Lt. Col. Victor Stagnaro was promoted in October to deputy fire chief of the Prince George’s Fire/Emergency Medical Services Department. He has been married for 35 years and has seven children, ages 11 to 24.
You immigrated to Silver Spring from Uruguay as a child. What was that like?
I was too young to know any better or to recognize many of the challenges. I have some vague memories of being made fun of because I did not speak English. Though, at that young age it didn’t take me long to learn. I was counted on to translate for my parents, but that responsibility fell more squarely on my older sister.
Why did the family move to the U.S.?
My father was an electronic engineer and had his own business building some of the first televisions and stereo systems in Uruguay. When he was confronted with an opportunity to make a better way of life for himself and his family, he took it. I have always admired his courage to move his family to a foreign country where he didn’t speak the language at the age of 55.
How did you get into firefighting?
I saw a big wooden sign saying that they were looking for volunteers. I filled out an application and moved through the process, finally becoming a volunteer firefighter. I spent most of my volunteer time at the firehouse in downtown Silver Spring.
When did you know that this is what you wanted to do?
After becoming a volunteer, during a snowstorm I was sleeping in at the firehouse. I could hear a lot of bantering back and forth, and everyone was having fun. I thought to myself how great it would be if I could do this and get paid, too.
What are the biggest challenges for the fire department?
The most immediate is to confront the budget challenges within the county and ensure that service delivery is not impacted. Citizens don’t really care how much the overtime budget has been slashed when their house is on fire or if they or a loved one needs an ambulance. Calling 911 should be like turning on a light switch — I don’t have to understand how it works, it just needs to work when I need it.
