Daniel Drainville – The Day, New London, Conn.
Norwich — The city announced Thursday that is has hired the deputy chief of the Wallingford fire department to be the city’s new fire chief, replacing the retiring Tracy Montoya.
Samuel Wilson III, 44 is scheduled to be sworn in Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. in City Council chambers. There will then be a four-day period in which the two men will work together. Montoya’s last day is Feb 21.
Scalise said during that time, Wilson will have a busy schedule, which will involve watching training videos required for all city employees, along with accompanying Montoya to meet department heads and attend meetings.
Wilson said Montoya’s departure will leave “big shoes to fill,” and said the two have been communicating since he was informed he was going to be his successor.
City Human Resources Director Rob Scalise said Wilson was selected from an initial pool of 13 applicants, which was ultimately whittled down to three — Wilson, another external candidate and one candidate from within the fire department. Scalise said he was not at liberty to disclose the names of the other two candidates.
“We had a very strong pool of applicants,” Scalise said. “Which to us, underscores that we have an excellent city of Norwich Fire Department, with an excellent reputation. We’re very proud of that.”
Wilson said Thursday he was humbled to have been chosen.
“There was a lot of good people that put in for the position, with lofty credentials,” he added.
Wilson has worked 17 years in the Wallingford department. Prior to that, he began his firefighting career with the Fairfax County fire service in Virginia.
He was promoted through the ranks of the Wallingford department, starting with a promotion to fire lieutenant. He was a lieutenant for about 10 years when he became the department’s first EMS and Fire Safety officer, which had him overseeing the department’s new paramedic program.
Wilson said he was in that role for about a year before he was promoted to deputy fire chief, which put him third in command. In that role, he trained new firefighters and served as the liaison to the department’s volunteers.
When Wilson was promoted to second-in-command in 2021, he said, he was in charge of overseeing about 120 fire and EMS personnel, both paid and volunteers.
Wilson also served as the north division commander of the New Haven Area Special Hazards Team, and as chief of special operations for Wallingford, a role in which he was in charge of hazardous material incidents, rope rescue and other kinds of special rescues.
Wilson said he wasn’t “actively searching” for a new position, but when he heard about the Norwich opening, he said the city fit the specific criteria he was looking for in a new role. He said he likes the number and types of calls the department responds to.
“It’s a very traditional fire department,” Wilson said. “I think there’s a lot of opportunity for advancement.”
He described himself as an enthusiastic innovator.
“I think, actually, the first thing for a new fire chief to do, is to curb themselves a little bit,” Wilson said. “(To) do a lot of observation, and learn about the people. The culture.”
A long connection with Norwich
A little more than 10 years ago, Wilson was enrolled in a Connecticut Fire Academy mentorship program which offered budding fire officers, like himself, one week of one-on-one learning with an experienced fire chief.
By chance his mentor was former City of Norwich Fire Chief Ken Scandariato.
“He really gave me a lot to think about over the next decade about being a good fire officer,” Wilson said. “I’ve looked up to Chief Scand ever since then.”
Wilson said Scandariato gave him some advice he’s carried through his career.
“Most of what he says was about remaining professional. I’m paraphrasing. Keep it professional. And to remember that you’re an officer,” he recalled.
Wilson arrives in Norwich from another department like Scandariato did in 2005, after a 27-year career with the North Providence (R.I.) Fire Department.
“You never know who you’re going to meet along the way,” Wilson said. “I think about that frequently, that all these years later, I end up where Chief Scand was.”
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