Occupation: I am a firefighter with the Waterbury Fire Department and the chief of Newtown Hook and Ladder Volunteer Fire Department. I'm also an MRT (Medical Response Technician).
Occupation: I am a firefighter with the Waterbury Fire Department and the chief of Newtown Hook and Ladder Volunteer Fire Department. Iâm also an MRT (Medical Response Technician).
Family: My wife, Elaine, and our 10-month-old son, Joey.
Pets: We have a dog, Dexter. Heâs a 5-year-old yellow Lab.
How long have you lived in Newtown? I grew up here in Newtown. I was born in Danbury Hospital.
What do you like to do in your free time? I like to play softball. I play on the menâs weeknight league. I was on The Fireside team. I also like to go to the gym to work out. But being the chief of Hook and Ladder is like having another full-time job.
Who is your favorite sports team? Iâm a Yankee fan for baseball and a Patriot fan for football. Those are my two favorite sports.
Do you have a favorite travel destination? Iâve been to Aruba a couple of times and I really like Jamaica, too. Weâre beach people, I guess. Just having time to relax on the beach is great.
Do you have a hero? I would have to say it was my Dad, who passed away in 1993. I learned a lot from him. He was very genuine and honest. He always said it like it was. He was very funny and everyone liked him.
What is your favorite memory of Newtown? When I was little and we would watch the fireworks at Dickinson. That was a big thing for me. My dad and mother would take us to a different place every year to see them. My dad knew some places that were good observation points. It was fun.
What is the biggest change you have seen in Newtown? More people, less volunteers. Itâs getting tough to have a volunteer fire department. Iâve been with Hook and Ladder for 18 years, and there are less and less people to take care of things.
If you could time travel, would you go to the future or the past? Definitely the past. I think that life was easier then. I think technology is going faster than the human race can keep up. I remember sitting in front of Newtown Feed and Cider on 302 when I was a kid and my brother and I would count the cars until my mom got there at lunchtime. We would see maybe 18 or 19 cars. Life was slower then.
Do you have a personal philosophy? If it doesnât kill you, it makes you stronger. I think thatâs what I live by.