Tag Archives: obituary

BHC Remembers Past Asst. Chief Kevin Swan on 10-Year Anniversary

kevin-swan-headshotWe remember Past Asst. Chief Kevin Swan, whom we lost in a line-of-duty death in 2010, 10 years ago today.

Kevin died March 10, 2010, after suffering a heart attack while responding to a call. He was the captain of the Beacon Hose Fire Police at the time. He was a member of our department for nearly 50 years, during which time he served as assistant chief and an active member of our area’s two major chiefs’ associations.

Beacon Hose bestowed full honors upon Kevin’s passing, including a funeral procession down Main Street led by our 1929 Seagrave.

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BHC Observes National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Weekend

nfff-logoThe National Fallen Firefighters Foundation is an organization that holds a special place in the hearts of Beacon Hose. We have made several trips to the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Park in Emmitsburg, Md., to partake in ceremonies and honor the memories of heroes who have died in the line of duty.

Beacon Hose has the rare distinction of being a small town with four men who have died in the fire service and are therefore honored at this sacred ground. In fact, no other all-volunteer department in Connecticut has as many line of duty deaths than Beacon Hose. Our departed members include:

Past Capt. Wilbur Wheeler (Dec. 31, 1979)
Past Chief Joseph A. Daddona (Aug. 31, 1986)
Past Chief Robert A. Cole (Dec. 19, 1991)
Past Asst. Chief Kevin J. Swan (March 10, 2010)

Continue reading BHC Observes National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Weekend

Beacon Hose Remembers Past Asst. Chief Kevin Swan

kevin-swan-headshotWe remember Past Asst. Chief Kevin Swan, whom we lost in a line-of-duty death five years ago.

Kevin died March 10, 2010, after suffering a heart attack while responding to a call. He was the captain of the Beacon Hose Fire Police at the time. He was a member of our department for nearly 50 years, during which time he served as assistant chief and an active member of our area’s two major chiefs’ associations.

Beacon Hose bestowed full honors upon Kevin’s passing, including a funeral procession down Main Street led by our 1929 Seagrave.

Continue reading Beacon Hose Remembers Past Asst. Chief Kevin Swan

BHC’s Extraordinary History with George and Robert Butz

Beacon Hose was sad Monday to learn of the passing of Robert Butz, the son of our very first chief, George Butz Sr. On behalf of Beacon Hose’s officers, we send our condolences to Robert’s family and would like to share a bit of a lengthy story — but one very much worth reading — to illustrate the Butz family’s history with our department.

These two men shared an extraordinary connection with Beacon Hose — one which held beginning and end points more than a century apart. We’ll recap using a combination of our department history and a pair of news stories (which we’ll link to at the end).

George was elected the first foreman of Beacon Hose when it was established on May 11, 1899, as the Beacon Falls Fire Department (which was actually formed as the firefighting unit of the Beacon Falls Rubber Shoe Company and housed in one of the company’s buildings).

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