MONROE, CT — Fire Marshal William “Bill” Davin was honored by the Monroe Board of Education as an Exemplary Person during the board’s meeting Monday night.
Superintendent of Schools Joseph Kobza said Davin is one of three generations of Monroe firefighters, including his father and his son, and noted how Davin was inducted into the Connecticut State Firefighters Association Hall of Fame in 2021 and was recognized earlier this year for 50 years of volunteer service to the Monroe Fire Department.
But more importantly to the school board, Kobza said Davin is a friend to the Monroe public schools.
“We’re happy to recognize our fire marshal Bill Davin this evening,” Kobza said. “I would say there are problem solvers and there are problem seekers, and the position of fire marshal really lends itself to being a problem seeker. But that’s not Bill. Bill is a collaborator and partner with us.”
When he identifies an issue at a school, Kobza said Davin works closely with Director of Maintenance Dan Krofssik or a head custodian to resolve it.
“I also watched him work very closely with the Post Prom Committee and, rather than shooting down ideas that they might have, Bill always comes up with solutions to make their vision a reality,” Kobza said. “We just wanted to take this brief opportunity to thank Bill for everything he’s done over the years, especially with the Monroe public schools, so thank you Bill.”
The audience inside the media room of Masuk High School gave Davin a round of applause.
“Bill, we appreciate the cooperation and the escorts when our teams win big,” Chairman David Ferris said, “so we just want to say thank you very much, because it does make our district that much better.”
“Thank you very much,” Davin said from his seat before the board members. “It’s an extreme honor and I can honestly say with board member [Jerry] Stevens here, that I used to ride in the fire truck as a kid with his dad driving — and now I’m the old guy,” he added with a laugh.
“But 50 years of volunteer service in the fire department has gone by like this,” Davin said, snapping his fingers, “and I’m now working on the 20th year in my career as the fire marshal. That has also flown by. But I do appreciate the honor and do appreciate the recognition. Thank you everyone, greatly appreciated.”
