Simsbury Fire Chief Baldis Receives Instructor Award

Simsbury Volunteer Fire Company Fire Chief James Baldis has received the Richard Pratt Sylvia Instructor of the Year Award from the Connecticut Fire Department Instructors’ Association. His 43 years of service in Simsbury include 14 years as Fire Chief.

Baldis is the President and Director of Training at the Hartford County Regional Fire School in Windsor Locks and he is President of the Hartford County Fire Emergency Plan, where he has taught since the 70s.

The award is named for Richard Pratt Sylvia, who started as a volunteer firefighter in the the Noroton Fire Department in Darien, where he was chief for eight years. In August 1966 he was appointed associate editor of Fire Engineering magazine, and became the editor for two years before retiring in 1982.

Pictured are President Al Bassett, Connecticut Fire Department Instructors’ Association, Fire Chief James Baldis, Simsbury Volunteer Fire Company, and Vice President Peter Buonome, Connecticut Fire Department Instructors’ Association, at the award ceremony where Baldis received the Richard Pratt Sylvia Instructor of the Year Award.