Sandy Hook Volunteers Mark A Milestone

By Shannon Hicks

In the last 30 years Newtown has had six first selectmen. There have been an equal number of chairmen leading the town’s Board of Fire Commissioners. And through all that time Sandy Hook Volunteer Fire & Rescue Company has had one chief.

Members of that fire company celebrated the 30th anniversary of their chief as well as the company’s 70th anniversary with a celebration on June 25. Bill Halstead, who has been that longstanding chief — and a member of the volunteer company for even longer — was celebrated, even roasted at times, and thanked for his many years of service.

The party, which took place in the pavilion behind the firehouse, was packed with current and former members and friends of the fire department. For much of the evening a rotating video-photo montage ran on a large flat screen TV that had been set up in one corner of pavilion. The video, which had been created by Sue Conrod, was fantastic. It included digital photos taken during some of the company’s most recent calls sandwiched between some of the oldest images in the fire department’s archives, which had been scanned into a computer.

Following appetizers and dinner, the evening’s program began. Kevin Cragin had been invited to serve as the evening’s emcee, and he supplied a steady stream of anecdotes and background information as he kept the program moving smoothly. Mr Cragin began the evening by introducing the special guests who had been invited to the celebration. These included Fred Jackson, a Sandy Hook Life Member and former fire commissioner, and his wife Karen (the Jacksons flew up from Florida to attend the 70th anniversary event); Mike Lucas, a past chief, and his wife Josephine; Don Lewis, also a past chief; Richard “Porky” Andrews, a Life Member of Sandy Hook, and wife Louise; Dave Ober, the chief of Newtown Hook & Ladder, and his wife Karen; and Joe Farrell, the chief of Hawleyville Volunteer Fire Company.

In looking through the fire company’s history, Mr Cragin mentioned that Sandy Hook started “like many fire companies. It was the idea of a few. The idea was not too complex: simply to help their neighbors, friends, and family.”

The fire department, originally called Sandy Hook Volunteer Fire Company, was initially located on Glen Road in the building opposite what today is The Red Brick Tavern.

“As a kid, I can remember the small firehouse with its small meeting room upstairs and the railing leading up to it,” Mr Cragin recalled.

The company’s first truck was a Mack Fire Engine and it was delivered on August 23, 1944.

By 1974 the department moved to its current quarters at 18-20 Riverside Road, and many of the photos in Ms Condon’s video showed the changes the main station has undergone since then, including the addition of a three-vehicle bay, additional offices and a lounge, expanded and improved parking, and the construction in 2004 of the pavilion where the party was taking place.

“Today the company’s name is Sandy Hook Fire and Rescue,” Mr Cragin said, “and it is a highly trained company that now responds to fire, rescue, automatic alarms, and medical calls.

“Part of the excitement of any anniversary like this is to make note of the number of years members have been helping Newtown,” he said, leading into the first honors of the evening.

Chief Halstead and his assistant chief, Anthony Capozziello, handed out pins honoring the years of service members have given to their company and certificates honoring the top ten responders.

Included among the firefighters thanked for so many years of service was Mike Lucas, who joined the fire department in 1946. He received a 60 Year Gold Pin and a standing ovation.

Also honored were the following: 55 Year Pins: Richard “Porky” Andrews, who has been a member of the company for 57 years, and George Lockwood, Sr (56 years); 45 Year Pins: Fred Jackson and Don Lewis (both 45); 40-Year Pin: Bill Halstead (43 years); 35 Year Pins: Jim Shpunt (39 years); Bill Shpunt (36 years); and Ken Carlson and Mike Heneghan (both 35 years).

Thirty Year Pins: Brad Richardson and Gerry Velthuizen (both 32 years), and George Mattegat (31 years); 25 Year Pins: Jack McKeever (27 years), and Kent Bonsignore and Dick Conrod (both 25); 20 Years: John Will (24 years) and George Lockwood, Jr (20 years); 15 Year Pins: Al Lescrynski and Archie Paloian (both 18 years), Chuck Kilson (17 years); Anthony Capozziello (16 years), and Bob Nute (15 years).

Ten Year Pins were given to Jim Tani (13 years), BJ Halstead (12 years), Karin Halstead, Mike Reyen, and Kevin Stoyak (all 11 years), and Mark Purcell, Jeff Steinebrey and Steve Stohl (10 years).

During the last five years Sandy Hook has responded to 2,222 calls, and on Saturday the top ten responders were honored for their efforts. Those honored with certificates were Steve Stohl, who responded to 458 of those calls; Chuck Kilson (460 calls); Anthony Capozziello (483); Dave De La Vega (620); Kevin Stoyak (1,010); Richard Poulin (1,059); John Jeltema (1,068); George Lockwood, Jr (1,136); Michael Burton (1,380); and Karin Halstead (1,436).

Before he was able to leave the podium after announcing those honorees, Chief Halstead was surprised by Mr Capozziello, who made another announcement.

“Leading all of those people, with 1,933 calls responded to, was Chief,” he announced.

The Ladies Auxiliary was represented by Laurie Mathison and Agnes Jensen, who highlighted the names and years served of many of the women who are the support group of the fire company.

“We just wanted to take a minute to thank all the women for their hard work,” said Ms Mathison, who is the auxiliary’s treasurer. “We do what we can. We’re there for you guys, day or night, and we wanted to thank all the women for being there.”

Among the auxiliary’s longest serving members are Carol Lockwood and Sue Shpunt, both of whom have served for 44 years; Sherri Powell, 40 years; Nancy Schreiner, 25 years; and Judi Richardson and Eleanor Sturges, both 23 years.

(Colleen Poundstone, the auxiliary’s president, and Robin Buchanan, its vice president, were unable to attend Saturday’s event because they were in New York City cheering for Ms Poundstone’s son Derek, who was competing in the 2008 World’s Strongest Man Super Series.)

Next up was the Outstanding Member of the Year Award.

“This person has been a member for 11 years,” nominating committee member Chuck Kilson said in introducing the awardee. Mr Kilson worked with Ken Carlson and Steve Stohl in deciding the Outstanding Member honor. “She is among the top ten responders, she is very involved within the organization, and she holds three positions within the company.”

The award was given to a very surprised Karin Halstead, who had been kept in the dark about the honor even though she had been a member of the celebration planning committee.

“I wondered why they kept stalling on giving me the name for the award,” she said after her name was announced. Ms Halstead, the chief’s daughter, is Sandy Hook’s secretary, EMS captain, and the advisor of the Sandy Hook Junior Corps.

A Life Membership was also awarded Saturday night, and it was given to Sandy Hook President Brad Richardson. This award was presented by Chief Halstead and George Lockwood, Sr, the company’s vice president.

Life Membership is given out rarely.

“If a member feels another member deserves the honor because of things like longevity in the firehouse, holding officer positions, working on committees and just going above and beyond, then the member would complete an application and submit it to our membership committee,” Karin Halstead explained this week. “From there the membership committee will gather information and confer and then present it to the company at a business meeting. If the membership votes in favor of it, then the member will receive the honor.

“In this case we did all of the above and it was brought up at a meeting that Brad was not present at,” she continued, “so we [decided to] surprise him at the anniversary dinner.”

The company’s Junior Corps, represented by Kelly Burton and Dan Cragin, then took the podium for a few minutes and thanked their advisor for her time. The younger members gave Ms Halstead a bouquet of flowers, and thanked Chief Halstead for his support of the corps with a plaque.

Michael Heneghan and Kent Bonsignore were next to be honored. Chief Halstead and Mr Richardson explained that these two men, both of whom have served as officers, have had to step down from their duties recently for personal reasons.

“Michael, a former first engineer, could get water out of a rock,” Chief Halstead said, drawing a laugh. “And Kent, he was my assistant chief for 15 years. He kept me straight, and backed me up always. I just wanted to thank these men for their help.”

The program’s finale concerned the chief, who has been a member of Sandy Hook Fire & Rescue since 1965. Chief Halstead has worked his way up through the ranks, having served as firefighter, engineer, 2nd assistant chief engineer, chief engineer, 2nd assistant chief and assistant chief before being elected at chief in 1978. He is only the fifth chief to lead Sandy Hook Fire & Rescue during its 70 years.

He is also, as Mr Cragin pointed out, the town’s emergency management director and chairman of the combined Chiefs of Newtown, and served as the chief of Fairfield Hills Hospital for 17 years. He was a deputy fire marshal from 1984 to 2000, and has served as the town’s fire marshal since 2000.

“I have worked with Bill Halstead and the Board of Fire Commissioners for 27 years,” said Mr Cragin, who has been chairman of that commission for the last 16 of those years. “Over these years, whenever we had fire business to conduct, he always maintained a professional work ethic and was always prepared.

“I have enjoyed our professional and personal relationship,” continued Mr Cragin. “It is truly refreshing to be able to go from a picnic or party one day and sit in an important town meeting the next with Bill.”

Anthony Capozziello, Brad Richardson, and Karin Halstead each offered personal remarks about and to Chief Halstead at that point, and he was presented with gifts on behalf of the fire company.  The first was a framed photo of the main station decorated for the holidays and the second was a painting the company has commissioned by the painter David Merrill that showed the front of the Riverside Road fire station.

“I am so proud to be able to present this to my father tonight,” said a teary Karin Halstead. “I’m so proud of him and everything he does for us.”