In this episode of the Fire Life Podcast CT, Matt Cohen sits down with Glenn Watts to talk about a fire service career that has taken him from volunteering in Vernon to 20 years with the Norwich Fire Department, teaching at the Connecticut Fire Academy, and now serving with UConn Fire.

Glenn shares how he first found his way into the fire service, what convinced him to turn it into a career, and the lessons he learned along the way. He talks about graduating from the Connecticut Fire Academy, working his way into the recruit training program, and what it was like teaching new firefighters who were hungry to learn.

The conversation also dives deep into fire service history. Glenn explains his passion for preserving Norwich's firefighting heritage, his work as the department historian, collecting and restoring photographs and artifacts, and researching the department's history dating back centuries. He also discusses the book he helped create documenting the history of Norwich firefighting and how its proceeds supported a fallen firefighter fund.

Glenn also talks about his transition from Norwich to UConn Fire, finding himself back on the campus where he attended college, and the full-circle experience of working alongside people he first met years ago through the fire service.

But his story isn't just about the job. Glenn opens up about losing friends and mentors to cancer and how those experiences inspired him to create a special version of his firefighter tool to raise money for breast cancer research.

And to close out the episode, Glenn gives Matt a demonstration of the tool he designed, explaining the idea behind it and how it can be used by firefighters.

This episode is a great conversation about career progression, firefighter training, preserving fire service history, innovation, loss, giving back, and the people who make a career in the fire service meaningful.

Watch the full episode and hear Glenn's story from his first night at a firehouse to his second career with UConn Fire.