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 2023

Harry Ackley

Captain Harry Ackley served the career Fairfield Fire Department for 36 years, ultimately filling the role of being the Town’s Fire Marshal, prior to his retirement, and he was also a 50+ year member of Fairfield’s Southport Volunteer Fire Department.

Capt. Ackley held an Associates Degree, in Fire Protection Technology, from the Hartford State Technical College, and a Bachelor’s Degree, in Municipal Fire Administration, from the University of New Haven.  Additionally, he held certifications as a Fire Marshal, Fire Investigator, Fire Instructor I & II, Incident Command Instructor and Hazardous Material Fire Responder. 

He was a former Director of Training for the Fairfield Regional Fire School and an Emergency Medical Service Instructor.  He was trained, by the Federal Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms, in Advanced Fire and Explosives Investigation and was a Certified Fire Protection Specialist.

He also was an Adjunct Faculty Member of the National Fire Academy and Emergency Management Institute and served as Program Director for the Connecticut Technical Colleges’ Highway Rescue Program.  Capt. Ackley was an Adjunct Faculty Member for the Norwalk Community College and at the Connecticut Fire Academy.  Ultimately, he retired as Director of Life Safety for the Greater New York Health Care Facilities Association.

Harry Ackley was a Past President of the Fairfield and New Haven County Fire Marshal’s Association, a Trustee of the Fairfield County Fire Chief’s Emergency Plan, a member of the National Fire Protection Association and the New York City Fire Directors Association.  He also served on the New York City Mayor’s Residential Health Care Facilities Task Force/Office of Emergency Management.

Captain Ackley was also deeply involved and dedicated to the Fairfield Community, including memberships with the Fairfield Jaycees and the Fairfield Rotary Club.  Has also served as a Fairfield Town Constable, a Justice of the Peace, the Fairfield Special Police, as a member of the Fairfield Fire Commission, as a Commissioner with the Fairfield Housing Authority and on the Town’s Representative Town Committee.  He also served on several Town School Building Committees, was the Chairman of the Barnum Festival Fairfield Day, the YMCA Board of Managers, the Special Olympics Training Committee and was a Boy Scouts District Commissioner.  He was a 4^th Degree member of the Knights of Columbus and an active parishioner, Usher and Eucharistic Minister at St. Paul X Church.

Among his many previous awards, he received the Fairfield Jaycee of the Year Award, the Jaycee Distinguished Service Award, the Rotary’s Paul Harris Fellowship, Governor Ella Grasso’s “Outstanding Young Man of Connecticut” honor, the Fairfield Board of Realtors’ “Making Fairfield Better” Award and the Fairfield Fire Commissioners’ Achievement Award.

Following the historic September 11^th Attack, Captain Ackley volunteered, for many months, in the rescue and recovery efforts at Ground Zero, in Manhattan.

Robert Anthony

Robert Anthony served with the United States Army from 1972 through 1974, including a tour of duty in Korea.  A lifelong resident of Hamden, he was appointed to the Hamden Fire Department in 1980 and retired in 2005. 

During his active years with Hamden, Firefighter Anthony was the recipient of Unit Citations in 1985, 1987 and 1989.  He also received the Department’s Medal of Distinction for life-saving efforts.

He served on numerous committees with the Hamden Fire Fighters Local 2687, International Association of Fire Fighters, and served as their President from 1993-2004.

He also served as a member of the Executive Board of the Uniformed Professional Fire Fighters Association of Connecticut, from 1992 to 2005.  He also served that organization as their Treasurer, for many years.

Robert “Bob” Anthony was also very involved with many charitable organizations, including the Connecticut Fire Fighters United Ride.

Norman Bernier

Norman Bernier joined the Putnam Fire Department, as a Firefighter, in 1969 and moved through the ranks of Pump Operator, Lieutenant, Captain and ultimately as Chief of Department.  Upon the end of his term as Chief, in 2014, he was named a Life Member. 

He also was a long-time responder and CPR Instructor for the Putnam EMS and also a member of the West Thompson Mechanicsville Fire Department, where he was also named as a Life Member.  Chief Bernier worked for many years as a Loan Officer at Putnam Bank and later, as a Sales Representative for Shipman’s Fire Equipment, of Waterford, CT.

A strong advocate of training and education, Chief Bernier took numerous courses and holds many certifications from the Connecticut Fire Academy, Quinsigamond Community College (Worcester, MA) , the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Connecticut Interlocal Management Agency, the National Fire Academy, the Connecticut Public Fire Education Association, the International Association of Fire Service Instructors, the Eastern Connecticut Regional Fire School and the Lakes Regional Mutual Aid Fire Association (Gilford, NH).

Norman Bernier is also a Founder of the Northeastern District Department of Health and is the recipient of numerous Special Awards, including receiving a State of Connecticut General Assembly Official Citation and being honored by Putnam, CT, on November 1, 2014, at their “Norman Bernier Day”.  He also served the Putnam Fish and Game Club, as their President, and he also was a member of the Putnam Board of Education.

Chief Bernier is strongly recognized for his generous and unselfish assistance to both the Putnam and West Thompson Fire Departments, especially in the areas of new Apparatus Design and Construction and numerous Fundraising efforts.

Dennis Cassia

Dennis Cassia began his notable Fire Service involvements, in 1975, as a member of the Pleasantville, New York Volunteer Fire Department, where he served in the capacities of Driver, was their first Department Training Officer and was the Secretary to the Board of Fire Commissioners.  He also was the Radiation Control Officer for Westchester County.

In 1985, Cassia joined the Monroe Volunteer Fire Department and has served with them in the positions of Lieutenant, Captain, 2nd Assistant Chief, Safety Officer Training Officer and Chief’s Aide.  He is also a Life Member there.

Also, in 1985, he entered into his Career role with the Stratford Fire Department, where he rose through the ranks, from Firefighter to Lieutenant and then to Assistant Chief.  While Assistant Chief, he was a Shift Commander and was credited with beginning and overseeing their Medical Response System.

Chief Cassia achieved Certifications as a Firefighter I, Firefighter II, Firefighter III, Fire Service Instructor I, Fire Service Instructor II, Fire Officer I, Fire Officer II, Safety Officer, Pump Operator, Aerial Operator and Hazardous Materials Technician.

Renowned as an outstanding educator, at the time of his induction into the Hall of Fame, he had served as a Connecticut Fire Academy Instructor for over 35 years, teaching Instructor, Officer, HazMat, Aerial Operator and Pump Operator Courses, while also serving as the Chief Instructor for the Instructor Programs.  He also has served as an Adjunct Instructor for Chemistry of Hazardous Materials, at the University of New Haven, and as an Instructor for Hazardous Materials Contingency Planning.  Additionally, he assisted the National Fire Academy in the rewriting of their Emergency Response revisions.

Dennis Cassia has been honored as the Monroe Volunteer Fire Department’s Firefighter of the Year and the Fairfield County Fire Chiefs Emergency Plan’s Firefighter of the Year.  He received a Public Service Award from Monroe, in 2009, and another Public Service Award, from Stratford in 2006.  He was honored with Unit Citations, from Stratford, in 2007 and 2008, and a Certificate of Outstanding Dedication and Excellence from the Uniformed Professional Firefighters Association of Connecticut.

Joseph Farr

Joseph F. Farr, of New Britain,  was born in 1896, attended local schools and was a U.S. Army Veteran in World War I.  He was appointed to the New Britain Fire Department in the mid-1920’s and retired, as a Lieutenant, in the late 1950’s. 

A very active and long-time member of the Connecticut State Firefighters Association, he served on a number of Association Committees, held the office of Vice President in 1953-1954 and a very dedicated and productive term, as the Association’s President in 1954-1955.

James Gavell

James Gavell has been previously recognized as a Life Member of the Bantam Fire Company, which is a Fire Department within the Town of Litchfield. 

Over his many years of service, with Bantam, he has held many Officer positions, including Treasurer, Captain, Assistant Chief and Chief of Department.  In 1989, during his term as Chief, he was in command when a devastating tornado struck their area.

A long-time member of the Litchfield County Fire Chiefs Association, he has also served on the Town of Litchfield Board of Fire Commissioners and the Board of Directors of the Northwest Connecticut Public Safety Communications Center.

Chief Gavell received the Charlotte Hungerford Hospital’s Star of Life Award and a recognition, from the State of Connecticut, for his 10 years of successful service as Fire Chief.

Joseph Kingston

Joseph Kingston joined the Ansonia Fire Department, in 1976, and achieved the ranks of Lieutenant, Captain, Assistant Chief and Chief of Department.  He also served that City as their Deputy Fire Marshal.

At the State level, he served with the State of Connecticut as a Fire & Life Safety Specialist and then as a Fire & Life Safety Specialist Supervisor, in the Office of the State Fire Marshal, retiring after 27 years of service.

While serving with the State, he was a member of the Codes and Standards Committee and developed many of Connecticut State Fire Safety Codes and Connecticut State Fire Prevention Codes.  Additionally, he provided technical assistance to the Connecticut State Library, for fire resistive vaults, and also served as the State Emergency Management ERG Distribution Coordinator.

At the national level, Joseph Kingston assisted the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), serving as a Technical Committee Member on the Interior Finish and Contents Committee and also on the Residential Occupancies Committee, for the NFPA 101 Life Safety Code.  Additionally, he served as a member of the Northeast Regional Fireworks Task Group.

Among his awards, that he received during his years of service, include the Major Carroll E. Shaw Award (for graduating 1^st in Fire Marshal Class #14), the 2006 Governor’s Service Award and the Connecticut State Police Outstanding Service Award (for work performed investigating the 2010 Kleen Energy Power Plant Explosion).

Lloyd Niles

At the time of his induction, Chief Lloyd Niles had over 50 years of active service with both the Windham Center and North Windham Fire Departments, in the Town of Windham.

He served as the Chief of Windham Center for 14 years. He also served that Department in the ranks of Lieutenant, Captain, Deputy Chief and Chief Engineer.  In North Windham, he served in the roles of President and Deputy Chief.

A strong proponent of Firefighter Education, Chief Niles held numerous leadership positions within the operations of the Eastern Connecticut Regional Fire School, including service on their Board of Directors, as their Vice President and then as their President.

His sincere educational motivation for Connecticut’s Firefighters is strongly recognized as he was one of the original people that envisioned and created the Connecticut State Firefighters Association’s Education Committee, which serves as a very active communication and unification consortium of the state’s nine recognized Regional Fire Training Schools.  He also worked at the State Capitol as a Task Force Member for the Regional Fire School Support Initiative.

Additionally, he served as Windham County Vice President, of the Connecticut State Firefighters Association, a member and Past President of the Windham/Tolland County Fire Association and was President of the Willimantic Switchboard Association.

William Perez

William Perez began his Emergency Services Career in 1987, as an Emergency Medical Technician with American Medical Response (AMR), in Bridgeport.  While with AMR, he later became a Paramedic, then a Field Supervisor and then their Supervisor of Operations.

He is also a United States Navy veteran, serving as a Hospital Corpsman, receiving many awards and recognitions while performing active duty during Operations Iraqi Freedom, Noble Eagle and Enduring Freedom.

In 1993, he was hired as a Firefighter/Paramedic for the East Hartford Fire Department, where he moved up through the ranks of Pump Driver/Operator, Lieutenant, Acting Chief Medical Officer, Assistant Fire Chief Acting Fire Chief.

Following his retirement from East Hartford, Chief Perez became the Chief of the University of Connecticut Fire Department, where he was instrumental in combining the Storrs and Farmington campus’s into one Department.

Chief Perez has been an active member of the Connecticut Fire Department Instructors Association, the Capital Region Emergency Planning Committee, the Capital Region Fire Chiefs Association, the Capital Region Hazardous Materials Response Team and the North Central Emergency Medical Services Board of Directors.

He has also served on the Advisory Committees for the Capital Community College Paramedic Program, the Post University Emergency Management and Homeland Security Program, the Goodwin College Public Safety and Homeland Security and Homeland Security Program, the State of Connecticut’s Emergency Medical Services Advisory Board and the state’s Commission on Fire Prevention and Control.

A lifelong promoter of education, he earned his Associates Degree, in Paramedic Studies, at Capital Community College.  He then was awarded a Bachelor of Science Degree, from Charter Oak State College, and his Masters Degree, in Public Administration, from Anna Maria College.  He further earned his Doctorate in Education from the University of Hartford.  Chief Perez also achieved a Executive Fire Officer designation from the National Fire Academy.  He actively teaches both Paramedic and Fire Science programs throughout Connecticut and is also an Adjunct Instructor at the National Fire Academy, in Emmitsburg, Maryland.

In 2022, he was named the Connecticut Fire Department Instructors Association’s “Richard Platt Sylvia Instructor of the Year”.

Bruce E. Sweeney

Bruce Sweeney first joined the West Haven Fire Department, in the role of Commissioner, in 1979, and rose to the position of Board Chairman in 1987, an office that he still held at the time of his induction.  He has always been credited as being a strong advocate for Firefighter Safety and Training.

During his years of service on the Fire Commission, he is credited with many accomplishments, including the implementation of one of the first Fire Service Paramedic Service, in the State of Connecticut.  Additionally, he supported the reorganization of the Fire Marshal’s Office, the acquisition of a Smoke Trailer, a Citizen’s Fire Academy and a Student Fire Academy, at the local High School.

Commissioner Sweeney also serves as the Chairman of the West Haven Emergency Response System, which oversees the city’s Public Safety Dispatch Center.

A well-known educator, he has inspired several generations of young men and women.  He is a graduate of Quinnipiac University and Southern Connecticut State College and was a Chapter President of the Alpha Chi Rho Fraternity.  Over his teaching career, he has taught for the North Branford School System, the West Haven School System and for the West Haven Adult Education Program.

Bruce Sweeney has also served on the West Haven City Council, the West Haven Planning and Zoning Commission, the West Haven Redevelopment Committee and was appointed, by Governor Ella Grasso, to the Connecticut Resources Recovery Committee, in 1970.

He is also a member of the New Haven County Fire Commissioners Association, the West Haven Elks Club, the West Haven Irish American Club and the Ancient Order of Hibernians.

Roger Sylvestre

During his Fire Service Career, Roger Sylvestre was dedicated to several of Connecticut’s Emergency Response Services including serving as a Fire Commissioner for the Waterford Volunteer Fire Services, as a Fire Inspector-Captain at the Electric Boat Division of General Dynamics, as Fire Chief of the Mashantucket Fire Department and as Fire Chief of the Pinkerton Government Services.  He also was an Instructor for Northeast Utilities and an Adjunct Instructor at the Connecticut Fire Academy.

Chief Sylvestre earned a Certificate in Human Resource Studies from Cornell University, an Associate Degree in Fire Administration and Technology from Thames Valley State Technical College, a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration and Emergency Management from the State University of New York and a Masters Degree in Homeland Security Leadership from the University of Connecticut.

Additionally, he earned Certifications from the Connecticut Fire Academy, the Homeland Security Exercise Evaluation Program, the United States EPA Hazardous Materials Technician Program and the National Fire Academy’s Incident Management System.  He is also a Chief Fire Officer (CFO)  designee, as awarded by the Commission on Chief Fire Officer Designation, and is a Certified Homeland Security, Level II, as per the American College of Forensic Examiners.

Roger Sylvestre has been a Designee to the Region 1 FEMA Advisory Council, the Chairman of the Southeast Council of Government’s Regional Emergency Management Committee, worked with the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program, served on the Governor’s Statewide Mass Decontamination Committee and Statewide Homeland Security Advisory Council and was a founding member of the Connecticut Eastern Regional Response Integrated Team (CERRIT).

Over his years in the Fire Service, he has been recognized with a number of Awards and Commendations including a Heroism Award from Electric Boat Corporation, a Meritorious Service Award from the Mashantucket Fire Department, a Public Service Award from the Connecticut Secretary of State and a Proclamation from the Town of Waterford.

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.