ABC Nationals Competitor Profile – Dan Cottichio

Dan Cottichio

Title, age and years with Piper Fire:
Fitter, 32 years old, 3 ½ years 

What do you like most about your job?
You never know where you’re going to be. It’s nice to be out and about and moving around for work. No two projects are the same really, so I like to variety that being out in the field provides on a daily basis.

What has been your favorite job so far?
We worked on a church as one of my first projects. We had to pipe over a sarcophagus, which was interesting. Inside had extravagant tile so it was a very unique project. Overall, it was quite tough but it certainly was one of the most memorable projects I’ve worked on.

What is one of your favorite things about working at Piper Fire?
They push you to go to school, and it’s nice because it’s free. They get you trained while getting a full time job and hands on experience. But also the comradery. It’s a close knit company. Even if you don’t work with other departments often, whenever Piper hosts events, like the annual meeting, it just feels like family.

Thoughts on the placing for the National Craft Competition?
I felt pretty good. It was nerve wracking a little at first. I remember looking around and feeling that I was behind but I ended up feeling really good about it and finished first. I think I felt good because I studied for a few days before the test since it’s a big portion of how you win.

How do you think you will do at the NCC?
Probably good but it just depends on the build because I’m not completely familiar with certain things like pre-action valves, trimming, etc…but I will try to prepare as much as I can.