From high school intern to full-time, Maciczak sworn in as Princeton’s newest firefighter

Newly sworn-in Princeton firefighter/EMT Tony Maciczak understands one second can have an impact on the outcome of a patient.

There are many times Maciczak would want a colleague to time him on throwing their packs, deploying hose lines or donning turnout gear, among other lifesaving measures. He would race constantly and even have a full-on, shift-wide competition for hours just to improve one second when it truly counts, said Princeton firefighter Jerod Doty, who heads the firefighters union.

“That is a true testament to Tony’s character,” Doty said. “He put in the hours every chance he had. There is something special about (him) from the start. We all know (he’d) be in the chair (he’s) sitting (Monday) about to take the oath to become a firefighter.”

Maciczak was sworn in Monday as a full-time firefighter/EMT basic of the Princeton Fire Department in front of his colleagues, family and other city officials. He recited his oath to the city with City Manager Theresa Wittenauer, and his parents, Donna and Tony, pinned his badge to his chest as a bagpipe played. The department’s chaplain, Scott Schmidt, led a prayer and the fire department’s color guard presented the flags.

Maciczak was introduced to the fire department through an internship program at Princeton High School. As soon as he could, he acquired his licensing and certificates to become a part-time firefighter EMT in January 2023, becoming the first in the program to go from an internship at the high school to full-time at the department, Fire Chief Scott Etheridge said.

“You could tell very early on this was going to be (his) career,” Etheridge said. “You can see the light in (his) eyes and the determination.”

Maciczak said the ceremony left him a little speechless.

“This means a lot to me,” he said. “I’ve been wanting to do this since sophomore year of high school. I’m lucky to be able to work with a department that makes me feel like home.”

Maciczak moved to Princeton in 2020 after growing up in Chicago. His colleagues highlighted Monday that family and his Polish heritage as important to him.