An advocate for paramedicine in what he calls the ever-adapting fire service, West Hartford Fire Chief Gary Allyn retires from the department having ascended the ranks from firefighter during the last 30 years.
Allyn was the first paramedic hired in West Hartford in April 1988. He was 31 and assigned to Engine 3 at the New Britain Avenue fire station. “The day I walked through the door was the day the first paramedic in the town was hired,” Allyn said.
He quickly became a member of the town’s paramedic committee and worked his career to implement a program in town. Over the years he attempted to incorporate paramedic services into the department with four “false starts,” he said. In August 2016, the department rolled out the paramedic service in town — a success, Allyn said.