MONROE, Conn. — Kim Cassia and her late husband, Dennis, have both served as local firefighters, with Dennis earning induction into the Connecticut Firefighters Hall of Fame. When he became ill last year, Kim was touched by the outpouring of support from fellow firefighters in the town’s three companies of Stepney, Monroe and Stevenson.
“The fire department is more than just a bunch of people who get together and go out and respond to calls, and help other people,” she said from the podium in the dining room of The Waterview during the annual Firefighter’s Banquet Friday. “We help each other.”
Cassia praised the response of the Monroe Volunteer Emergency Medical Service members and town police officers in getting her husband to the hospital, and spoke of the pride in seeing fire trucks and fellow firefighters there to greet them when Dennis came back home.
“I can’t thank you guys enough,” Cassia said, before tears overcame her and the fire chiefs who stood behind her — Monroe Chief Kevin Catalano, Stepney Chief Darren Dyson and Stevenson Chief John Howe, and Fire Marshal Bill Davin, stepped forward to comfort her.
After her husband passed away in September, Cassia, who had to have surgery on her shoulder, could not take care of her yard.
“Everybody stepped up,” she said. “I had to see that man there riding a mower on my lawn. Ron Deaso came over and cut my grass.”
Cassia said many others also volunteered, cutting her grass, raking leaves, shoveling snow, helping her move furniture and providing any other forms of assistance she needed.
“I can’t thank you enough and I’ve been meaning to write cards — and I just can’t do it,” Cassia said. “But again, being part of this has made it a little easier. And I can’t thank you enough for helping me on behalf of my husband as a member of this department. Thank you everybody.”
The crowd of guests inside the dining room burst into applause. Cassia shared hugs with the fire chiefs and fire marshal. As she made her way back to her seat, a man called out, “we love you Kim” and she waved.
This moment encapsulated the brotherhood, sisterhood and the unity among all of the town firefighters on display that evening.
“I think unless you’re in the fire service, you just don’t understand the way that we come together like that,” Catalano said. “It’s very unique. That’s why I love being a part of this. I’ve been a part of it my whole life — and hopefully for the rest of my life as well. We give each other a hard time. We have a lot of laughs, but when we need to be there for each other, we get it done.”
When he spoke, Davin shared the origin of the Maltese Cross, the internationally recognized symbol of the fire service, representing courage, honor and firefighters’ willingness to lay down their own lives to protect others. It traces back to the 11th-century Knights of St. John, who fought Saracens in Jerusalem and rescued fellow knights, when many were burned alive by primitive firebombs.
Davin looked at members of the three different fire companies who sat around tables with their spouses and noted how over 10 to 15 years ago, they wouldn’t be seen gathering under one roof together for such a social occasion. He said it was an honor to be together that night.
Catalano credited First Selectman Terry Rooney with encouraging Monroe’s three fire companies to work together. For Rooney’s birthday, the three chiefs presented him with a framed Monroe Fire Services patch surrounded by patches for the town’s three fire companies and the fire marshal’s office.
“This embodies what you have been encouraging us to do,” Catalano said.
Rooney thanked all of the firefighters, their families and everyone there to support them and asked for a round of applause for the chiefs. He was sentimental while sharing the story of his father, who was a Bridgeport firefighter who lost some friends over the course of a career in which he eventually became chief.
“In my opinion, it’s one of the best occupations in the world,” Rooney said. “I’m really honored to lead this town. I’m really honored to be part of these people. And thank you for all the love and appreciation that you’ve given me. The people in the fire service, they put selflessness over selfishness and they put courage over fear.”
Lives in the balance
Kari Dyson and Allyssa Catalano, presidents of the Stepney and Monroe auxiliaries, led a tribute to the chiefs and assistant chiefs of the three fire companies, using weights and a scale to demonstrate the balance they strive to manage: family, work, leadership and service.
“Tonight gives us a chance to recognize what the eight chiefs take on every day — the calls, the responsibilities, the commitment and the way they continue to show up for Monroe when Monroe needs them,” said Dyson, who is the wife of Stepney Chief Darren Dyson.
Allyssa Catalano, the wife of Monroe Chief Kevin Catalano, said the demonstration was a reminder of spouses’ gratitude, respect and pride in who the chiefs are and all they do.
The spouses presented all of the chiefs and assistant chiefs with small plaques with the inscription:”Not all superheroes wear capes, some fight fires.”
“In our eyes that could not be truer,” Allyssa Catalano said.
Kari Dyson said the idea for these awards came from the time her husband promised her balance when he became a chief. “And I’m very proud of him for balancing very well,” she said.
The Civilian Award
Carmine Nuzzi, of Monroe, who attended the banquet with his family, was the recipient of the second annual Civilian Award for his philanthropy toward the town’s three fire companies.
Catalano recalled a time when Nuzzi told him he wanted to sponsor a dinner to thank the town’s firefighters for all they do. The Monroe chief asked him which department he lived closest to, so he could arrange it.
“He said, ‘what are you talking about? There are firefighters in Monroe and I want to do it for everybody,'” Catalano remembered Nuzzi telling him.
The dinner was held at one of Stepney’s firehouses for all three fire companies. “We brought everybody there,” Catalano said. “We had a fantastic meal.”
Then on Memorial Day last year, Nuzzi and his family sponsored a picnic lunch for the firefighters inside one of their bays. Catalano said he asked Nuzzi if he was sure he wanted to do that, considering how a lot of firefighters would be with their families for the holiday, significantly increasing the amount of food that would be needed.
Nuzzi said, “I’ll take care of it.”
Catalano said this was followed up by a couple more meals, a generous donation for a fundraising drive and meals donated to firefighters during their annual boot drive. He said any time members of the public do nice things for firefighters, it’s a huge boost to their morale.
“He brought all three departments together,” Catalano said of Nuzzi. “Socially, we were doing our own thing. He really helped bring everyone together as one unit and one team.”
Catalano said Nuzzi also sponsors meals for the Monroe Police Department and that he is a big supporter of the Board of Education.
The chief also recalled a time when Nuzzi bought all of a Girl Scout troop’s cookies outside the polls at Masuk High School and encouraged the girls to give the cookies away to people for voting. “Of course, those people made donations too,” Catalano said.
Awards for jobs well done
Among the many awards and honors given to firefighters that night, Monroe Fire Capt. Chris Krize received a Golden Fire Hydrant, in the spirit of the Golden Globes, for his contribution of a fire hydrant map firefighters had posted on Facebook in the aftermath of two blizzards last winter.
The interactive map helped firefighters and others to find hydrants buried beneath the snow and dig them out. Catalano said chiefs from other departments throughout Connecticut called him asking how they could get the same capability.
“Literally, Chris’ map put us on the map if you will,” Catalano said. “We’re really lucky that we have someone who can think outside the box like that.”
The following is a listing of this year’s other award winners:
Service Milestone Awards: Jack Sheehan (five years), Collin McCarthy and Chris Moquin (10 years), Peter Chila, Jeff Giordano and Joseph Dias (25 years, Life Membership), Mike Klemish (30 years), and Dave York and Willy Wiley (50 years).
Monroe FD Chiefs’ Award for Outstanding Service: Firefighter Aidan Hobson
Monroe FD Member of the Year: Ron Deaso Sr.
Monroe FD Firefighter of the Year: Firefighter Sergio Rodrigues
Stepney FD Award for Valor: Capt. Stephen Rose
Stepney FD Meritorious Service Award: Assistant Chief Stephen Ohradan
Stepney FD Firefighter of the Year: Past Chief Scott Rose Sr.
Stevenson FD Special Recognition Awards: Deputy Chief Geoffrey Giordano, Assistant Chief Eric Christensen, Safety Officer Robert Galbraith Sr., Capt. Robert Galbraith Jr., Lt. Sam Kellogg and Lt. Chris Moquin.
Photos from the banquet shared by Karen Coffey:
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