Special for The Press and Standard
Get to know #yourColletonFirefighter Frank Ptacin on #firefighterfriday. Firefighter Flight Paramedic (FP-C) Ptacin joined Colleton County Fire-Rescue in 2015 and is currently assigned to CARE Flight and the Station 7 Platoon. Here is more information on FF/FP-C Ptacin:
In 1998 in between his criminology classes, Frank was looking for something to do. He started volunteering for his local department in Ohio. After joining the Sheriff’s Office as a Deputy, he realized that he hadn’t quite found where he wanted to be. He transferred to a paid firefighter position and enrolled in paramedic school. Flash forward 7 years; his little sister convinced him to move closer to her on Hilton Head Island. Frank, who always seeks a new adventure, landed a job at Savannah Fire Department. He was assigned to the downtown Heavy Rescue and Technical Rescue Team. He held this position for nine years before pursuing a new adventure. During his time at Savannah Fire, he joined Colleton County Fire-Rescue as a part time employee to freshen up his paramedic skills. Finding so much enjoyment in his part time job, he decided to transition to a full-time position with CCFR. Frank joined the CARE Flight team in 2022 and obtained his Flight Paramedic Certification. Frank is an avid teacher; he is an instructor for the State of Georgia for several technical rescue disciplines. He is extremely passionate about and specializes in Structural Collapse and Water Rescue Operations. He was recently asked to contribute towards and review subscriptions for the latest edition of the Water Rescue textbook. Frank grew up in Minnesota. As a young boy, his friend’s father, who was a volunteer firefighter, took them to the fire station. Becoming fascinated with the big red trucks is what led Frank to joining the fire service.
To date, Frank's greatest accomplishment is marrying his wife, Anna. Frank and Anna have been together since 2018 and have multiple dogs and a house pig named Peewee. Their quest to visit every state in the country has led them on several adventures together.
