Hamtramck’s newest fire chief has a long history with the department

Matt Wyszczelski

By Alan Madlane
Matt Wyszczelski is Hamtramck’s new fire chief. He rose up through the ranks, over the past two dozen years, to the position he now holds.
In an email interview with The Review, Wyszczelski shared his thoughts about his new role.

The Review: Can you describe your road to the position of fire chief – any prior experience outside of Hamtramck; how and when you first came to be with this unit; etc.
Wyszczelski: I started my firefighting career, in 1996, as a firefighter for the City of Atlanta. I was hired by the City of Hamtramck as a firefighter in 1998.
Since then, I was promoted to motor engineer is 2007, to lieutenant in 2012, to captain in 2019 and, most recently, to chief this May.

The Review: What do you feel that you will bring to the department in your new capacity, or focus on, or emphasize?
Wyszczelski: The one big thing I bring to the job as fire chief is that I came directly from the floor to the chief’s office.
What this means is that, up until I became chief, I was a captain, riding the rig and responding to fires with the crews. This allows me to see things now from both perspectives: what is happening in the field, and with the administrative side of things.

The Review: What are some of the challenges of a city like Hamtramck – houses close together, narrow parked-on streets, overcrowding of some homes, wood homes, language barriers? I’m guessing here.

Wyszczelski: Hamtramck’s narrow streets and closely spaced houses offer many challenges when it comes to firefighting. We must use aggressive firefighting tactics, which we have developed and honed over the years, to prevent the fires from spreading between homes.
The Hamtramck Fire Department seeks to be proactive, and we take every opportunity to get out and do pre-incident surveys to learn the buildings, and what hazards they may pose within our community.
Some of our streets are narrow, but we have an extensive driver training program that our firefighters must pass in order to be certified to operate our rigs.

The Review: How often do the city’s fire hydrants get checked for functionality? How many does the city have, anyway?
Wyszczelski: The city has approximately 500 fire hydrants. The fire department checks all hydrants annually, in the fall, and makes sure that they are dry so as to prevent freezing. Throughout the year, we work closely with the DPS to make sure that any damaged or out-of-service hydrants are repaired or replaced.

The Review: What would be on your wish list for the department if money were no object?
Wyszczelski: If money were no object, I would ask for increased manpower. Most studies conducted point to the fact that the more manpower you have on scene early in the fire, the better the outcome.
This is due to the fact that more fireground operations, like extinguishment, ventilation and search and rescue, can occur simultaneously.
Secondly, I would like to update our fire apparatus. Our engines are aging, and in need of replacement, (so new engines) would reduce our overall repair bills and out-of-service time.

The Review: Some residents may not realize that your duties often go beyond just putting out fires. Can you describe some of your other duties?
Wyszczelski: The Hamtramck Fire Department does more than just put out fires; our daily schedule includes truck and equipment maintenance, daily training, house chores, fire prevention activities, and community events, in addition to responding to emergencies.

The Review: Have you ever been involved in any memorable incidents here in the city that you’d care to recount?
Wyszczelski: I have worked most of the large-scale fires that have occurred in our city during my career. Some stand out, like the Mother Waddles fire in 2005, (in that case) due to the length we were on scene and the freezing temperatures.
There were also the fires at Sterling Services, Polish Market, and A&R packing, which required the majority of the department to respond, who were there for most of the day working to extinguish the fire.

The Review: How much do you have to be involved with other aspects of the department, such as the financial end, or the ceremonial part, for example?
Wyszczelski: The fire chief is involved with most aspects of the department’s operation. I set policy and procedure, supervise department personnel, help establish and manage the department’s budget, and act as the public face of the fire department, as well as respond to emergencies.

The Review: Feel free to mention anything else that you care to, at this point.
Wyszczelski: I feel that we have one of the best fire departments around, and my job as chief will be to pass on my knowledge and experience to the next generation of officers, and to keep the Hamtramck Fire Department on the path to continued success.

The Review: Thank you so much for taking time out of your day to enlighten us with these responses.
Posted July 8, 2022