Fire Officers

Deputy Chief Debold joined Aetna in 1993, he has a variety of certifications including Firefighter I & II, Fire Instructor I, Fire Officer I & II, Blue Card incident Command, and Emergency Medical Responder as well as numerous other DSFS courses. He has previously held the positions of EMS Lieutenant, Captain, 2nd Assistant Chief, 1st Asst, and Director. He is currently employed by New Castle County 911 as a Telecommunicator II - Fire/medical.

Assistant Chief John Guzzo began his volunteer fire career in 1990 as a junior member of the Hockessin Fire Company, where he is currently a life member. John started with Aetna as a ride-a-long in college and officially joined in 1999. In addition to his service as a firefighter, EMT and line officer John is a past board member of the department.

John holds certifications as a Nationally Registered EMT, NFPA FF I/II, Fire Instructor I, Fire Officer I/II, Swift Water Technician and in Blue Card Incident Command. John has a BA from Widener University and is currently working on a master’s degree from the University of Delaware.

Captain Paulus has been a member of the Aetna Hose Hook and Ladder Company since 2009. Prior to joining Aetna HHL, he was a member of the Hockessin Fire Company. He has previously served as Captain, Director and Assistant Engineer. He holds Pro-Board Certification as Firefighter I and II, Fire Instructor I, Fire Officer I and II, Hazardous Materials Operations and Engine Driver/Operator. He has taken additional Fire and Rescue Training including: Surface Water Rescue, National Fire Academy Safety Officer, Confined Space Recue, Aerial Apparatus Operations and Emergency Medical Responder.

Captain Paulus holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Delaware. He works as a Project and Design Engineer in manufacturing.

Captain Johnson has been a member of the Aetna Hose Hook and Ladder Company since 2014. She holds Pro-Board Certification as Firefighter I and II, Fire Instructor I and II, Fire Officer I, II, and III, Hazardous Materials Technician, Hazardous Materials Branch Safety Officer, and Incident Safety Officer. She also holds certifications as a Nationally Registered EMT and Swift Water Technician.

Responsible for Rescue 8

Deputy Chief Schall has been a member since 1999. He has held numerous roles including Captain, Assistant Chief, Deputy Chief, and Chief of the Department. Deputy Chief Schall is currently the Director of the Delaware Emergency Management Agency (DEMA).

Captain Matthew Heebner joined the fire service in 2015 and has been a member of Aetna Hose, Hook and Ladder Company since 2017. His training includes Firefighter I, Vehicle Extrication Technician, Hazardous Materials Operations, Incident Management and Nationally Registered EMT. Matt is currently a Senior at University of Delaware Studying Mechanical Engineering.

Responsible for Engine 9 and Squad 9

Deputy Chief Sands has been a member of the Aetna Hose, Hook and Ladder Company since 2011. He previously held the position of Captain for 3 years and Assistant Chief for 3 years. He has completed a wide variety of training in fire suppression and rescue including Firefighter I and II, Fire Instructor I, Swiftwater Rescue Technician I, Advanced Vehicle Rescue, Blue Card Incident Command, National Fire Academy Safety Officer, and Fire Officer I. Jeff has an extensive EMS background and is a past coordinator of the University of Delaware Emergency Care Unit (UDECU). He has been an EMT since 2008 and is a Field Training Officer. Jeff previously worked as a Sergeant for St. Francis EMS in Wilmington and as a career firefighter/EMT with the Mill Creek Fire Company and then the Christiana Fire Company. He currently works in emergency management.

Captain Gallaher has been a member of Aetna Hose, Hook & Ladder Co since 1999. Steven is currently serving as a Floating Captain where he moves between our four stations as needed. He has numerous training hours through the Delaware State Fire School up to and including Fire Officer I. He has previously served as Assistant Engineer, Ladder Captain, and Assistant Chief. Steven is also an 11-year U.S. Army Veteran where he served with the 160th SOAR(A) out of Ft. Campbell, KY as a MH-60 Crew Chief and T.I. He currently works for an aerospace company as a Quality Manager.