Crime & Safety
Meet Driver Eric Conze, First Responder of the Week
Patch sat down for a quick chat with this firefighter who works at Station 20 in New Tampa.
Eric Conze is the primary driver for Station 20 in New Tampa, having transferred there in the fall of last year from Station 7 in Seminole Heights. Conze moved to Carrollwood from Rhode Island in 1980. He attended King High School and has been a firefighter for 18 years.
Patch: What inspired you to become a firefighter?
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Conze: My older brother got into it first, and I had friends who were firefighters. I started out volunteering for the Temple Terrace Fire Department and really enjoyed it. I really liked the camraderie, the fun, just being in that atmosphere.
Patch: What was your most harrowing experience on the job?
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Conze: There was a fire in Ybor City in one of the old factories. It was pitch dark and we had to just follow a hose into the building. I'm thinking to myself, "What am I doing here?" but everyone did their thing and we all got out OK. That was a long day — craziness.
Patch: What was your most rewarding experience on the job?
Conze: Just when you go on a call and someone says, "thank you." When someone says, "thanks" it makes you think they realize what you are doing.
Patch: What do you do to decompress after a shift?
Conze: Just get back into my regular life: eat, exercise, look at my "honey do" list.
Patch: What do you enjoy about living and working in New Tampa?
Conze: Watching the growth of the city. New Tampa is a lot bigger than people realize.
Patch: If you were not working as a firefighter, what would you be doing?
Conze: Growing up I thought I would be an artist or a chef. I get my hand in there, in the kitchen, at the station.