The familiar face around the home of the American Fire Company No. 1, Lansford, represents generations of his family. That’s because Zach Gilbert grew up in a family of firemen who to this day exude volunteerism at its best.

Gilbert, 25, has been one of a core members of the company who help to keep AFC strong. He’s in and out of the company’s headquarters on Patterson Street sometimes 4 to 5 times a day, with a dedication that is uncanny.

In an 11-year commitment to the company, Gilbert rose through the ranks of line officers swiftly, being elevated to the assistant fire chief’s post earlier this year.

“I became a junior fireman at age 14, following the footsteps of my father, uncle and grandfathers, who collectively gave over five decades of service to the fire service, and counting,” Zach said.

His father, George, was an assistant fire chief in Coaldale; his uncle, George “Smokey” Krajnak, was an assistant chief and later fire chief for a total of 15 years in Lansford; his grandfather, George Krajnak Sr., headed the company for 15 years; and his grandfather on the Gilbert side, Earl, was a fireman with the Coaldale company.

“Through my entire childhood, I was always around the fire companies, and, as I grew older, I found I like the culture of being there,” Zach said. “I learned as a young boy, and this is always in the back of my mind, that when the time comes and someone needs help, somebody has to be there.”

To be sure, the fire service is in the blood of the 2016 graduate of Panther Valley High School who otherwise keeps a busy schedule with his employment with the United Parcel Service. “It (firefighting) was instilled in me for as long as I can remember,” Zach said. He’s hesitant to say responding to a fire call feels good, keeping in mind the victims of calls to which firemen respond, but Zach understands the great role firemen play in helping to keep our communities safe. “I don’t want to say it feels good to be one of the people there when someone is in need of help, but all of us would agree, it is gratifying to be able to help people.”

After a four-year stint as a junior firefighter, Zach began his journey to becoming a full-fledged fireman, focusing on meetings the standards of the company, and those in Pennsylvania, to gain firefighter status. When he turned 18, he was prepared to go into a live burn class. “That was the beginning steps of my firefighting service,” he recalled.

To his credit, Zach has a book full of certifications, having taken about 70 to 75 firefighting training courses. “You can never have enough training,” he said. “If you don’t train, you’re never going to be prepared. As a chief or assistant chief, there’s a huge responsibility for somebody else’s life, your own life, those on the line, and the property owners. Every day, everything reverts to training.”

Before becoming an assistant to Fire Chief Joe Greco, Zach held several key positions with the fire company, having been named a lieutenant when he turned 21 and then advancing to the position of captain.

Besides his fire company involvement, Zach is a volunteer and choir member at St. Joseph Parish of the Panther Valley, Summit Hill. He said while sometimes there aren’t enough hours in the day, he learned as a young boy the meaning of volunteerism. In addition to watching his father, uncle and grandfathers in action, he saw firsthand volunteerism in other areas.

He explained, “My mom (Janel) was the president of the Home and School Association at Our Lady of the Angels School, Lansford, where I was sent to school until my eighth grade graduation. There was always fundraising to do, and, of course, we were always there. So it was implemented in me to always believe if there is something going on, I’m going to help.”

Zach said he enjoys helping with the preparation work at the church’s St. Joseph Festival and other events as his schedule permits, because helping others is what he learned to do. “If I can help, it takes the stress off another person,” he said.

Besides is mother and father, Zach has a brother, Adam.

About 90 percent of Zach’s spare time is dedicated to helping the Lansford fire company, which already has responded to about 160 calls this year. Last year, the 35-or-so active firemen reported to a record 220 calls.

His new position, he said, “comes with it great responsibility,” adding, “The chief and/or assistant chief are responsible for a lot of people on scene. You have to have the knowledge, and to gain it, you have to take classes. Myself and some members have between 500-700 hours of classes in a year.”

Zach is proud to be one of what he calls a “core group” that arguably spends more time at the fire company than they do at home. “There’s always something to do around here,” he says, “and I have a love for it. The biggest thing is you have to be there when it counts the most; be able to give them the right answers; and be there to support the membership.”

As demanding as that might be, the young volunteer wouldn’t want it any other way. He closed, “It means a lot to grow in the company, knowing the history our family has in the fire service. It’s kind of special to me for my family members to be able to watch me grow in the fire service like my dad, uncle and grandfathers did.”