MIDDLETOWN, CT— A wooden bridge carrying West Street over the Providence and Worcester Railroad near the Middlefield line will later this year bear the name of a fire official who died on the job in 2006.
Middletown Fire Capt. Joe Pagano suffered a fatal heart attack at his desk in the station in November 2006 at 52 after returning from a car accident scene.
He was found by fellow firefighters, who used a defibrillator to try to restart his heart, but the effort was unsuccessful.
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“He was a very good firefighter who gave close to 28 years: He gave it all for the city,” Middletown Fire Chief Robert Kronenberger said. He was deputy chief when Pagano was a lieutenant, and they worked the same shift.
Kronenberger said Pagano had a great sense of humor and was a man who mentored his crew, taking them under his wing. “His crew was well taken care of.
“I think it’s a fitting tribute to him and his family.”
After the captain passed away, Kronenberger consulted Public Works Director William Russo, asking something be named in his honor.
The bridge, which goes over the Providence and Worcester Railroad in Middletown, is under construction through Nov. 29. It will be identified with a placard. The structure is about a mile-and-a-half from the station, making it the perfect location, the chief said.
In 2008, firefighters from the Cross Street Firehouse installed a monument in honor of Pagano and Firefighter Charles Rau, who died in 1977. They were the two Middletown firefighters who died in the line of duty.
Two of the city’s fire trucks bear ribbons and decals designating numbers 4 for Rau and 7 for Pagano. The numeration corresponds with a firefighter’s seniority in the department, Kronenberger said.
At his Pagano’s funeral, the chief shared a story about the time Pagano took his swimming test at the fire academy.
“I can’t swim,” Pagano told the other firefighters, but, according to Kronenberger, he dog-paddled the whole way and completed the swimming portion with everyone cheering him on.
“He was an ordinary man with extraordinary courage,” Kronenberger said at the time, adding Pagano loved the simple things in life: a hot cup of coffee in the morning, cooking a perfect burger or making the right call behind home plate.
The Common Council approved the resolution honoring Pagano at its June 3 meeting.
Captain Joe’s Gym, located next to the Main Street station and used regularly by first responders, was dedicated to Pagano in May 2014.
One of the leading causes of death for firefighters is cardiac arrest.
The West Street bridge has been closed to traffic since April and the project’s expected completion date is Nov. 20, according to the state Department of Transportation. A detour takes motorists to Middlefield Street.
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