Firefighters in Bristol are mourning a beloved equipment technician who unexpectedly died over the weekend after spending more than two decades with the fire department.
Jason “Jay” Kelly of Rocky Hill died while off duty on Saturday, according to Mayor Ellen Zoppo-Sassu. He had been with the Bristol Fire Department since September 2004.
“He was your friend five minutes before he even met him,” Fire Chief Richard Hart said. “That’s how nice he was.
“He’s the type of person that comes along once in a lifetime it seems,” Hart added. “He was just that way, he had that personality, was always smiling, always joking around. It was just great knowing him. It’s just so, so tragic.”
Kelly left behind a wife and daughter. In addition to the firefighters of Bristol, he also left an impression on the city’s police force, emergency dispatchers and other first responders across the state.
“We are deeply saddened by Jay’s passing, especially those of us who knew Jay personally or professionally,” saidChief Mark Morello of the Bristol Police Department. “We are keeping Jay’s family, friends, and all members of the Bristol Fire Department in our thoughts, and we are prepared to provide whatever support is needed.”
“I never saw Jay without a smile,” Zoppo-Sassu, who serves as chair of the Fire Commission, said in a statement. “He loved his job, his colleagues and his absence will be acutely felt.”
Kelly served as the fire department’s fleet equipment technician and was responsible for maintenance on all the apparatus and staff vehicles. He was tasked with mounting all the tools and equipment on any new apparatus and would wire all the radio and charging systems that were needed.
“He did everything,” Hart said. “He was really my go-to guy for a lot of things and for a lot of departments statewide.”
Kelly did similar work for other police and fire departments around the state. He was also instrumental when the state phased out chemicals used by firefighters that contained PFAS, Hart said.
“He was basically the go-to guy for the state in coordinating the foam buyback program that was implemented,” Hart said. “He was at the forefront of doing that.”
“He helped with that buyback program and coordinating departments to have their apparatus drained and cleaned and pumped out and all the foam disposed of,” Hart said.
Around the firehouse, Kelly was known as being a practical joker. Hart said he once arrived at his office to find that everything in it was wrapped in saran wrap. Though he immediately knew who the likely culprit was, Kelly made it about two hours before he confessed to Hart with a big smile on his face.
“It’s just going to be a void in our department that probably will never get filled,” Hart said. “He was just universally loved.”
Kelly has been submitted as a nominee to be honored during the Bristol Exchange Club’s Honoring Heroes Event. He was remembered by dispatchers during the city-wide radio check on Monday and will be honored at the Board of Fire Commissioners meeting this month.
Funeral and wake arrangements were still being finalized Monday.