[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 192 (Thursday, December 17, 2009)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E3045]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 THE RETIREMENT OF CHIEF CHARLES A. TEALE, SR., FROM THE HARTFORD FIRE 
                               DEPARTMENT

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. JOHN B. LARSON

                             of connecticut

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, December 16, 2009

  Mr. LARSON of Connecticut. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Fire 
Chief Charles A. Teale, Sr., of the Hartford Fire Department who is 
retiring after serving 27 years--9 of those as its chief.
  In his years of service, Chief Teale has gained a reputation as a 
fair, no-nonsense administrator who helped to restore order and 
stability to the Hartford Fire Department. Under his watch, the 
Hartford Fire Department maintained its Class 1 status, a designation 
shared by only 41 of 38,000 departments across the country. Among 
Teale's many accomplishments is his emphasis on attaining high 
educational and professional standards. Due to the department's 
educational outreach, the number of structure fires in Hartford 
decreased from 366 in 2001 to just 80 in 2008.
  In one of his proudest accomplishments, Teale showed a dedication to 
the community he served that extended far beyond his duties as fire 
chief. He worked as co-chairman of a committee that raised $125,000 to 
create a memorial to the 168 people who died in the Hartford circus 
fire of July 6, 1944. Motivated by the conviction that a memorial had 
to be created before the generation that remembered one of 
Connecticut's worst disasters passed on, Teale dedicated the beautiful 
memorial in 2005, on the 61st anniversary of the fire.
  Chief Teale's own story is truly remarkable. He dropped out of school 
at age 14, but returned and excelled, thanks to the mentoring of 
legendary Hartford educator Walter ``Doc'' Hurley. He went on to earn 
multiple advanced degrees, including a master's in public 
administration from the University of Hartford. Chief Teale's passion 
for learning is everlasting, and after retirement he plans to pursue a 
doctorate in psychology, which will help him empower Hartford's young 
men to make smart choices as they enter adulthood, just as Doc Hurley 
influenced him.
  The residents of Hartford and Connecticut's First Congressional 
District are indebted to Chief Teale for his extensive efforts to serve 
the Greater Hartford community. His dedication to Hartford and its 
history, as well as his ability to lead, have made him not just an 
outstanding fire chief but an exceptional ambassador for the city. His 
fire boots will be hard to fill, but we wish him well on his admirable 
goals of returning to school and serving as a mentor to the young men 
in Hartford.

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