His service spans generations, technological advances in firefighting and countless calls that residents deeply hey want to rely on. For that lifetime of service and dedicahelp people, tion, Ozol has been named the Oyster and they find Bay Herald Person of the Year for 2025. excitement in “I’ve been a fireman for 50 years, challenging the except for 20 minutes,” Ozol said, fire. recalling the brief gap between resigning from the Melville Fire Department and being sworn into Atlantic Steamer. FraNk OzOl Second assistant “And that was God’s honest truth. chief, There’s only been 20 minutes I didn’t Atlantic Steamer Co. belong to a fire department.” Born in 1950, Ozol grew up in Melville, where his father was a charter member of the local fire department in 1947. From an early age, the firehouse was part of his everyday life, and it even had a firehouse dog, a Dalmatian that was cared for by various members while they waited for calls. Ozol joined the Melville Fire Department in 1968 while still in high school, at a time when most departments required members to be at least age 18. “I grew up in that fire department, because I just always had the interest in the fire trucks,” Ozol said. “Even now, I’m just a big kid. I just love hearing the sirens.” In the early 1980s, Ozol moved to Oyster Bay with his wife, Kathy, who he met at SUNY New Paltz. The couple came to Oyster Bay because Kathy, who died this year, grew up and longed to return to raise a family. While Ozol knew that he would miss his friends in the Melville Fire Department, “I told her, ‘I can join the fire department anywhere on Long Island,’” he said. The following week, he resigned from the Melville depart-
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ment and joined Atlantic Steamer, postdating his resignation to 20 minutes before his swearing-in ceremony. Ozol has served Atlantic Steamer in nearly every capacity, including multiple terms as chief. Even now, at age 75, as one of the oldest active members in the department, he remains hands-on. Francesco Barbera, Atlantic Steamer’s current fire chief, said Ozol’s presence is invaluable. Barbera said he first met Ozol at a fire school 14 years ago, and was impressed by the no-nonsense but informative way Ozol walked him and the other trainees through the routines. “His nature is to teach people and share his knowledge and that was exactly what he was doing,” Barbera said. “He approached me and introduced himself and wanted to educate me on the fire service and what they did as an organization.” Rob Walles, a firefighter in the department who has known Ozol since the 1980s, added that teaching instinct defines Ozol. Continued on page 2 Courtesy Frank Ozol
For 57 years, Frank Ozol has served as a volunteer firefighter in the Melville and Atlantic Steamer departments.