ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Responding to an emergency is a team effort. From the 911 dispatch center to arriving on scene, and even working behind the scenes, everyone plays a major role in keeping the community and our first responders safe.

“Every one of our civilian staffers plays a key role. They are the unsung heroes. They are the people behind the curtains that keep things operational. Everyone sees the line division, which is the bread and butter of our operations: putting the fire out, making the rescue, doing the technical rescue, the water rescue, the public education, the recruitment. But the civilian staffers are just as important and an unsung, unseen role,” said Stefano Napolitano, fire chief for the city of Rochester."

Some of those positions are a part of the Planning and Research department. That’s where Margaret Popolizio worked for nearly six decades.

“We're amazed when we hear somebody celebrating a 57-year wedding anniversary. But to hear of a 57-year working anniversary, that that's incredible,” the chief smiled.

“She had been at it for longer than I have been alive. She was an employee who was the first one to bring a computer into the fire department. Lots of history to the department. Margaret really knew everything about the department. She had worked with more fire chiefs than I have probably worked with officers,” explained Rochester Fire Department Capt. Daniel Curran. “The fire department has a lot of technology that works through it. We have reporting that we have to do to make sure we're tracking our incidents. And a lot of that is managing the technology for the fire department. So, Margaret's position was a lot of that support that goes out to the line division to make sure that those on the line could do what they need to do and have the resources to do those jobs.”

“Margaret was that unofficial fire chief, right? She was a civilian employee. [She] was not involved in the uniform services, but she was the fire chief of the office,” the chief added.

As with many brothers and sisters in uniform, those who knew Popolizio considered her a part of the family.

“She was one of the first people from the department who held my children,” Capt. Curran said.

“She was the glue that held everybody together and held people accountable. And when we celebrated a birth, a wedding, a birthday, a retirement, someone ill, she spearheaded all of that in addition to her daily duties,” Napolitano admitted.

He’s already served 39 years on the line; 18 months with the Rochester Fire Department. Napolitano says Popolizio was a role model to all, including himself.

“She was more than a confidant, she was a guide. And Margret was just very, very special to me. I’m not going to lie, I’m still heartbroken of her passing,” the chief explained. “When I found out she passed, I had a very large crocodile tears come down my right side of my face, and that was hard.”

Popolizio passed away on Jan. 30. She was one of the city of Rochester’s longest employees. Popolizio was even honored with a key to the city two years ago.

“People will remember Margaret for the hard work and dedication she brought to this job. And they're going to remember that this job was more than just a job. It was a passion,” Curran said.

“Margaret, literally over 57 years touched tens of thousands of lives and everything that she did. And that's why she was honored as she was,” Napolitano added.

RFD has plans to honor her legacy by renaming its conference room, where Popolizio often gathered everyone together.

“It's sad. Really. We've got to keep moving. We have a job to do. But it is still sad,” Curran explained. “Margaret wanted to focus on the mission and make sure we kept getting the job done. So that's what we got to do.”

“She just can't be replaced. So we're stumbling through a little bit here and there. But we're going to come out stronger because we have to. And Margaret would want nothing less. She's probably upstairs looking down, saying, OK, enough's enough. Let's get going, move,” the chief laughed.

Recruitment efforts for firefighters are ongoing, but so are civilian worker positions. To become a civilian worker, it’s required to take a civil service exam. For more information on your next local exam, head to cs.ny.gov/jobseeker.