SOUTHINGTON, CT - The Connecticut Firefighters Hall of Fame held their annual dinner at the Aqua Turf in Southington at 7:00 P.M. on Thursday, April 7th. The Connecticut Firefighters Pipes and Drum Band opened the ceremony and Kevin Hogan was the guest speaker that introduced everyone.

A total of 585 tickets were sold, so there was a great crowd to cheer on the new inductees. Everyone enjoyed a great meal and then listened to some amazing accomplishments in regards to how the fire service has changed during the last 30-40 years.

Congratulations to all 10 individuals who were inducted into the Hall of Fame, and thank you for all of the hard work and effort you put forth to improve your departments while also serving the community.

I'm super proud of my hero, Chief William Eyberse, who always encouraged and guided me in the right direction from a very young age and throughout my fire service career. You have always taken the Yantic Fire Engine Co. and the Eastern CT Fire School to the next level while constantly pushing both organizations to better themselves. You've truly left your mark on the Eastern Connecticut Fire Service.

Assistant Chief Alan Olenick is also an amazing gentleman that I have been lucky enough to be friends with since I began dispatching at Colchester Emergency Communications “KX” in 2010. He has always gone above and beyond for the Lebanon FD while also serving with the New London County Fire Chiefs Association. He also has done multiple deployments fighting wildfires around the continent.

Class of 2022 Inductees are: John Carew, Charles Coakley, Robert Duval, William Eyberse, Donald Griffin, William Hackett, Ralph Humphrey, Robert Massicotte, Alan Olenick and Mark Sekorski.