Bethel Fire & EMS Names New Officers

BETHEL, CT — Bethel Fire & EMS has elected Chris McCollam Chief of Department for 2021.

McCollam was one of many new officers named to the roster during its annual election, held Thursday night, to elect chief officers, operational line officers, executive committee officers, and membership committee members.

The firefighters also honored outgoing chief Scott Murphy at the meeting, saluting "his dedication to the town of Bethel and his leadership during a most challenging 2020."

In addition to elections, the department was joined by First Selectman Matt Knickerbocker in recognizing a select group of Bethel and Stony Hill firefighters who went "above and beyond" in May 2020 during a severe motor vehicle accident. These members were awarded the Hurst Green Cross award.

Also honored were Firefighter of the Year, Dave Evanuksa, EMT of the Year, Ray Kennedy, and Chiefs Award winner Bill McAllister for their service last year.

These are the newly elected officers:

Assistant Chief: Ed Bruey
Deputy Chief: Brendan Ryan
Chief Engineer: David Broadhurst
Fire Captain: Eugene (Butch) Linhoff III
EMS Captain: Raymond Kennedy
Fire Lieutenants: Bill McAllister, David Evanuska, Cody Smith and Matthew Troy
EMS Lieutenants: Amy Plude and Regina Yacko