Manchester Fire Officers Retire After 25 Years

MANCHESTER, CT — Battalion Chief Eric Borden and Lt. Brian Blaise have retired from the Manchester Fire Rescue and EMS Department after 25-year careers.

Borden was hired in March of 1997 and rose through the ranks from firefighter to lieutenant to battalion chief.

He was also a training chief for the department and finished his career as the shift commander for Group 4

Borden is taking the position as chief of department for the Torrington Fire Department.

Blaise served in multiple capacities at multiple stations, attended to "countless" calls and served "an untold number of citizens over the years," officials said.

He was instrumental in providing driver and pump training to new firefighters and served on the department's peer support team.