Firefighters celebrate, honor fallen comrades

TORRINGTON — On Saturday, June 7, nearly 150 Winsted Fire Department past and present members gathered at the Cornucopia for their triennial Honorary Banquet.

Emcee for the evening was state Commissioner of Agriculture Phil Prelli, a former member of the Winsted Fire Department’s Engine 3 and past state representative for the 63rd District. Prelli entertained the crowd with some inside jokes and moved the evening along smoothly.

Throughout the evening, a slide show depicted past fires, department members and events over the past several decades as a way for the honorary members to reminisce and for new members to get a taste of how things once were.

To conclude the evening Assistant Chief Steven Sartirana (husband of this writer) read the names of all members who have died in the past three years and Chief Robert Shopey ran the department’s recall bell, which played an important role in history. Prior to the advent of radios, a bell would ring to signal a fire. At the conclusion of the fire, a recall bell would tell firefighters the call was over and it was safe to return home.

The bell was rung twice to wrap up the Saturday’s banquet, once to symbolize the initial call and the second as a way of calling home fallen members. Those recalled on Saturday included Ralph Stanizzi Sr., Brian Parent, Samuel "Benny" Liskin and Edward Sobel.