Montville's Person of the Week: Ray Occhialini

This week, not just because it’s National Fire Prevention Week but because any week he’d be a great choice for Montville’s Person of the Week.

Montville Fire Marshal Raymond Occhialini is one busy guy!

He brought myriad agencies together last weekend to join Home Depot spread the important message of safety and in particular fire safety for families, from fire departments to all other local emergency response agencies and officials including LifeStar!

And in his Montville Patch blog last week, Occhialini urged  citizens to keep in mine that  this year’s Fire Prevention Week theme is "Know Two Ways Out." He told folks to remember to check home smoke and carbon monoxide detectors and change batteries: he told people the detectors “may save your life.” Occhialini also cautioned residents that burn wood for heat to make sure to burn seasoned wood and make sure chimneys are cleaned before burning. And Occhialini also called attention to a continuing problem for fire and emergency personnel: finding houses.

“We still have problems with lack of house numbers on houses, please put numbers on your house so you can be found in a emergency,” he wrote.  “Help us help you,” he wrote.

And in the recent voluminous public safety report presented to the town Occhialini received mountains of praise but the consultant said, in no uncertain terms, that there’s far too much being taken on by one individual. 

Just try and stop Ray from doing all he can for Montville and its people! 

Facebook page!  A year ago, Occhialini created a emergency management page that for its 600-plus friends has been a source of great, up-to-the-minute information on incidents like power outages, fires, storms and other emergencies. Hundreds of residents rely on his page and it’s always filled with positive feedback and lots of thanks form the community.

And so for these and many other reasons, Ray Occhialini is our Person of the Week.