Occupation: I am the fire marshal for Newtown and chief of the Sandy Hook Volunteer Fire and Rescue Company. I have been a volunteer for 42 years with Sandy Hook Fire Company and I have been the chief there for 29 years.
Occupation: I am the fire marshal for Newtown and chief of the Sandy Hook Volunteer Fire and Rescue Company. I have been a volunteer for 42 years with Sandy Hook Fire Company and I have been the chief there for 29 years.
Family: I have three children, Karin, Kristen, and B.J. All of my children are grown-up. And I have a girlfriend, Laurie.
Pets: I have a cat named Baby. Sheâs at least 10 years old. I got her by default.
How long have you been in Newtown? I was born and raised in Sandy Hook, so Iâve been here 57 years.
What do you like to do in your free time? I like to watch all kinds of auto racing. I went to the Daytona 500 this year, as a matter of fact. And I play golf.
Do you have a favorite sports team? In baseball, itâs the New York Mets. Iâve watched them ever since they started in â62. In auto racing I like Jeff Gordon and Mike Martin and Bill Elliot. Theyâre all really good drivers.
Do you have a favorite travel destination? I really enjoy going to Las Vegas. I havenât been there that much, but I enjoy it. Thereâs just so much to do there.
What is the best thing about Newtown? I have always liked that Newtown has a small town attitude. When I was growing up, everyone knew each other. I like the setting of Newtown, too.
What is the biggest change you have seen in Newtown? Obviously, the town is growing. Weâre at something like 27,000 now. Itâs been drastic in the last ten years. All of these divisions keep popping up and thereâs a lot of commercial business going in, which of course benefits the town. But as the fire marshal, it really keeps us busy. There are only four of us to do inspections, two are part-time, and we probably do over 700 inspections a year.
Do you have a hero? When I was growing up, my Uncle John was very important to me. We always looked up to him. He was very humorous and just a great family man.
Do you have a personal philosophy? You have to take every day as it comes, one day at a time.
What is the most important lesson you have learned? To treat people the way you want to be treated.