CSFA Hall of Fame Class of 2018
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 2018
Thomas Bartram
Thomas Bartram, from Sharon, at the time of his Hall of Fame Induction, had served with the Sharon Fire Department for over 45 years…serving in a number of offices and ranks, including Department President, Fire Chief, Ambulance Captain, 1st Lieutenant, Training Officer and Safety Officer.
A certified Firefighter I, Fire Officer I, Pump Operator, Aerial Operator and Emergency Medical Technician, he has also served on the Town of Sharon’s Board of Selectmen and Board of Finance and has also been the town’s Civil Preparedness Director.
Chief Bartram is a State Fire Instructor, as well as being on the teaching staff of the Litchfield County Regional Fire School.
A long time participant with the Litchfield County Fire Chiefs Emergency Plan, he has served that organization as its 1st Vice President, 2nd Vice President, President and as a member of their School Committee.
He has been recognized by being awarded the Sharon Fire Department’s 45 Year, Length of Service Award.
Wayne J. Bindas
Wayne J. Bindas, a resident of Granby, has served with Connecticut Fire Services, both as a Career and Volunteer, for over 4 decades.
On the Career Side, starting in the 1970’s, he was appointed as a Firefighter for the City of Hartford’s Fire Department, moving up the ladder, serving as an Apparatus Driver, Lieutenant, Captain, District Chief and, at the time of his retirement, serving as their Deputy Chief of Training.
His volunteer roles were with two Departments – Lost Acres (Granby) and East Granby. With Lost Acres, he served as a Firefighter and Chief of Department and with East Granby, as a Firefighter and Deputy Chief.
Training has always been a hallmark of Chief Bindas’ career. From the early days, teaching ‘Essentials of Firemanship’ at the Hartford County Regional Fire School, to holding Firefighter I and Firefighter II classes, at Stations in Granby, Blue Hills and Avon, he has been a legendary trainer in the Hartford area. His impact, however, has been felt statewide. From years of instructing for the Connecticut Fire Academy’s Self Contained Breathing Apparatus Maze, to over two decades of teaching Hazardous Materials Courses, he has been a prolific educator and contributor to the skill and ability of many of our State’s Firefighters. He also has taken those skills to the national level, teaching for the National Fire Academy for a number of years, as well as sharing his knowledge, to classes in such diverse locales as Montana and Vermont.
Edward F. Flynn, Jr.
Edward F. Flynn, Jr. was appointed to the New Haven Fire Department in March of 1962. Moving through the ranks of Lieutenant, Director of Planning and Information, Captain and Battalion Chief, he retired after 36 years of service.
During his years of service with the NHFD, Battalion Chief Flynn was named in three Unit Citations, was presented with the Francis J. Sweeney Medal, for Fire Administration, cited in a Board of Fire Commissioners Commendation and received two Board of Fire Commissioners Perfect Attendance Awards.
Flynn served as an Executive Committee and was the Secretary of the 104th Connecticut State Firefighters Association Convention Committee, in 1984. He also served as an Officer with the New Haven Firefighters Union – Local 825 and, for five years, was the Fire Union Representative to the New Haven Fire & Police Pension Board.
In 2000, Edward Flynn was named as the official New Haven Fire Department Historian, by then Chief Dennis Daniels. He was the author or numerous Department Annual Reports and coordinated the rededication of the Firemen’s Monument, in New Haven’s Evergreen Cemetery, in 1993.
Additionally, he was a Director of the New Haven Box 22 Associates Fire Buff group, co-author of the “New Haven Firefighters” book – published by Arcadia Publishing and was the creator of the renowned Rock and Roll Hall of Fame at New Haven’s St. Bernadette’s Church. Finally, he served as the Chair of the 1995 New Haven Columbus Day Dinner.
Michael Gergler
Michael Gergler joined the Eagleville Volunteer Fire Department, in Mansfield, in July, 1972 and was inducted into the Connecticut Fire Fighters Hall of Fame in the Class of 2018. He has the distinct honor of joining his father, Raymond Gergler, who was a member of the Hall of Fame’s First Class, in 2009.
During his affiliation with Eagleville, they merged with and became part of the current Mansfield Fire Department. He held membership in the Mansfield Firefighters Association, of which he is a Past President, and served the Eagleville Department as a Captain, Assistant Chief and ultimately as the Chief of Department.
A certified Firefighter, Emergency Medical Technician and Fire Safety Officer, Chief Gergler is a veteran of the United States Air Force, where he served as a Cryptographic Specialist.
Also active in County and State Fire Organizations, Gergler was a member of the Connecticut Fire Chiefs Association, Finance Officer of the Tolland County Mutual Aid Fire Service group and a long-time officer and committee member of the Connecticut State Firefighters Association, serving numerous terms as the Tolland County Vice President.
A longtime supporter of the Connecticut Firefighters Memorial, he is also a Past President of the Insurance Agents Association – in coalition with his role as the owner of the Wilcox & Reynolds Insurance Company.
Thurston “Doc” Howard
Thurston “Doc” Howard served with the Waterford Engine Company No. 1, for over 40 years – from whom he was also named as a Life Member.
”Doc” held the advanced to the ranks of Assistant Chief and Chief of Waterford Company 1, was a founder of the Waterford Ambulance Service and a co-founder and Administrator of the Eastern Connecticut Regional Fire School, in Willimantic.
Richard Palmer
Richard Palmer, a resident of Mansfield, served Connecticut’s Fire Service for over 50 years, serving in both Volunteer and Career roles. He earned an Associate’s Degree, in Fire Science and Administration, from Hartford State Technical College.
He joined the Eagleville Fire Department in 1964 and moved up, through a number of Officer positions, ultimately being promoted to the rank of Chief, in 1995. He was appointed as a Career Firefighter, with the University of Connecticut’s Storrs Campus Fire Department, in 1968. There, he also rose through the ranks, ultimately retiring, in 1995, as Deputy Chief.
Palmer also served the Town of Manchester as both a Fire Inspector and as their Deputy Fire Marshal. He was appointed as the Fire Marshal, for the Town of Willington, in 1996.
Chief Palmer obtained numerous training specialties and certifications. Among those are Firefighter III, Fire Officer II, Fire Instructor II, Fire Inspector, Deputy Fire Marshal, Fire Marshal and Incident Command.
Many area Fire Departments recognized Dick’s training, knowledge and experience, which allowed him to instruct their members, in numerous areas, for fire protection features. He was known as a leader, who always provided a positive attitude and desire to help other Firefighters and their Departments.
Very active in numerous State and National Organizations, he was a long time member of the Tolland County Mutual Aid Fire Service and was a member of their Board of Directors. Additionally, he was affiliated with the Connecticut State Firefighters Association, the Connecticut Fire Chiefs Association, the Connecticut Fire Marshals Association, the Connecticut Fire Department Instructors Association, the Windham/New London County Fire Marshals, the New England Fire Marshals, the National Fire Protection Association, the New England Fire Chiefs and the International Association of Arson Investigators.
Richard “Dick” Palmer also received a Governor’s appointment to the State of Connecticut’s Fire Marshal Training Council and also served with a Task Force of the Office of Emergency Medical Services.
Over his years of service, he received many awards and commendations – spread throughout the areas of Life Saving, Legion of Merit, Unit Citations and Public Service.
Theodore “Ted” Smith
Theodore “Teddy” Smith became a member of the Beacon Falls’ Beacon Hose Co. No. 1 in 1970. Over the years, moving through the various command ranks, he culminated by becoming their Chief of Department in 1997. He also served his Department in a number of other ways. He was a member, and Chairman, of their Engineer’s Committee and served on several New Apparatus Committees, one of which was to obtain the town’s first Aerial Ladder Apparatus. He has been a Committee Member, and Chairman of several Annual Carnival Committees, as well as chairing their Annual Ladies Night Committee.
Chief Smith also proudly serves on the Beacon Hose Company’s Antique Seagrave Committee and was instrumental in the beautiful restoration of that truck, which has been designated as a “State Champion”.
Very active with the Valley Fire Chiefs Association and their Regional Fire Training School, he is a Past President of the Association and served on their Board of Directors, and as the Chairman of the Building Committee, of the Regional School.
“Teddy” also was a long-time member, Director and Past President of the New Haven County Fire Emergency Plan. He is also a member of the Connecticut State Firefighters Association, the Connecticut State Firefighters Irregulars Association, the Connecticut Fire Chiefs Association and the National Volunteer Fire Council. He also serves with the National Fallen Firefighters Association, at the National Fire Academy, in Emmitsburg, Maryland.
Theodore Smith is well-known, by many Departments, throughout Connecticut, for his unwavering commitment, inspiration and leadership.
Timothy S. Wall
Timothy S. Wall is a third-generation Firefighter and joined the North Farms Volunteer Fire Department, in Wallingford, in 1979 and served as the Fire Chief for over 20 years.
Extraordinarily active in many Fire Service Organizations, he is a member, New Haven County Representative and Past President of the Connecticut Fire Chiefs Association and a member of the Connecticut State Firefighters Association’s Recruitment and Retention Committee and their Memorial Committee. Additionally, Chief Wall is a Past President of the New England Division of the International Association of Fire Chiefs and is the Chair of the IAFC’s National Volunteer and Combination Officers Section, leading an organization that is regarded, by many, as one of the best dynamic and most innovative groups in the national emergency services spectrum.
In 2010, Chief Wall had the honor of being named the National Volunteer Fire Chief of the Year, by Fire Chief Magazine and Pierce Manufacturing.
Outside of the Fire Service, he had memberships with the Knights of Saint Patrick, the Irish American Community Center, the Ancient Order of Hibernians, the Wallingford Elks and is a Past President of the Kiwanis Club of Wallingford.
Tim Wall has the distinction of being the youngest Deputy Sheriff to be appointed by State of Connecticut and has served as a State Marshal, since 2000.
Richard E. Whitehouse
Richard Whitehouse joined the Ashford Fire Department, in 1967, where he ultimately held the titles of Firefighter, Emergency Medical Technician, Lieutenant, Captain, Assistant Chief, Chief and Fire Marshal.
Very well trained, he took numerous courses that ran the gamut from Firefighting, to Apparatus Operation, to Ambulance Operation, Triage, Mass Casualty Management, Hazardous Materials, Forest Fire Strategy and served as an Emergency Medical Services Instructor.
Chief Whitehouse was also known as being a strong proponent of Mutual Aid and could be counted on to respond and assist the neighboring Departments at any time.
Though never holding state or national fire service positions, Richard concentrated on making sure that each and every Fire/Emergency Service Volunteer, in Eastern Connecticut, had the opportunity to pursue training on all available levels. His additional strengths were his reputation to listen, give support, share grief and to give advice and assistance, whenever needed.
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.
