The Bethel Volunteer Fire Department proudly announced that Chief of Department T. William McAllister has been named the “Fireman of the Year” by the Connecticut State Firefighters Association (CSFA).

The CSFA, which represents more than 26,000 volunteer and career firefighters statewide, supports the fire service through advocacy, firefighter family assistance, and fire prevention initiatives. Chief McAllister received the honor during the association’s annual convention, held Sept. 13–14 in Orange, CT, in recognition of his decades of service as a career and volunteer firefighter, officer, and instructor.

Chief McAllister was also inducted into the Connecticut Firefighters’ Hall of Fame in 2024, further cementing his legacy in the state’s fire service community.

At the awards ceremony, Chief McAllister was joined by family, including his nephew Ethan McAllister, a former Bethel member now serving as a career firefighter in Glen County, Georgia, and cousin Paul McAllister, a member of the King Street Volunteer Fire Department in Danbury.

The Bethel Volunteer Fire Department praised Chief McAllister’s lifelong dedication to the fire service, calling the award “a well-deserved recognition of his leadership, instruction, and commitment to protecting others.”