Robert Czerwinski will not only march in his final Pittsfield Fourth of July Parade as the city's fire chief. He'll lead it. The Parade Committee has named Czerwinski, who has spent more than four decades fighting fires, the grand marshal for the Independence Day event. Czerwinski, 62, is retiring shortly after the parade from a career that began as a volunteer firefighter in New York. He spent the last 32 years at the Pittsfield Fire Department, and the past nine as its chief. Parade Committee President Peter Marchetti hails Czerwinski as a vital part of planning for the parade, just as he's been a crucial part of public safety in the community. "He's always been a team player. He was one of the leaders in developing the emergency management plan for the parade," Marchetti told The Eagle.