New London Fire Department Veteran To Be Promoted To Chief
Information via New London Fire DepartmentNEW LONDON, CT – New London Fire Department Assistant Chief Vernon R. Skau, a 21-year veteran of the department, will be promoted to Chief during a ceremony currently being planned for early June.Skau is currently the City’s Fire Marshal and Deputy Emergency Management Director, a position he has held for over a decade. He has more than three decades of experience in fire prevention, investigation, emergency management, and firefighting.Long-time Fire Chief Thomas Curcio, a 45-year member of the department responsible for leading significant equipment upgrades, improving training, and creating COVID-19 safety protocols for first responders, announced his retirement in April. Chief Curcio’s retirement will take effect on June 7.“It is an honor to be selected as the next Fire Chief for the City of New London and to follow Chief Curcio,” Skau said. “I am fortunate to take on a department with highly skilled firefighters and updated fire apparatus that provide professional, efficient emergency services to our families and friends across New London.” Mayor Michael Passero, a former New London firefighter, said, “I’m pleased to make this promotion for so many reasons. Vern is the consummate firefighter, earning impressive credentials from local, state, and federal fire service agencies. He will continue Chief Curcio’s work to ensure our firefighters have the best training and equipment available. This will be a seamless transition in a professional department with firefighters of the highest caliber protecting our residents and businesses.”Skau has held key management roles in private industry and has served as Fire Chief, Deputy Fire Chief, and Assistant Chief of Training with the Old Saybrook Fire Department. He has extensive training and certifications in fire suppression, fire investigations, and emergency management on the local, state, and federal levels. Skau and his wife Tammy have two sons, one of whom is also a local firefighter, and he and his wife live in Waterford. “I want to thank Chief Curcio for all he has done to keep the New London Fire Department in step with advances in emergency services techniques and equipment,” Passero said. “Tom and his wife, Susan, certainly deserve this retirement after Tom’s decades of unselfish service to the citizens of New London and the region. To be a firefighter requires the full support of family.”Chief Curcio started as a volunteer firefighter and held each rank. He has been the Fire Chief/Emergency Management Director in New London for nearly seven years. Chief Curcio strongly advocated for the department, aggressively upgrading outdated and failing fire apparatus, adding two new engines, a tower ladder, and three new ambulances. He has replaced outdated firefighting/EMS equipment, enhanced the department’s training, and fought tirelessly for state and federal grants, resulting in impressive savings for the community. Chief Curcio has overseen significant renovations to the fire headquarters and South Station, and he has worked to reinstate the Deputy Fire Chief position, which has enhanced training. Chief Curcio’s strong leadership was critical to the community during the early days and throughout the COVID-19 pandemic before safety protocols for first responders existed. Chief Curcio implemented aggressive plans to provide exceptional ambulance/EMS safety procedures for first responders. He worked tirelessly to obtain protective gear and significant testing capabilities and equipment for the City of New London. The article New London Fire Department Veteran To Be Promoted To Chief appeared first on New London, CT Patch.
Welcome to Billionaire Club Co LLC, your gateway to a brand-new social media experience! Sign up today and dive into over 10,000 fresh daily articles and videos curated just for your enjoyment. Enjoy the ad free experience, unlimited content interactions, and get that coveted blue check verification—all for just $1 a month!
Account Frozen
Your account is frozen. You can still view content but cannot interact with it.
Please go to your settings to update your account status.
Open Profile Settings