ENFIELD, CT — Paul Januszewski, deputy fire chief of the Enfield Fire Department, will retire Friday after a career that spanned 45 years, 27 of them as the second in command.
Januszewski said his decision to retire was based on his desire to be able to do such things as hiking, biking, and traveling with his wife he while he’s young and healthy enough. He is 62 years old.
Januszewski started his career at the Enfield Fire Department in August 1975 at the age of 18.
Growing up, he was surrounded by firefighters. His grandfather and uncles were firefighters in Massachusetts and upon moving to Enfield as a child, he grew up right behind a firehouse.
The turning point for him happened in the spring of 1975 when a rash of brush fires broke out in town.
“I would show up there and watch the guys, and one time one of the firefighters put some equipment on my back and said, ‘We need some help. Let’s go in there and get to work,’ and that kind of cinched the deal. I came down here and signed up,” he said.
He served as the department’s fire marshal from 1982 to 1987 when he took a job at the state fire marshal’s office.
In 1991, he worked in the private sector before returning to the Enfield Fire Department in 1993 as deputy chief.
Januszewski leaves behind a legacy of firefighting. His son, Paul Januszewski Jr., is the fire chief in North Haven, and one of his grandsons, though only in middle school, has expressed interest in one day becoming a firefighter.
Januszewski was also instrumental in creating the department’s Junior Firefighting Cadet Program, of which his son was the first participant. Since then, about 75 to 80 teenagers have come through the program, he said.
“It’s been quite a long road, one that went by real fast. I don’t know where the time went,” he said of his career.
Januszewski said he had aspirations of becoming fire chief one day but due to various complications in his life, he wasn’t able to pursue it. He doesn’t regret it, though, as the past 45 years have been a “great ride.”
Januszewski said the most rewarding part of his job has been the opportunity to work with so many “great” individuals. Januszewski, who also serves as the department’s training officer, has also enjoyed being able to train the men and women and watch them grow as firefighters, some of whom he has known since they were cadets.
In retirement, he said he knows he’ll miss helping the community during times of need.
“One of the great things about being a firefighter is every day you come to work is different. Every call is different. Every call is an opportunity to help somebody’s that’s in trouble, and that’s been really rewarding to give back to the community and help,” he said.
As a longtime firefighter, Januszewski has been on his share of tragic calls but he’s also helped save lives.
“You see people in situations at their worst, but you can be part of the team making things better,” he said.
One particular memory is when he and his fellow firefighters were dispatched to a home in the late ’90s where a family of five was suffering from carbon monoxide poisoning. When he arrived, he found all of them unconscious in the home.
He and the other firefighters were able to resuscitate the entire family — a mother, father, and three children.
“You never know when the tones hit from one day to the next what the call’s going to be. You can go out on what seems to be the most mundane call because you’ve a hundred of them, and there’ll be something different about it,” he said.
Fire Chief Edward Richards said Januszewski will be missed deeply.
Having been his “right-hand guy” for 27 years, Januszewski will be “monumentally” difficult to replace, Richards said.
Along with Januszewski’s duties as deputy chief and training officer, Richards said he’s been a “tremendous” help in writing grants for the district, running the Fire Department’s website, and dealing with regulatory agencies.
In fact, Richards isn’t sure how one person handled everything.
Though his friend is deserving of a happy and safe retirement, Richards is still sad to see Januszewski go, unable to succinctly sum up the deputy chief’s time with the department.
“How do you describe that? He’s been very instrumental in many of the things we’ve done here,” Richards said.
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