First Responders Honored by Ansonia Rotary

ANSONIA, CT - The Rotary Club of Ansonia hosted their annual public service event for 2019 this past week. This year, the 20th annual event recognized exemplary first responders, Fireman Edwin Sturgis, EMT Tyler Smith, and Police Officer Michael Castillo for their outstanding service to the community and their departments over the past year.

In a ceremony at the Parish of the Holy Rosary, Mayor David Cassetti introduced each awardee and explained the basis for their selection. “Meritorious service” exemplified by daily anecdotes from the past year characterized the conduct of the three first responders. Mayor Cassetti presented each awardee with a plaque.

Commenting on the three first responders, Mayor Cassetti noted,
“Simply put, our First Responders are remarkable individuals. Ed Sturges has been involved with the fire department for almost 50 years and is a dedicated volunteer who is always willing to help. I have known Mike Castillo for many years. He has outstanding skill sets and we are fortunate to have him on Ansonia’s police force. Tyler Smith is relatively new to ARMS, but he has already distinguished himself as being a top notch first responder. I am proud and fortunate to have these individuals representing our community and caring for our residents.”

The dinner was organized by the Ansonia Rotary Club with support from the Valley Community Foundation and Liberty Bank. City and local officials, Rotary Club members, friends and family of the City’s police, fire and emergency medical departments were present to recognize the awardees for this honor.

State Senator George Logan and State Representative Kara Rochelle also presented each awardee with a proclamation from the Connecticut General Assembly in recognition of their exemplary service. Senator Logan noted, “It is always an honor to attend this event to help recognize and celebrate our outstanding first responders in the City of Ansonia. These individuals put their lives on the line for our community. They protect our properties, they prevent tragedies, and they save lives. This is an opportunity to simply and sincerely express our gratitude for what they do for us. I also want to thank the Ansonia Rotary Club for the excellent work this awesome organization does to bring our community together.”

Fireman Ed Sturgis has served the Webster Hose Co. for over forty-five years, initially as head driver, and more recently he has overseen the development and installation of comprehensive software as well as the automated alarm system. Both EMT Smith and Officer Castillo were cited as outstanding role models and for their assistance in developing and implementing training for other members of their departments.