One of the newly-appointed fire commissioners was born in New Haven and bred to New Haven politics. The other is a relative newcomer to the city and its establishment.
On Monday, the two commissioners — Vincent Mauro Jr. and the Rev. Eldren Morrison — were sworn in as members of the five-person Board of Fire Commissioners. They replace Boise Kimber and Robin Miller Godwin.
Mayor John DeStefano performed the ceremony at fire department headquarters on Grand Avenue.
Laurel Leff Photo
Mauro.
Like his father before him, Mauro served on the Board of Aldermen, representing the 8th Ward. He left the board in 2003, attended Quinnipiac University School of Law, and now serves as counsel to the Senate Democrats in Hartford. Mauro’s father eventually became chairman of the city’s Democratic Party.
Mauro said he has an appreciation for the difficulties of firefighting because a lot of his friends from growing up in New Haven became firefighters. He said his acquaintance with a former fire commissioner made him appreciate the importance of his appointment. “It’s a lot more than going to meetings,” he said.
Mauro said a commissioner should “offer a place for firefighters to go with questions and concerns.”
“They should feel comfortable calling on a commissioner,” Mauro said, “as comfortable as calling on the chief, if not more so.”
Morrison.
Morrison, 30, is the pastor at Varick AME Zion Church on Dixwell Avenue, where he has sparked a revival of one of the black community’s oldest and most historic congregations. (Click here to read a story about Morrison and his church, which was a stop on the Underground Railroad.) Morrison came to the Varick in 2007 after growing up in North Carolina and serving at four churches in South Carolina.
Morrison’s mother, Sandra Pierson, attended Monday’s ceremony during a visit here from her home in North Carolina. Morrison’s fiance, Stachie Coleman, who lives in South Carolina, also attended the ceremony.
Morrison said he hadn’t shown any interest in fires before his appointment. “I am interested in fire prevention,” he added.