Coughlin and Ferraiolo’s son, Jack, adds a gold pin to Coughlin’s jacket. After being sworn in as the city’s new fire chief Tuesday, Daniel Coughlin thought back to his very first fire on the job. He was 15 minutes into his first night as a city firefighter in 2002 when a fire broke o ut in a church basement on the corner of Dixwell Avenue and Henry Street. Coughlin acted as a middleman, securing entry into the building and getting a hose in place. “You practice and practice and practice, and now you’re doing it for real. There’s really no inching into it,” he told the Independent about what he learned from that first trial by fire. Coughlin, 52, recalled that moment after Mayor Justin Elicker swore him into office on Tuesday in City Hall. Dozens of firefighters, city department heads, and an Irish bagpipe band filled the second-floor atrium to watch Coughlin take the oath of office. Coughlin has been the city’s Acting Fire Chief for three months, filling in as department head after former Chief John Alston retired in January. After Alston announced his retirement, Elicker tapped Coughlin to be the city’s next permanent fire chief. On Monday night, the Board of Alders unanimously approved Coughlin’s appointment to a four-year term that ends Jan. 31, 2030. Coughlin, who grew up on Fair Haven’s Ferry Street, is a fourth-generation firefighter. After immigrating from Cork, Ireland, his great-great grandfather joined the New Haven Fire Department (NHFD). Coughlin’s father and great grandfather were also New Haven firefighters. (His grandfather, meanwhile, broke the mold, and became a city detective instead.) Coughlin has risen through the ranks of the NHFD over his 24-year tenure. Coughlin restarted the Emerald Society, an Irish cultural society that offers aid to firefighters and community organizations, and previously served on the executive board of the firefighters union, Local 825. On Tuesday, Coughlin’s partner of ten years, Stephanie Ferraiolo, watched the ceremony from the front row with their kids, Jack and Joey. “He worked so hard, and the fire department means so much to him,” Ferraiolo said. “And it trickles down to our children,” who overhear Coughlin’s calls and ask him questions. “They’ll hear a call and be like, ‘It’s a box fire!'” she said. Both Jack, 12, and Joey, 15, told the Independent they want to join the New Haven Fire Department because of Coughlin. Coughlin’s mom, Noreen, said Coughlin was also inspired by his late father, William. The fire department “was so part of [Coughlin’s] growing up,” she recalled. William drove Engine 10, a vehicle stationed in the Fair Haven fire station, for over 25 years. He could name every street in Fair Haven and the location of each fire hydrant. “The kids used to test him. They’d say, ‘Dad, where’s this hookup spot?'” she said. William would open up his map and point out the location. When Coughlin became a firefighter, he remembered telling his dad about a fire on Main Street. His dad knew exactly where the fire hydrant was located and what steps the firefighters took to respond. “That is a generation that just had so much knowledge,” he said, since they had less access to GPS and tech tools. Ferraiolo, Coughlin’s partner, told the Independent that they will “lay low” to celebrate, “which is Danny’s style.” “We’ll have a couple iced teas on the patio tonight. The kids will ride their bikes since they’re off from school,” she said. “We’ll just enjoy the moment, since he’ll be back to work in a couple of hours.” The second-floor atrium was filled with firefighters and cameras. The Irish bagpipe band! Coughlin: Being a firefighter is a family “legacy. It’s a job that shaped who I am.” The post Coughlin Sworn In As Fire Chief appeared first on New Haven Independent. ...read more read less