The Connecticut State Firefighters Association, Hall of Fame Award is to recognize present and former members of an organized Fire Department that have served both their Fire Department, County and/or State-wide Fire Service Organizations above and beyond normal expectations, over an extended period of time. Inductees shall have demonstrated both leadership and motivation, for the betterment of the Fire Service, throughout Connecticut and the United States. These persons shall have contributed, in a positive way, to the enrichment of the organizations that they represented.

Not only is the goal of this award to recognize those leaders, as outlined above, but also to encourage young people to join the Fire Service, both career and volunteer, and to continue to provide leadership and experience, throughout their Firefighting years. Also, to serve as a means of educating and informing the public about the important and indispensable service and protection that the Fire Service provides for the citizens of our communities, state and nation.

Connecticut State Firefighters Association Hall of Fame Class of 2022

John Carew

John Carew, from West Haven, is a legend for his Volunteer Fire Service Activities, simultaneously, with two of that city’s Fire Districts.
His first involvement was when he joined the West Haven Center District’s Hook & Ladder Co. 1, as a young Volunteer Firefighter, in 1981, and at the time of his Hall of Fame Induction, has also been serving as that Company’s Captain for many years. In 2008, he was first elected to serve as one of the Center District’s Fire Commissioners, a position that he still held at the time of his induction. Within the Board of Fire Commissioners administration, he tirelessly served that organization as their Treasurer.

During the same, commensurate years of his service with the Center District, Carew was also a longtime member of the Allingtown (West Haven) Fire Association and held the rank of Chief with that Department, again, at the time of his induction.

Outside of the Fire Service, John Carew made very positive and long-lasting impressions on countless young people as he served, with unparalleled dedication, for over 20 years, as a Plumbing Trades Teacher at the Platt Regional High School, in Milford.

A longtime, active member of both the New Haven County Fire Chiefs Emergency Plan and the Connecticut State Firefighters Irregulars Association, John Carew is renowned, statewide, for his many dedicated years of extraordinarily active involvement with the Connecticut State Firefighters Association (CSFA). In 2016, he served a term as their New Haven County Vice President. Thereafter, he was elected as the Association’s Second Vice President, then First Vice President, and then served a two-year term as the Association’s President in 2019-2020. His dedication during those many years, not only to the Association, but to many of its subordinate committees, including the Regional Fire School/Education Committee and the Statewide Firefighters Memorial Committee was unparalleled. At the time of his Hall of Fame Induction, John Carew had just started serving in the capacity of the being the Association’s Legislative Coordinator, working full-time with the Connecticut Senate and House of Representatives, promoting positive legislative actions that would benefit all of Connecticut’s Firefighters, both Career and Volunteer.

Quoting Chief Michael Terenzio, of the City of West Haven – Allingtown Fire Department, “Chief Carew demonstrates and portrays our service, to the public, with a quiet, professional attitude. The advancing of firefighter’s welfare and their support, at levels that go beyond just the local level, is also imperative to sustain an effective and safe standard for the entire fire service and, very often, is accomplished outside the ‘limelight’ or in public view. Chief Carew continually demonstrates his dedication to those of us who protect, as he assists in protecting members of our service, both volunteers and career members alike.”

Charles M. Coakley

Charles M. Coakley, at the time of his induction, had served with the Padanaram Hose Co. 3, of the Danbury Fire Department, for over 40 years. Over his years of service, he has served in the roles of Company Captain, First Lieutenant and Battalion Fire Chief of the Danbury Volunteer Fire Battalion 31. He also was, for many years, the President of the Danbury Volunteer Firemen’s Council. In 2008, he was honored as the Danbury Volunteer Firemen’s Council’s “Firefighter of the Year”.

At the regional and state levels, Charles Coakley was a long-time member of the Fairfield County Fire Chiefs Association and served as their Secretary for a number of years. He also was an active member of the Connecticut State Firefighters Irregulars Association, also serving that organization as its Secretary.

Outside the Fire Service, he was very active in youth sports circles. A former President of the Danbury Youth Baseball, he was awarded their Highest Appreciation Reward in 2012. He has also served as the President of the Western Connecticut Umpires Association and as Treasurer of the Danbury Industrial Softball League.

Robert F. Duval

At the time of his Hall of Fame Induction, Chief Robert F. Duval had over 40 years of service with the Atwood Hose Fire Company of the Village of Wauregan, located within the Town of Plainfield. His first officer role began in 1992, with the rank of Lieutenant. He then progressed through the chairs, ultimately achieving the rank of Chief in 2012.

During the years of 2020-2021, he served a very active and dedicated role as the President of the Connecticut Fire Chiefs Association.
His State Certifications include Firefighter I, II and III, Fire Instructor I, Fire Officer I and Emergency Medical Technician.

He also has many years of service with the Connecticut State Urban Search and Rescue Task Force, in the role of being a Communications Specialist, and, also, as the Windham County Fire Coordinator.

Chief Duval has also served the Connecticut Fire Academy, as an Instructor, specializing in such subject areas as Safety and Survival, Rapid Intervention, Strategy and Tactics, Incident Safety Officer, Rural Water Supply and Tanker Operations. He has also worked, since 1986, as an Emergency 911 Dispatcher at the Quinebaug Valley Emergency Communications Center.

From 1986-1997, Chief Duval was employed by Factory Mutual Insurance, where he was a Factory Engineer, specializing in Loss Prevention in large industrial, commercial and educational facilities, while simultaneously doing extensive research in Fire Sprinkler Protection. He then went to work for the National Fire Protection Association, first as a Fire Investigator and then serving as their Northeast Regional Director.

In 1999, he received special recognition from the Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives for his participation in the creation of the Interfire Virtual Reality Fire Investigations Platform.

William Eyberse

William Eyberse joined the Yantic Fire Engine Co. 1, located in Norwich, in 1977. Over his years of service, he held the ranks of Rescue Lieutenant, Fire Lieutenant, Fire Captain (two separate terms), 2nd Assistant Chief, Deputy Fire Chief and two terms as their Chief of Department.

Additionally, he is trained and certified and serves as the Fire Marshal for the Town of Franklin. He also worked for, and retired from, the State of Connecticut’s Department of Transportation, where he was an Electrician.

He holds multiple training certifications including Emergency Medical Technician, Firefighter (I, II and III), , Fire Instructor (I, II and III), Fire Officer, Confined Space Rescue, Trench Rescue, Junior Fire Setter Intervention Specialist I and many other programs from the National and Connecticut Fire Academies. He is well known, throughout Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island, for his instruction of numerous OSHA Compliance Courses, throughout those areas.

He is a long-time member of the New London County Fire Chiefs Association and holds the distinction of having been named as one of their Life Members. He also served on the Connecticut State Firefighters Association’s Education Committee, for many years, and served a term working as their Committee Secretary.

William “Bill” Eyberse may be best known for his commitment to the Eastern Connecticut Regional Fire School, which serves numerous Departments throughout New London, Windham and Tolland Counties. At the time of his Hall of Fame induction, he had served on their Board of Directors for more than 20 years. During those years, that Board worked extensively to design, obtain State Bonding Funds and finally, the construction of a totally new, state-of-the-art facility, in Willimantic. He worked closely with the Construction Committee, for that project, and then accepted the role position as the School’s Director.

Donald E. Griffin

During his Fire Service Career, Donald E. Griffin proudly served both the University of Connecticut Fire Department and the Hebron Volunteer Fire Department. He worked at UConn for nearly twenty years, retiring with the rank of Assistant Chief. As a member of the Hebron Fire Department, for over 60 years, he filled many roles, including being Fire Chief for 25 years and Fire Marshal for 26 years. He was also a member of the Connecticut State Police Auxiliary and was a Hebron Constable.

A Past President of the Connecticut State Firefighters Association, Chief Griffin also served that organization as a County Vice President and as a member of their Credentials Committee.

Over the course of his career, he held active memberships and roles in the Connecticut Drill Instructors Association, the Connecticut Fire Chiefs Association, the Connecticut Fire Marshals Association and the New England Fire Marshals Association.

Additionally, he was a Member and Past President of the Willimantic-Windham-Tolland Firemen’s Association and was one of the original organizers of the Eastern Connecticut Regional Fire School.

Among his awards were a Connecticut General Assembly Resolution recognizing his 50 years of Fire Service and a Fire Prevention Award from the Connecticut Fire Marshals Association.

William J. Hackett

William J. Hackett began his public service career with the Branford Fire Department as a Career Firefighter, Emergency Medical Technician, Training Coordinator, Union President and, ultimately retiring, as their Deputy Fire Chief.

He is the holder of numerous State and National Certifications and is the recipient of several commendations and awards for line-of-duty performances, including recognition for three, separate Life Saving events.

Following his retirement from Branford, he served American Medical Response as their Manager of Statewide Communications.

Later, he became the Emergency Management Director for the State of Connecticut, Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection. During his service with the State, there was a time when he simultaneously served as the agency’s Deputy Commissioner, Acting Commissioner and the Governor’s Homeland Security Advisor. He was also appointed to the State E-911 Commission and was the Co-Chair of the United States Coast Guard Sector Long Island Sound Area Maritime Security Committee.

He was designated as the State Coordinating Officer for thirteen Presidential Major Disaster Declarations, during three different gubernatorial administrations, and was instrumental with integrating Federal Emergency Management Agency programs, into state managed disasters, by developing a Disaster Recovery Unit. He also coordinated the State’s implementation of the national first responder, wireless broadband communication network, known as FirstNet, and led the first successful national accreditation and re-accreditation of the State’s Emergency Management and Homeland Security Programs.

He also served on the Board of Directors of the National Emergency Management Association, chaired the Northeast States Emergency Consortium and was on the Board of Directors of the International Emergency Management Group, with consisted of the New England States and the Eastern Canadian Provinces.

At the time of his retirement from the State of Connecticut, he was the longest serving Connecticut State Emergency Management Director and was the senior-most Emergency Management Director in the entire United States. He was also awarded the State of Connecticut, Military Department, Civilian Medal of Merit and was appointed, by the Governor and Adjutant General, as an Honorary Colonel in the Connecticut Army National Guard.

After leaving his position with the State of Connecticut, William Hackett joined the full-time faculty at the University of New Haven as an Adjunct Faculty Member and Lecturer in the Fire Science, Homeland Security and Emergency Management Programs.

Ralph A. Humphrey

Ralph Humphrey served with the Morris Volunteer Fire Department for over 50 years. During those years of service, he held numerous ranks and roles within that Department, including Lieutenant, Captain, Deputy Chief, Chief, President, Vice President and Secretary.

As Chief, he was instrumental in starting a successful, long-range plan to update their Apparatus and instituted their Emergency Medical Services/Fire Responder Program, which then led to the obtaining of their first ambulance to protect the town’s residents.

A certified Firefighter I and Emergency Medical Technician, he is also fondly remembered for his strong advocacy and futuristic visions, supporting frequent and active training opportunities for the members of the Morris Department.

At the County level, Chief Humphrey served on the Board of Directors of Litchfield County Dispatch. He also served on the School and Nominating Committees of the Litchfield County Fire Chiefs Emergency Plan and served as their President from 1985-1986.

A longtime member of the Connecticut State Firefighters Irregulars Association, he also actively served on the Merit Awards and Convention Credentials Committee of the Connecticut State Firefighters Association.

Chief Humphrey was honored as being the Morris Volunteer Fire Department’s Firefighter of the Year and was recognized, in 2008, by the Connecticut State Governor, and Legislature, for his 50 years of active service and volunteerism.

Robert E. Massicotte

Robert E. Massicotte, Jr. became a Firefighter with the Waterbury Fire Department in 1979. He moved through the ranks, first as a Lieutenant, then served as their Director of Training and achieved the rank of Fire Chief in 1997, serving in that position until his retirement in 2000. During his service years, he also acted as the Department’s Hazardous Materials Branch Officer and as an Incident Scene Safety Officer.

Chief Massicotte is credited with many milestones, during his years of service in Waterbury, including, but not limited to designing and implementing their Incident Management System, Standard Operating Procedures, Technical Rescue Training, Recruit Firefighter Training, Standard Operating Procedures, Driver Training, a Post Incident Analysis Program, an Accountability System and a Home Fire Safety Inspection Program.

In 2006, Chief Massicotte returned to duty, serving until 2009 as the Deputy Fire Marshal for the Town of Plymouth.

During his years of active service, he achieved countless professional accreditations and certifications at both the state and national levels. He also earned an Associates Degree, in Criminal Justice, from Mattutuck Community College; an Associate Degree in Science, Fire Technology and Administration, from Waterbury State Technical College, as well as both a Bachelor of Science, Fire Technology Degree and a Master of Science, Fire Science Degree from the University of New Haven.

Robert Massicotte is also respected for his numerous instructional roles that have influenced countless numbers of fire service students. From 1994-2005 he was the Director of the Wolcott Regional Fire School. He served the National Fire Academy as a Contract Instructor; the International Association of Fire Fighters as a Master Trainer; the Naugatuck Valley Technical Community College as an Adjunct Faculty Member; the Connecticut Fire Academy as an Instructor; the Charter Oak State College as a Core Faculty Member in Math, Science and Technology; the University of New Haven in the roles of Practitioner-In-Residence and Assistant Professor – Chair of the Fire Science and Professional Studies Department and the Florida State College at Jacksonville, as a Professor of Fire Science Technology.

In 1993, he was named as the Firefighter of the Year, by the Connecticut State Firefighters Association, and, in 2000, as the Connecticut Fire Department Instructors Association’s Instructor of the Year. He also served on the Connecticut Fire Apparatus Safety Task Force, as their Chairperson, and on the 1996 Legislative Task Force on Firefighter Training. He held active memberships in the Connecticut Fire Chiefs Association and the Connecticut Fire Department Instructors Association.

Additionally, in the greater Waterbury area, he was a Member of the Board of Directors of the local Red Cross Chapter and the Waterbury Local Emergency Management Planning Committee.

Alan Olenick

At the time of his induction, Alan Olenick had served with the Lebanon Volunteer Fire Department for over 45 years. During those many years, he held numerous ranks – including Apparatus Engineer, Fire Lieutenant, Fire Captain, Second Assistant Fire Chief and First Assistant Fire Chief.

During his years with the Lebanon Fire Department, he has been named as one of their Life Members, has been the recipient of several Lifesaving Awards, received their Longevity Bell Award and has been named as one of their Top Ten Responders for 45 consecutive years.

Additionally, beginning in 2001, he actively served as a member of the Connecticut Interstate Fire Crew. He has been a member of numerous Wildfire Deployments throughout the United States and Canada.

Among his key educational accomplishments, he is certified as an Emergency Medical Technician, Firefighter I, Firefighter II, Firefighter III, Fire Service Instructor, Fire Officer I, Hazardous Materials Technician, NIMS (100, 200, 300, and 700) and “Q Endorsement” Train the Trainer. He has also taken numerous Life Safety Code, Hazardous Materials and Self- Contained Breathing Apparatus Maintenance courses. Additionally, he is also certified by the State of Connecticut as a Fire Marshal.

Olenick has always been considered as an outstanding mentor to numerous new, younger members of the Department, many of whom have then moved on to career firefighting positions. He is also known as a strong advocate for training, whether it be at the Eastern Connecticut Regional Fire School, the Connecticut Fire Academy, the National Fire Academy or numerous other venues.

He is also credited for having been very instrumental in identifying locations for Dry Fire Hydrants, and their maintenance, throughout the Lebanon District. Additionally, he is certified and instructs Department Members on the safe operation of their two boats, which respond to emergencies at three lakes within their jurisdiction.

A Life Member of the New London County Fire Chiefs Association, he has served that organization, with utmost dedication, serving on their Parade Committee, their Audit Committee and holding the offices of Sergeant at Arms, Second Vice President, First Vice President and President.

Mark Sekorski

Mark Sekorski first joined the Terryville Fire Department, in the Town of Plymouth, in 1977. Before being elected to the Chief’s position in 1994, he served that Department in many front-line capacities, including Lieutenant, Captain and Assistant Chief.

Very active in many Fire Service Organizations, Chief Sekorski’s memberships include the National Fire Protection Association, the Waterbury Area Fire Chiefs Association, the Litchfield County Fire Chiefs Association and the Connecticut State Firefighters Association.

Additionally, he has served on the Educational Committee for the Wolcott Regional Fire School, the Cheshire Regional Fire School Building Committee, the Terryville Fire Department Station 2 Building Committee and the Town of Plymouth Communication Committee.

Outside of the Fire Service, he is very active with Parish of St. Casimir Church, the Bristol Fish and Game Club, the Sons of the American Legion and the Jacqueline Rod and Gun Club.

In 1989, he was awarded a Citation for Life Saving, from the Connecticut State Firefighters Association, for his actions performed at a Motor Vehicle Accident, with entrapment and fire, which he did before the arrival of any other first responders.

Additionally, Chief Sekorski has been recognized with the 2004 Plymouth Chamber of Commerce Distinguished Volunteer Award and, in 2012, he was named the Republican Party Volunteer of the Year.

Nomination Forms are encouraged and are available by clicking this link. Nominations can be submitted at any time. Traditionally, there is a cutoff date, during the month of November. Nominations are then reviewed and those selected, for induction, are notified during the following January. The annual induction dinner/ceremony is traditionally held the following April. The submitted nomination packet describes the nominee’s positions, deeds, accomplishments, awards of distinction, lengths of service and other pertinent information – including, but not limited to other worthwhile community services and recognitions.

Headshots may be submitted by email to webmaster@csfa.org.