‘Progressive’ fire chief Sweeney dies at 92

08/15/2006

William Kaempffer , Register Staff

NEW HAVEN — A retired fire chief who served the department for 34 years, including 13 as its chief, has died. Francis J. Sweeney led the fire service from 1965 until his retirement in 1978. He died Sunday at 92.

"He was part of the proud history of the New Haven Fire Department, a very proud, dignified, stately man," said William Celentano, a fire commissioner and longtime supporter of the department. "In the Fire Department, he was one of the shining stars of his day."

One of Sweeney’s grandsons, Richard Rife, is a city Fire Department captain.

It was during Sweeney’s tenure that the city was plagued by a spate of arson fires unequaled in proportion. Abandoned homes were going up in flames at an alarming rate, and the chief was credited with starting a specialized squad to tackle the problem.

"There was hardly a night that you wouldn’t have the sky lit up in the Hill with another arson fire," said retired Battalion Chief Edward Flynn, the department historian.

Firefighters would put out the blazes and police would investigate them along with the other crimes of the day.

Under Sweeney in 1978, the Fire Department created a specialized fire investigative unit, a joint squad of detectives and fire investigators, that later served as a model around the state.

Inside the department today, Sweeney might be known by name and reputation, but maybe a handful of current firefighters actually worked under him.

Fire Chief Michael Grant, himself a 34-year veteran, served under Sweeney as a rookie. He recalled him as "very progressive chief" who was committed to the profession and a staunch supporter of firefighter training.

Others had their individual memories.

Celentano recalled the terrible Franklin Street fire of 1957, when 15 people died in a dress factory fire, the worst fire disaster in department history. Sweeney was a fire captain.

The day after the dress factory fire, firefighters struggled to recover the victims’ bodies, a task made more treacherous by the building collapse. Celentano recalled seeing Sweeney riding a wrecking ball from a demolition machine, dangling over the site trying to locate victims.

The role of chief of the department evolved in the 1970s. The chief was expected to work more closely on budget matters and longtime strategic planning, and Sweeney formulated a plan to replace aging firehouses, Flynn said.

"He was a great administrator," Flynn said. "He had an eye toward the future."

Sweeney retired with a $20,000-a-year pension, which at the time may have seemed generous. Today, firefighter’s pensions can easily double and triple that amount.