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 manages several functions for the department, including overseeing the probationary member process and training program. John is responsible for Station 8. In addition, John serves as a lead instructor for the department's Tractor Drawn Aerial (ladder) driving class.

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 Alex Ciolek has been with Aetna since April 2013. He was appointed Captain at station 7 for a 1 year term in January 2018. Alex is a Graduate Student at the University of Delaware currently working on his Masters in Business Administration, having completed his Bachelors in Economics and Political Science with a minor in Political Communication at the University of Delaware in 2016. Alex holds Pro Board certifications in Firefighter I & II, Fire Officer I & II , Instructor I, and hazmat Technician. He is also an EMT and Swiftwater Technician.

Responsible for Rescue 8

Responsible for Engine 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).

Responsible for Ladder 9

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.