Enfield Fire Chief Inducted Into State Firefighters Hall Of Fame

ENFIELD, CT — Jim Richards was chief of the Enfield Fire Department for 29 years, and upon his retirement in 1992, he was succeeded by his son Ed. The younger Richards has now held the position of chief for the same length of time as his dad, and Thursday night, he reached the pinnacle of his career with induction into the Connecticut State Firefighters Association Hall of Fame.

Richards was one of 10 honorees elected to the Hall of Fame in 2020. However, due to the coronavirus pandemic, the ceremony was delayed a year, and those electees were inducted along with the six members of the Class of 2021 at the Aqua Turf Club in Southington.

Richards has served Enfield Fire District No. 1 for over 45 years. He previously held the capacities of Deputy Chief, Deputy Fire Marshal, Captain and Engineer. A well-respected educator, he has been an adjunct professor at both St. Mary’s College and Springfield Tech Community College.

Very active within the various fire service regional, state and national levels, Richards currently serves on the North Central CMED Board of Directors, the State of Connecticut Emergency Response Commission and as an Advisor to the Connecticut Department of Emergency Management and Homeland Security. He is also a State Coordinator for the Connecticut Fire/Rescue Disaster Response Plan.

He is a past president of the Connecticut Fire Chiefs Association, a past president and board member of the Connecticut Career Fire Chiefs, a past president and board member of the New England Association of Fire Chiefs, and a longtime member of the International Association of Fire Chiefs. At the national level, he has been a member of the Homeland Security and Terrorism Committee of the International Association of Fire Chiefs, and served on the Validation Committee for the Second and Third Editions of the IFSTA Chief Officer Training Manuals.

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