Meet our Officers and Board members

Chief Michael J. Howley, President Director/Chief of Fire Services , Town of Waterford.

Chief Howley serves as the Director/Chief of Fire Services since May 2021 for the Town of Waterford. Michael’s whole fire service 40 years, has been with South Fire District, in Middletown from the early volunteer days to a part time firefighter to his career side starting in 1995. Rising through the ranks as a firefighter, lieutenant, Captain then to Chief of the department in 2017- 2021. Michael’s education in the fire & emergency services is broad. Receiving his fire officer I, II, III from CFA. Fire officer IV from Alabama Fire College. Instructor I & II from CFA. Michael also received his Fire Service Chief Executive Officer from Texas A&M, along with many courses at TEEX. Michael is also an EMS-I instructor, and has attended the National Fire Academy for many classes. Michael is a member of Region 3 IMT (CT-IMT3) and serves as Deputy Team Commander and a past member of CT’s, CT-TF1 Urban Search & Rescue Team serving as a Planning specialist and the last three years as Task Force Leader 2013-2015. Chief Howley is also the Past President of Middlesex County Fire Chiefs. Michael lives in Waterford with his wife Loretta, they have four children and two grandchildren.

Chief James Trzaski, 1st Vice PresidentSouth District in Middletown., Fire Chief

Chief Trzaski began his firefighting career in 1985 as a volunteer with Beacon Hose Co. No. 1. In 1991, he started as a career firefighter with the Naugatuck Fire Department, from which he retired as Captain in 2014. Trzaski, also a past officer and Captain at Beacon Hose during his earlier tenure, served as Chief from 2014 until he was hired as a firefighter by South Fire District in 2016, where he quickly rose through the ranks to Deputy Chief. He left the department in July of 2020 and rejoined Naugatuck Fire Department where he served as Deputy Chief until his return to South Fire District. He currently is the Fire Chief of the South District in Middletown.

In addition to his work as firefighter and officer, he is a former Director of Training for the Wolcott State Fire School, the Valley Regional Fire Training School fire and the Connecticut Fire Academy. As a CFA instructor Jim was a lead instructor for the recruit program for several years. Chief Trzaski has been inducted into the Connecticut State Firefighters Association Hall of Fame’s Class of 2020 and is a past receipt of the State of Connecticut Firefighter of the Year.

Chief Trzaski is a Fire service Instructor III, Officer III and an EMS-I. Jim has also attended the National Fire Academy and the Alabama Fire College.
Jim currently resides in Beacon Falls with his wife Kristen, also a firefighter / EMT. The Trzaski family have 5 children Justin, Caitlyn, Cassandra, James and Sarah.

Chief Bud Meyers, 2nd Vice PresidentTown of Coventry Fire & EMS, Fire Chief

Fire Chief Bud Meyers began his career in the fire service in 1977 as a volunteer in his hometown of Columbia, CT. After high school, he joined the United States Navy, receiving an honorable discharge in 1982. Several years later, Meyers accepted a job working for the town of Columbia as its Facilities Manager, allowing him to continue serving his hometown in this additional capacity while remaining an active volunteer of the Columbia Volunteer Fire Department (CVFD) before retiring in 2020.
In 2008, Bud relocated to Coventry and began serving the citizens of Coventry at the North Coventry Volunteer Fire Department (NCFD). In 2019, he moved up the ranks to Chief. Meyers served as Chief of the NCFD until the town wide department merger in 2020. On June 30, 2020, he was then sworn in as the first ever Fire Chief of the newly merged Town of Coventry Fire & EMS Department.
Recognized and known for his strong firefighter mentality and critical thinking, Chief Meyers brings a wide array of technical skills to his position including Incident Command, EMS, Special Operations, Technical Rescue, Fire Suppression, Haz-Mat, Health and Safety, Strategic Planning, Fire Training, and Fire and Explosives Investigations. Since 2005, Meyers has been actively involved in the Eastern Connecticut Fire School. He previously was a lead instructor for Firefighter 1 program and currently serves as lead instructor Firefighter 2 program.
Chief Meyers is a certified Fire Marshal, Fire Service Instructor II, Fire Officer III, and Building Official Emeritus. He currently resides in Coventry with the two loves of his life, his partner Kim, and their sweet Pitbull rescue, Babygirl. In his spare time, he enjoys golfing, relaxing at home, and pursuing his ongoing passion for the fire service.

Executive Officers

Richard McDonough Secretary – Southington Fire Department

Jamie DiPace Assistant Secretary – Avon Fire Department

Gerald Buzzy Schaffer Treasurer – Mansfield Fire Department

Fred Dudek Assistant Treasurer – Killingworth Fire Department

Kevin Ide Sergeant of Arms – Dayville Fire Department

Past Presidents

Mark Worsman – New Hartford Volunteer Fire Department 2022

Robert F. Duval – Atwood Hose Fire Company 2021

Bruce A. Dixon – Bolton Fire Department 2020

Nick Wallick III – Hebron Fire Department 2019

Kevin Cooney – South Windsor Fire Department 2017 – 2018

Michael Thurz – Glastonbury Fire Department 2016

Marc Scrivener – Willimantic Fire Department 2015

Robert Shea – Portland Fire Department 2014

John Mancini – UCONN 2013

Paul Litrico – Manchester Fire Department 8th District 2012

Kenneth Richards – Old Mystic 2011

Charles Flynn – Wethersfield Fire Department 2010

Jack Casner – Cheshire Fire Department 2009

James DiPace – Avon Fire Department 2008

Richard McDonough – Southington Fire Department 2007

Fred Dudek Jr. – Killingworth Fire Department 2006

Peter Struble – Wallingford Fire Department 2005

Michael Varney – Ellington Fire Department 2004

Thomas Webber – Manchester Fire Rescue 2003

John Brady – Madison Fire Department 2002

Edward Richards – Enfield Fire Department 2001

Timothy Wall – North Farms Fire Department 2000

Thomas Bellmore – Suffield Fire Department 1999

William Lewis – Windsor Fire Department 1998

John Obier – North Haven Fire Department 1997

Thomas Brennan – Waterbury Fire Department 1996

John McAuliffe – Wethersfield Fire Department 1995

David Dagon – East Hartford Fire Department 1994

David Jorsey – East Berlin Fire Department 1993

George Dunn – Middletown Fire Department 1992

John Senn – Essex Fire Department 1991

John Walsh – Willimantic Fire Department 1990

Fred Moore – Weston Fire Department 1989

John Casper – Naugatuck Fire Department 1988

Howard Swanson – Plainville Fire Department 1987

Avery Lamphier – Watertown Fire Department 1986

Charles Stankye Jr. – Derby Fire Department 1985

Fred Philopena – New London Fire Department 1984

Philip Crombie – Soputh Windsor Fire Department 1983

John Rivosa – Manchester Fire Rescue 1982

John Shanaghan – East Haddam Fire Department 1981

William Healey – Milford Fire Department 1980

Charles Freimuth Je. – Terryville 1979

Robert Redican – Meriden 1978

Charles Scheer – South Kensington 1977

David Norton – Portland 1976

William Johnson – Vernon 1975

Arthur Toth – Southington 1974

William Dush – Newington 1973

John Rossadini – North Haven 1972

Edward Curtin – Hartford 1971

Edward F. Haber – Berlin 1969

Thomas Hayes – East Haven 1968

John Zvonkowic – Branford 1967

Thomas Lee – Hartford 1966

Joseph Stopa – Fairfield 1965

Raymond Potter Jr. – Suffield 1964

Leo Rivard – Willimantic 1963

Richard Coley – Milford 1962

Allen Bowkett – Thomaston 1961

Thurston Howard – Waterford 1960

James Grote – Chester 1959

Raymond Spencer – Hamden 1958

Howard Reynolds – Eagleville 1956

Warren Hall – Cheshire 1956

Thomas Doney – West Hartford 1955

Francis Scully – Waterbury 1954

William Johnson – West Haven 1953

William Shaw – New Britain 1952

J. Franklin Dunn – Middletown 1951

Thomas Shipman – New London 1950

Henry Thomas – Hartford 1949

Paul Heinz – New Haven 1948

Thomas Furey – Thomaston 1947

George Graham – Bristol 1946

Allen Judson – Stratford 1945

John H. Griffin – Norfolk 1944

R. W. Anderson – Thomaston 1943

John Moroney – Meriden 1942

John Pachl – Annex New Haven 1941

Michael T. Kenna – Hartford 1940

George B. Milne – Rockville 1939

Michael W. Lawton – Middletown 1938

Henry Taft – Norwich 1935 – 1937

John C. Moran – Hartford 1935

Lawrence Reif – New Haven 1934

Rufus R. Fancher – New Haven 1914 – 1933

Albert Hendrick – New Haven 1902 – 1912

Regional Representatives

David Lucia Tolland County

William Skene Windham County

Robert Keleher Hartford County

Fred Dudek, Jr. Middlesex County

Ron Stolz New London County

Tim Wall New Haven County

Ryan Crichton Litchfield County

OPEN AT THIS TIME – Fairfield County – contact the President if you are interested in this position.