Cybart fire chief

01/05/2007

Cybart fire chief

By: Tristram DeRoma , Bard Editor

Former Deputy Chief John Cybart has not had a lot of time to bask his recent promotion to chief, since the promotion is just one of many other events happening at the Stratford Fire Department.

"Right now, we're busy putting together our budget, as well as negotiating contracts with two unions," (fire, dispatch) said Cybart, who came to the Stratford Fire Department in 1994, the same year as Nattrass.

Of course, besides Cybart having to learn a whole new set of administrative duties as chief, those being promoted in his wake have to learn their jobs, too.

According to Cybart, Assistant Chief Mike Hostetter will now become deputy chief; Firefighters Tom Murray, Paul Gazso and Ellen Howley will step into their new roles as assistant chiefs as well. That leaves three ranks formerly occupied by them that have yet to be filled.

"It's a welcome challenge, though, and we're all looking forward to our new jobs, serving the mayor and providing the community with the same good quality service it's come to expect," said Cybart.

Even though he's been with the department for 12 years, he's no stranger to Stratford, having served as an officer and then chief at Sikorsky Aircraft before that.

He also spent time in law enforcement as a part-time constable in Shelton before making firefighting his fulltime occupation. Regardless of which path he took, he said public service and helping people was always a part of his career plans.

"My mother always told me that when I was younger I wanted to be both a fireman and a policeman,," he said. "She always told me you can't do both, you have to pick one or the other."

Cybart started his career at the age of 16, by becoming a volunteer with Shelton's Echo Hose And Ladder Company #1.

He said as far as any big changes go, people can expect the same good service and leadership that Nattrass provided during his tenure as chief.

"We were both on the same page," Cybart said of his former colleague. "When we first came here, we were all about making the department better, improving services and implementing programs that would better serve the public. All the time, it seems like we were looking for ways to improve the department. Ron as well as myself were and are about leaving the department better than the way we found it."

Recently, Cybart's been enrolled as a student in the National Fire Academy's prestigious Executive Fire Officer Program, where he's had to put together research papers that center on fixing some issues he's seen crop up in Stratford as well as his own department. They've mainly had to do with how to make emergency operations centers more efficient and reducing risks common to certain populations, such as the elderly.

"I'd like to implement a program that would reduce the number of slips and falls among our elderly," said Cybart. "Perhaps we could accomplish that through home surveys."

Cybart lives in Milford. He will be presiding over a 98-member fire department which includes and additional 13 dispatchers.

Mayor James Miron was glad to hear the news Cybart was made chief.

"Cybart has the right combination of leadership and firefighting experience to move the department forward successfully. He has a good mix of firefighting and management skills and that's what you need to be a good fire chief. I look forward to working with him."