continued:

Living too far away to make a responding truck, Dietz became a fire policeman, eventually advancing to the rank of lieutenant.  In 1962 he moved to the Willow Manor section of Dresher, placing him even further from the firehouse.  Dietz decided to join the Horsham Fire Company in 1963.  There he responded to both ambulance and fire calls.  Dietz advanced to the rank of Assistant Engineer, where he was able to train upcoming drivers.  When the Burn Brae station was completed in 1974 he began driving the apparatus out of the sub-station.  Dietz continued to drive until 1997 when he officially hung up his bunker gear. 

Dietz has served on numerous committees including the property committee, kitchen committee, and the banquet committee.  He has been active in the German American Firefighters Association which is dedicated to preserving the heritage of these two nations in the service of firefighting.  The Association sponsors musters and a yearly parade in Philadelphia that memorializes the efforts of General Von Stueben, a German general that drilled American troops at Valley Forge in the Revolutionary War.  Dietz welcomes German firefighters that make the trip overseas for the parade.  In the past he has given them a tour of the Fort Washington Fire Company and even arranged for some of them to join the Fort members in live burn drills, something that is forbidden in the German fire service.  As a result he has amassed a collection of souvenirs from these German firefighters, in the way of patches, helmets, etc., which can be seen displayed in a dedicated trophy case in the backroom of Summit Avenue. 

Dietz is still active today, either making meals for hungry firefighters or sharing his wisdom of the fire service with younger members.  Next September Dietz will have been a member of the Fort Washington Fire Company No.1 for fifty years, an achievement seldom accomplished.  More than any service pin Dietz values the camaraderie and brotherhood he has enjoyed during his time in the firehouse.