HARTFORD, Conn. (WTIC Radio)—After serving as Interim Fire Chief for about five months, lifelong Hartford resident Rodney Barco has been nominated to serve as the permanent Chief of the Hartford Fire Department.
Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin named Barco, who has been serving as Interim Fire Chief since April of this year, as the Fire Chief nominee.
"Over the last few months, as Interim Chief, I have come to trust and rely on [Barco] and have full confidence in his leadership of this department on an ongoing basis," Bronin said.
Barco first joined the Fire Department in 1995. During his time with the department of more than 25 years, Barco has risen in the leadership ranks.
In 2010, Barco was promoted to Lieutenant. He was later promoted to Captain in 2016. Barco was then appointed Assistant Chief in 2018.
The only time Barco hesitated as a fire fighter was during the response to his first fire. He hesitated for about three seconds before going in to fight the blaze, he said, and since then he's loved serving the community alongside the men and women of the fire department.
"At the end of the day, you cannot put a monetary value on the reward. The appreciation that citizens have when you did a good deed, especially if you manage to save their property from being totally destroyed, you can't put a price on that. It's well worth it," Barco said.
The City Council needs to confirm Barco's nomination. If confirmed, Barco plans to improve the Department's technical rescue training.
Hartford's firefighters have received training in all the technical rescue disciplines except for two, according to Barco.
Under his leadership, Barco said, members of the department will be certified in those two disciplines: structural collapse and swift water.
Barco also plans to develop hands-on training for truck and engine operations, continue Blue Card Incident Command Training and implement other training practices that department members have requested, he said.
Bronin submitted his nomination to the City Council on Wednesday. The council is expected to take up that nomination and begin the process of confirming it on Monday.