West Hartford Firefighters Meet Accomplished Actor To Thank Him

WEST HARTFORD, CT — Back in 2021, the West Hartford Fire Department applied for and received significant funding from the Leary Firefighters Foundation.

And, last month, a contingent of WHFD firefighters got the chance to meet the man behind the foundation and personally thank him — accomplished actor/comedian Denis Leary.

The group showed up at a taping of "The Drew Barrymore Show" in New York City, where Leary was a guest.

West Hartford firefighters were able to hobnob and take pictures with both Leary and Barrymore, herself a famous actress and, currently, a daytime talk show host.

According to WHFD Deputy Chief Adam Pacheco, recently retired WHFD Deputy Chief Keith Albert happened to know a producer of the show.

It was through that connection that the WHFD delegation was able to spend some time on the set.

In 2021, the WFHD received a Leary Firefighter Foundation Grant and, as Pacheco puts it, they just wanted to thank him.

"Having been a recipient of a grant award from his foundation we thought it would be a nice opportunity to say thank you," Pacheco said Thursday.

Leary, who was an MTV personality in the 1990s, is a hilarious standup comic who has evolved into a prominent character actor in movies and television.

But in 1999, six firefighters were tragically killed in an empty warehouse building in Worcester, Mass.

They were searching for two homeless individuals reported in the building, a report that was unfounded.

Leary, who hails from the Boston area, lost a cousin and family friend in that tragic blaze and he quickly created his foundation to honor the fallen six and firefighters everywhere.

The Leary grant program was developed with the goal being to help fire departments get the resources and equipment they need to save lives and property.

Back in 2022, the WHFD utilized Leary Foundation Grant funds to purchase and train on the so-called "bailout kits," which provide firefighters with the means to leave a burning building quickly on the exterior, even if they're on upper floors.

From Nov. 1, 2022: 'Hollywood Help Gets WHFD Lifesaving Equipment'