NBC Connecticut
CROMWELL, Conn. — A fire marshal in Cromwell is on unpaid suspension after allegedly showing up to a fire scene impaired on Halloween night, according to reports from the town fire and police departments.
Fire broke out at 134 Coles Road around 10:30 p.m. on Halloween. While crews beat down the flames, Fire Marshal Todd Gagnon, a 23-year veteran of the department, was called to the scene to investigate. He showed up 75 minutes later, according to the fire district’s investigation report obtained by the NBC Connecticut Troubleshooters.
According to a report from Fire Chief Stephen Pendl, Gagnon called dispatch four times to verify the address of the fire scene. Police and fire officials said Gagnon appeared to be impaired when he arrived. “I observed Fire Marshal Gagnon with red blood shot eyes, slurred delayed speech, and he was swaying back and forth,” Cromwell police Sgt. Steven D. Penn wrote in a memo to the police captain on Nov. 3.
Full story: Cromwell Fire Marshal Impaired at Scene Suspended Without Pay: Report