Richard A. Fritz

Rick Fritz has always wanted to be a firefighter. In 1973 he was one of the founding members the Fire Explorer Post organized with the Penfield, New York, Volunteer Fire Department. In 1976 he enlisted in the Illinois National Guard as a crash-rescue firefighter. In September of 1977 Rick was hired by the Muscatine, Iowa, Fire Department, beginning his career as a municipal firefighter. In 1981 he left Muscatine and went up river to the much larger Davenport, Iowa, Fire Department.


In 1995 Iowa changed their pension laws, and Rick retired and took a job as program director for the two-year degree program in hazmat at Scott Community College in Bettendorf, Iowa. Missing the fire service, Rick then took a job at the Illinois Fire Service Institute in Champaign, Illinois, citing professional differences with the institute director. Rick then took a job as program director for fire science at Harrisburg Community College in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Despite pleas from the dean, Rick took a job with the High Point, North Carolina, Fire Department as a training captain, eventually being promoted to battalion chief of training. In 2004 Rick suffered his first stroke. He recovered enough to return to work. In 2008 he had a second stroke and did not come back well from this. In 2008 Rick was medically retired. He and his wife Cathy moved to Grove City, Pennsylvania. But you can’t keep him down. In 2025 Rick petitioned and was accepted into the Pine Township Engine Company, Station 85, where he resumed giving Chief Levi Hipps fits!