[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 182 (Friday, November 3, 2023)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1051-E1052]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  HONORING THE CAREER OF RICHARD BARON

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. JOE COURTNEY

                             of connecticut

                    in the house of representatives

                        Friday, November 3, 2023

  Mr. COURTNEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and celebrate 
Richard Baron of Woodstock, Connecticut who retires from his work with 
the Woodstock Fire Marshal's office on November 30, 2023. Richard's 
retirement concludes 50 years of exemplary service to the Town of 
Woodstock, the last 27 of which were as Fire Marshal. His outstanding 
dedication to his community and expertise will be sorely missed.
  From his earliest days in northeastern Connecticut, Richard was 
destined to be an exceptional member of the Woodstock community. He 
attended the Woodstock Academy and Ellis Technical School in Woodstock 
and Danielson respectively and was drawn to helping others by following 
a special calling to the challenging work of public safety. At a very 
young age, Richard began his journey at the Muddy Brook Fire Department 
as a volunteer, which gave him a chance to apply his technical 
knowledge and caring disposition to the tasks of a firefighter.

[[Page E1052]]

  Richard's professional career has also been defined by his service to 
the community--in the halls of Connecticut's state government, where he 
worked with the Connecticut Department of Transportation for over 31 
years. His talented work and leadership skills were rewarded over the 
years with a series of promotions. At the time of his retirement, he 
had risen to the position of Fleet Manager for the entire state of 
Connecticut, which is a huge responsibility, requiring tremendous 
logistical and organizational skills.
  In November of 1973, when Richard joined the Muddy Brook Fire 
Department, one of three volunteer departments serving Woodstock and 
the surrounding community, he started on the training squad. He has 
since remained a dutiful protector of his neighbors, serving 50 years 
in fire safety through many different capacities. He has always been 
guided by a principle to contribute wherever he felt he was needed by 
the town. Richard spent 45 of those years as an EMT. Given his 
diligence, Richard was promoted several times within the Muddy Brook 
Fire Department. His valuable contributions to the community were 
recognized and he achieved the rank of Captain by the early 1980s. 
During his time as Captain, Richard committed himself to advancing fire 
safety in Woodstock and took on the role of Deputy Fire Marshal for the 
town in 1984.
  In 1990, Richard was promoted to Deputy Chief of the Muddy Brook Fire 
Department. Only two years later he was promoted again to Chief of the 
Department, a position he would hold until 1995. It was not just his 
extensive experience and impressive ethic that prompted these 
promotions, but also his obvious leadership qualities. Richard has 
always been willing to share his abundance of knowledge by mentoring 
and recruiting new members of the fire department.
  Richard was appointed Fire Marshal by the Town of Woodstock in 1996, 
the position from which, after nearly another 30 years, he retires this 
month. Richard has been essential in presenting fire safety and 
prevention techniques. As Fire Marshal, he has been responsible for 
assisting all three Woodstock Fire Departments with fire suppression 
and hazardous materials activities. Richard's impact has reached far 
beyond administering the basic duties of a Fire Marshal. He has used 
his plentiful experience to create poster contests for children, 
scholarships, and more to help publicize and educate the public on 
Woodstock's fire safety activities. During this time, Richard has also 
served as the Safety Officer for the Muddy Brook Fire Department, 
demonstrating how deeply he cares about protecting those within his 
community.
  Mr. Speaker, it is an honor to represent such committed constituents 
like Richard Baron. Richard is an institution unto himself whose 
retirement leaves shoes that will not easily be filled. However, we can 
take solace in the knowledge that Richard's legacy lives on in the 
countless firefighters he mentored and, despite his retirement, that he 
will remain close to the Woodstock firefighting community. Having 
positioned the town of Woodstock for greater success, Richard has 
earned this retirement and will appreciate time with his wife of 30 
years, Beth, and their family. Mr. Speaker, I ask that my colleagues in 
the House join me in recognizing Richard Baron's community-oriented 
contributions to the town of Woodstock and congratulating him on his 
well-earned retirement.

                          ____________________