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 2024

Gary S. Allyn

At the time of his Hall of Fame Induction, Chief Gary Allyn had over 48 years of Fire and Emergency Management Service. He began with the Baltic Volunteer Fire Company (Sprague), from 1975-1977; the Oakdale Volunteer Fire Company, from 1977-1987 and the Gardner Lake Volunteer Fire Company (Salem) from 1984-1987.
From 1984 to 1988, he served as a Firefighter/Emergency Medical Technician with the Electric Boat Fire Department, in Groton.
In 1988, Allyn was appointed to the West Hartford Fire Department. In 1995, he was promoted to Captain; then in 1997, he was promoted to Assistant Chief of Planning. In 1998 he was made as their Assistant Chief of Operations and ultimately was named as their Fire Chief/Fire Marshal/Emergency Management Director in 2011 – a position that he dedicated himself to until 2018. While with West Hartford, he achieved multiple accomplishments, including successfully obtaining various financial grants, researched, and developed specifications for fire resistive Station Uniforms and Firefighting Clothing, developed their Automated External Defibrillation Program, established their computer and software systems and secured the donation of a used truck, for the creation of the Department’s first Special Hazards Response Unit.
Gary Allyn also worked as a Firefighter/Paramedic, with the Mohegan Tribal Fire Department, from 1996-2009.
His Emergency Medical roles also included working for American Ambulance Service (Norwich) from 1985 to 2003 and serving as the EMS Education Coordinator at W.W. Backus Hospital (also in Norwich), from 1989 to 2007.
A member of the United States Department of Health & Human Services National Disaster Medical System, he has responded to multiple natural disasters, throughout the country.
Also known for his dedication to Firefighter Education, Allyn was an Adjunct Faculty and Field Instructor for the Connecticut Fire Academy, from 1989 until 2010, where his teaching focused on fire related, rescue, hazardous material and command skills. While with the Fire Academy, he co-developed the multi-discipline Hazardous Materials Awareness curriculum and the Hazardous Materials Operational training curriculum for emergency medical responders.
Chief Allyn holds several college degrees, including one in Safety Engineering, from Warren National University, Fire Technology and Administration, from Thames Valley Technical College, and Fire Administration from the University of New Haven. He is a Nationally Registered and a Connecticut Certified Paramedic; a National Fire Academy Executive Fire Officer; Certified Fire Service Instructor I & II; Fire Officer I & II; Safety Officer; Hazardous Materials Technician; Pump and Aerial Operator; Firefighter I, II and III; Certified Connecticut Fire Marshal, Fire Safety Code Inspector and Fire Investigator and a state Emergency Medical Services Instructor, plus many others.
He also served on the Selection Committee for the Connecticut Urban Search and Rescue Task Force, developed the first Statewide Nerve Agent Antidote Kit Training & Deployment Program, served on the DEMHS Working Group to fund, equip and build out the Regional HazMat Teams and on the DESPP Communications Committee, during the process of partnering with FirstNet.
Gary Allyn has been a member of the National Fire Protection Association, the International Association of Fire Chiefs, the International Association of Emergency Managers, the All Hazards Incident Management Team Association, the Capital Region Emergency Planning Council, the Connecticut Fire Department Instructors Association, the Connecticut Incident Management Team, the Connecticut Public Employer Labor Relations Association, the International Association of Arson Investigators, the Town of Montville Public Safety Commission and the Uncas Health District.

James Gies

At the time of his Induction, James Gies had served the Connecticut Fire Service for 51 consecutive years. He first started his Fire Service career, in 1972, with the Newtown Hook & Ladder Company, was an active member there, for 16 years, and rose through the ranks to Assistant Chief.
He then moved to Oxford and joined the Oxford Center Fire Company, where he is still active today. He served Oxford Center, as a Captain, and is still active in their training presentations. Also, at the time of his Induction, he is also the Fire Marshal for the Town of Oxford.
James Gies also served as a Career Firefighter with the Wilton Fire Department, from 1978 to 2018. He was ultimately promoted to the rank of Captain/Shift Commander and retired, while holding that position. While in Wilton, he was instrumental in creating many training programs and also served as an Active Member of the Fairfield Regional Haz-Mat Team.
Upon retiring from Wilton, he was hired by the Naugatuck Fire Department, as their Deputy Fire Marshal and served them until September of 2023.
A dedicated Fire Service Trainer, Gies started as an Instructor with the Wolcott Fire School, in 1982. He is credited with developing the early Firefighter I, II and III Programs.
He also served the Fairfield Fire School,as an Instructor, and was their Lead Instructor for the Pump Operator Program. He was instrumental in creating that program, which is still being used, throughout the State. He also instructs Officer Level Classes, as well as Fire Attack.
For several years, James Gies also taught for the Connecticut Fire Academy. During those years, he trained hundreds of Connecticut Firefighters and unselfishly and discreetly mentored the CFA’s staff. It is often said that his knowledge and abilities, as well as the way he flawlessly articulates the pertinent subject matter, is unmatched by anyone.

David G. Heiney, Sr.

David G Heiney Sr. joined the Old Saybrook Fire Co. # 1 on April 6, 1976.  David moved up the officer ranks from probationary firefighter and eventually serving as Chief of the department from 1999-2002.

After leaving serving as Chief, Past Chief Heiney participated in numerous committees that fostered personnel recruitment, progressive fire strategy seminars, and internal department training programs. He was a second-generation firefighter, following in the footsteps of his father.  David was credited for his leadership with the department’s recruitment efforts.  These efforts transformed the organization into an exceptionally well-staffed and well-trained department. This effort also resulted in the Old Saybrook Fire Co. #1 with an award presentation from Firehouse Magazine. David believed that your best personnel resources were from “positive words of mouth “by their members and from the firefighter families, themselves. This was evident with the fostering of his twin sons and their passion for the fire service. David also believed that the firefighting community needed the support of their families.  He believed this was a critical element in the success and availability of the department ‘s fire personnel.

 David liked to plan, he believed planning, preparation, and practice, had positive results. He believed there needed to be understanding of the problem, practicing for skill proficiency, and an ability to have trust in your training.  One of the events that helped fostering that concept, was the Firefighter competition, which David chaired.  This competition provided firefighters from the “Valley Shore” area, the opportunity to compete against each other in competitive events modeled after various firefighting skills. This event also allowed the event teams, family members, and audiences from neighboring town departments the ability to interact with each other and build an “esprit de corps” on the competition field. 

David liked to solve problems.  After a tragic motor vehicle accident, the town of Old Saybrook recognized a need for supplementary equipment and purchased a “Jaws of Life” rescue system.  David assumed the leadership role in organizing a rescue entity, and obtained all the necessary tool specific training that was available. His work on that project earned the title of “Jaws”, which he proudly wore of his gear. David also is credited with his participation in the creation of the Old Saybrook Fire Department Award system. This system has been used as a foundation throughout the Valley Shore Mutual Aide Association departments, for their award recognition programs.

One of David’s biggest contributions to the Connecticut firefighting and EMS services, was the establishment in 2007, of the website CTFIREEMS.COM. This site was a forum that provided firefighter and EMS providers the ability to share information on the “tools of the trade”, topics such as training, job postings, major event, job interview preparation, along with a multitude of other topics related to the Fire and Emergency services. This site brought conversational topics to over 7,500 members of Fire and EMS communities.

On December 29, 2010, Past Chief Heiney responded to a report of a woman in the water in Long Island sound, off the Knollwood Beach pier. Past Chief Heiney arrived first. In civilian clothing, without the benefit of cold-water rescue equipment, he entered the frigid water, swam to the victim, and brought her to shore and eventual safety. At the 2011 Connecticut State Firefighters Convention, Past Chief Heiney was awarded the Connecticut State Firefighters Association’s Medal for Bravery. Over his years of service with the Old Saybrook Co. #1, he was awarded the department Bravery Medal, Firefighter Service Commendation Ribbon, 2 Unit Citations and named the department’s Firefighter of the Year.

Kenneth Jeffery

Kenneth Jeffery proudly served both the U.S. Navy Submarine Base Fire Department, in Groton, as well as the Windsor Locks Fire Department.
In his 27 years of service with the Sub Base, he began as a Firefighter and ultimately served as their Assistant Chief of Operations, on B Shift. He was involved in the base’s first HazMat Team and helped in their training and equipment acquisitions.
In Windsor Locks, he also moved through the ranks and achieved the rank of Chief of Department. With this Department, he devotedly worked on the procurement of new apparatus and, on the state-wide level, promoted the institution of grant projects to improve emergency operations for both Career and Volunteer Departments.
One of his biggest accomplishments was working with Connecticut State Senator Cathy Cook, to obtain Thermal Imaging Cameras for all of Connecticut’s Fire Departments, before these expensive cameras were widely available. This effort succeeded, in 2003, when Governor John Rowland allocated 3 Million Dollars, to purchase 325 of these devices for use by Career and Volunteer Fire Departments, statewide.
Firefighter Training was also one of Chief Jeffery’s commitments. As such, he faithfully served as a Senior Adjunct Instructor at the Connecticut Fire Academy. He held certifications as a Fire Officer III, Fire Inspector II, Fire Instructor II, Emergency Medical Technician and as a HazMat Technician
During his career, Kenneth Jeffery held membership and leadership positions with the International Association of Fire Chiefs, the Groton Fire Officers Association and the New London County Fire Chiefs Association.
He was the recipient of the U.S. Navy Meritorius Unit Citation, for his command role in the December, 1987 multiple-alarm fire on the Sub Base.
Unfortunately, while in the prime of his service, Chief Jeffery was the victim of a Line of Duty Death, suffering a fatal cardiac event after returning from an incident at the Sub Base. As a result, he is enshrined at the Connecticut Firefighters Memorial, at the Connecticut Fire Academy in Windsor Locks, the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation Memorial, in Emmitsburg, Maryland and the International Association of Firefighters Memorial in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

T. William McAllister

William (“Bill”) McAllister dedicated many years, of his long and diversified Fire Service Career, to the Connecticut State Firefighters Association (CSFA), ultimately serving as the Association’s President in 2004.

Born and raised in Danbury, he served with several Connecticut Fire Departments. Over the time of his dedicated career, he worked with the Woodbury Fire Department (achieving the rank of Deputy Chief), Wooster Hose Company #5 – Danbury (serving as Executive Lieutenant), the Hawleyville Fire Company, of Newtown, (as a Captain and Training Officer), the Newtown Hook and Ladder Company (3^rd Assistant Chief), the Botsford Fire Company, also of Newtown, (as their 1^st Assistant Chief and Training Officer), the Bethel Fire Department (Assistant Chief), and the King Street Volunteer Fire Company, of Danbury (Chief).  The Morris Volunteer Fire Department has also named him as an Honorary Member, in appreciation for all his training efforts performed, on their behalf.

He also faithfully served with the Waterbury Fire Department, from 1986-2014, achieving the rank of Lieutenant, and with the State of Connecticut, Department of Developmental Services, Southbury Training School’s Fire Department in the roles of Fire Officer, EMT-I and Teacher in the Staff Development Division.

William McAllister holds both a Bachelors Degree, in Political Science, from Iona College, and an Associate of Science Degree, in Fire Protection Technology, from Waterbury State Technical College.  He also worked as an Emergency Services Instructor, for Command Educational Systems, and as the sole proprietor of the Firemen’s Fuel Home Heating Oil firm.

In addition to his service with the CSFA, he also actively served as a member of the Connecticut Fire Service Instructors Association and the Litchfield County Fire Chiefs Emergency Plan.  Additionally, he served as the Litchfield County Deputy Fire Coordinator for 17 years.  He also faithfully served on the Danbury City Council, as Chairman of the St. Peter School Advisory Board, on the Board of Directors of the Danbury War Memorial and as a Youth Basketball Coach with St. Peter School.

Among his special awards, Bill was named as the Bethel Fire Department’s Firefighter of the Year, was twice named as the Danbury Volunteer Firemen Association’s Firefighter of the Year and received many nominations, both at the state and local levels, for Bravery Life Safety and Unit Citations.

Brian Rykowski

At the time of his Induction into the Hall of Fame, Brian Rykowski was a veteran of some 46 years in Public Safety, beginning in 1975, as a member, and later as the Captain of the Watertown Civil Defense Rescue Squad. Then, in 1976, he also became a member of the Watertown Auxiliary Police. In 1978, he was hired by the Glastonbury Police Department.
While in Glastonbury, he began working towards his true passion…the Fire Service, with the Glastonbury Volunteer Fire Department. In 1980, he responded to a multiple alarm fire, in the town’s Board of Education Building. When he and his crew entered the building, they discovered a hole in the floor and could hear the ‘low air alarm’ sounding from the breathing apparatus of a Firefighter that had fallen, through the burned-out floor, into the basement. Using their hose line, by looping it into the basement, they were able to pull the Firefighter out of the basement and into safety. Brian Rykowski, and his crew, received a Life Saving Award for these heroic actions.
In 1983, his dream was achieved when he was appointed as a Career Firefighter for the City of West Hartford, ultimately achieving the rank of Lieutenant. At one point, during his service there, he was temporarily assigned to the West Hartford Training Division, where he helped to review and update their Hazardous Materials Contingency Plan and provided in-depth Hazardous Materials Training to their staff. Commensurately, he also started working as a part-time Inspector with the Glastonbury Fire Marshals Office. While working in the Glastonbury Fire Marshal’s Office, he helped to develop the town’s Hazardous Materials Contingency Plan and served as Chairman of the town’s first Emergency Planning Committee.
During that same period, Brian Rykowski became an Instructor with the Connecticut Fire Academy. His outstanding commitment to Haz-Mat training also played heavily in his role there. He helped to develop their initial Hazardous Materials – Operational Training Program. He also developed the agency’s initial Carbon Monoxide Training Program, and, was eventually named as the Chief Instructor of the Fire Academy’s Hazardous Materials Technician Program.
In 1993, Rykowski was appointed as Assistant Chief of the East Hartford Fire Department. While there, he worked diligently on their Large Diameter Hose and Personal Protective Clothing Improvement Programs, as well as their Apparatus Replacement Program. Unfortunately, in 2002, his diagnosis with Multiple Sclerosis, forced his unplanned retirement from East Hartford Fire.
Then, beginning in 2004, he served as a Supervisor at the City of Hartford Public Safety Dispatch Center.
He also has been a member of the Capitol Region Emergency Planning Council, the ESF-19 Functional Needs Sub-Committee and the initial Capitol Region Incident Management Team (CT-IMT-3). He also serves Manchester’s C.E.R.T/Fire Police Team as their Training Coordinator.
Brian Rykowski was a Charter Member of the Hazardous Materials Networking Awareness Committee, or, as they were known as…The “HAZMANIACS”! He was hired, by the First Alert Corporation, to provide carbon monoxide detector activation and response training, nationwide. As a result of that program, he received the HAZMANIAC of the Year Award and the Connecticut Fire Department Instructors Association’s Instructor of the Year Award.

Leslie L. Schull, Jr.

2024 Inductee Les Shull is a well-known Connecticut Fire Service Icon, not only for his firefighting activities and leadership, in Eastern Connecticut, but also, statewide, for his unmatched dedication to Fire Service Training.
Early in his Fire Service History, Les Shull started out as a Firefighter with the Ewansville and East Hampton, New Jersey Fire Departments.
Then, in 1975, through 1976, he was a Fire & Safety Inspector at the Millstone Nuclear Power Plant, in Waterford.
Beginning in September of 1976, he served the Niantic Fire Department as a Firefighter/Driver/Emergency Medical Technician, serving there until 1985.
From September, 1985 through March, 1986, he was a Firefighter/EMT at the Naval Warfare Center, in New London.
He then started a long and notable career serving at the U.S. Navy’s Submarine Base Fire Department, in Groton, starting out as a Firefighter/EMT. In 1988, he was promoted to the rank of Lead Firefighter (Fire Captain). This role had the responsibilities of being a Team Leader, Fire Department Supply Officer and Shift Training Coordinator. Then, in 1995, he achieved the rank of Assistant Fire Chief/Training Officer. Associated with this position, he served as the Fire Department Safety Officer, Hazardous Materials Officer, Assistant Confined Space Manager, Infectious Disease Control Officer, Hazardous Waste Coordinator and Waste Water Coordinator. From June, 2003 through January, 2004, he held the rank of Deputy Fire Chief, where he was second-in-command of the Department. He was then named Assistant Fire Chief/Shift Commander, ultimately retiring in 2008.
Chief Shull also has had a long-dedicated tenure with several Volunteer Fire Departments. From 2010 to 2015, he worked with the Baltic Fire Department, ultimately holding the rank of Fire Chief. There, he was honored with the title of “Life Member”.
Beginning in 2015, to the time of his Hall of Fame Induction, Leslie Shull served with the Occum Volunteer Fire Department, filling many roles and ultimately serving as their Deputy Chief.
His dedication to Fire Service Training is unparalleled. In 1975, he became an Instructor at the Eastern Connecticut Fire School, in Willimantic, and, in 1985, he joined the faculty of the Connecticut Fire Academy, as an Adjunct Instructor. He continued to serve in both of these roles, when he was inducted into the Hall of Fame.
A recipient of an Associates Degree, in Fire Science, from Thames Valley State Technical College, he has also successfully completely a vast assortment of certifications and subject-specific training programs, including, but not limited to Fire Marshal, Fire Investigator, Fire Inspector 2, Fire Officer 4, Fire Instructor 3, Telecommunicator, Hazardous Materials Incident Commander; Technician; Operations; Awareness; Safety Officer and Tank Car Specialist. He also has received a number of Department of Defense, Fire & Emergency Services Certifications.
Additionally, his commitment to Firefighter and Public Safety is shown with his Chairmanship of the of the Connecticut Division of Emergency Management and Homeland Security’s Region 4 Incident Management Team and active memberships with the Connecticut Eastern Region Integrated HazMat Team, the National Fire Protection Association, the Connecticut Fire Department Instructors Association, the Connecticut Fire Chiefs Association, the New London County Fire Chiefs Association, the Eastern Connecticut Fire School Instructors Association, the Tri-Town Local Emergency Planning Committee, the Town of Groton Emergency Planning Committee, the Town of Ledyard Local Emergency Planning Committee and the Groton Fire Officer Association.
Over his many years of dedication, he has also received several honors, including being named a Life Member of the New London County Fire Chiefs Association, receiving the Connecticut Fire Instructor of the Year Award, the James Manser Award, the Structural Firefighter of the Year Award, the U.S. Navy’s Special Act of Service Award (5 times), the Meritorius Civilian Service Award and countless Letters of Commendation and Appreciation.

William Seward

William Seward III is a resident of the Town of North Branford and served as their Fire Chief from 2005-2022. He is a Magna Cum Laude graduate of the University of New Haven, with degrees in Occupational Safety and Fire Science Administration.  He is also a licensed Paramedic and is an Instructor with the Connecticut Commission on Fire Prevention and Control’s Connecticut Fire Academy.

His 45 years of dedicated emergency experience includes his service with the City of New Haven’s Fire Department (1978-2008) serving there as a Firefighter, Firefighter-Paramedic, Lieutenant, Assistant Drill Master, Captain and ultimately retired as their Director of Training.

During his career in New Haven, he responded to more than 350 multiple alarm fires and extraordinary incidents, including two bombings; ship, high-rise and church fires; fatal incidents; technical rescues and suspicious threats alongside the New Haven and State Police Bomb Squads.  He implemented many new training programs and improved their level of hazmat response, after the 9/11 Incidents.  Under the direction of the city’s administration, he was designated as the Fire Department Coordinator for the Regional Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI) Program.  This program awarded the city, and the contiguous jurisdiction, approximately $7.2 million dollars toward improving emergency response to critical incidents.

After his retirement from New Haven, he became the Chief of the North Branford Fire Department, where he was responsible for the management, administration, and control of their daily Fire Department operations.  This included planning, coordination, organization, direction and supervision of fire suppression, prevention, rescue, training activities and emergency medical treatment and transportation.

While with the North Branford Department, Chief Seward improved the town’s level of fire protection from an ISO Class 4/9 to a Class 4/4Y, implemented a fire department based – paramedic level medical transport service, initiated a joint police/fire investigative task force, acquired two Heavy Rescue Units, which were equipped with specialized technical rescue and hazardous material response equipment.  Additionally, his efforts to improve town services branched out to receiving more than $1.5 million dollars, in federal grants, for equipment and training, activating a drone program and most importantly, spear-heading a project to construct a state-of-the-art fire training facility for the fire department, using local bonding sources.  Prior to his retirement, he was instrumental in making way to acquire a new, digital, state-based communications system.

Chief Seward has served on numerous state and regional homeland security committees, coordinated a Regional Hazmat Team and served as a co-chair of the regional communications group.

Bill is also a certified Ice Hockey Referee, officiating high school, prep school, youth and college levels of play.  He also referees and actively plays adult hockey.

Above all, his favorite activity, by far, is playing the bagpipes.  He is the Pipe Sergeant with the New Haven County Firefighters Emerald Society’s Pipes and Drums and is overwhelmingly generous, in his talents, playing for both fire service and civilian events, ceremonies, funerals and parades, throughout the area, state and nation.

Keith B. Victor

Keith B. Victor served with the City of Hartford’s Fire Department from 1968-1994, retiring as a Firefighter/Pump Operator.  He also served the United States Air Force, for four years, as an Air Freight Specialist and member of the Alaskan Air Command Band.  While stationed in Alaska, he also served as a Volunteer Firefighter, in the Town of Muldoon, and was the recipient of a Certificate of Appreciation from Alaska Governor William Egan.

Beginning in 1971, Keith Victor founded and published the “Alarm Room News” for twenty years.  This newsletter was distributed on a monthly basis and was a treasure trove of information on news about Connecticut’s Fire Departments, New Apparatus Deliveries and recent Fire Calls.  He also authored a book that was titled “The Tillered Aerials of Connecticut and Western Massachusetts” and co-authored “The Official Scanner Guide of Connecticut Frequencies”.

Keith Victor is known, both locally and nationally, for his expertise in emergency service communications radios and dispatch center planning and presents training classes, and serves as a communications system consultant, throughout the United States.  At the time of his induction, he served as the Communications System Manager for the City of West Hartford.  He also is a Federal Communications Commission Licensing and Radio Frequency Specialist and a Connecticut Statewide Communications Instructor.  He also represents the Lafayette Group as a Public Safety National Communications Training and Repair Presenter.

He is a Connecticut Certified Emergency Medical Technician, a certified Firefighter I and II

He has held memberships in the Connecticut Fire Service Instructors Association, the International Society of Fire Service Instructors, the Hartford Citywide Fire Buff Club, the Connecticut Fire Photographers Association and is a Charter Member of the Connecticut Firemen’s Historical Society.

Keith Victor has served as the Chairman of the FEMA Region 1 RECC Working Group, Chairman of the ESF-2 Regional Emergency Communications, as a member of the Capital Region Council of Governments and was a founder of the Hartford and South Central Intercity Radio Networks.  He also serves on the Connecticut State Fire Rescue Disaster Response Plan, worked with the Hartford County Fire School, served as a Regional Representative to the Statewide Interoperability Radio Committee, the Statewide Executive Interoperability Committee and as an appointee to the Statewide Technical Advisory Committee.

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.