SEYMOUR – The fire department, along with the fire marshal’s office, will hold a boot drive fundraiser from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday (Jan. 18) to benefit Deputy Fire Marshal Robert “Rocky” Rockwell.
Rockwell is battling cancer and, despite insurance coverage, is facing mounting medical bills, according to Seymour Fire Marshal Timothy Willis.
“Rocky has spent his career protecting this community, and now it’s our turn to stand behind one of our own,” Willis said. “We are doing the boot drive to offset some of the surmounting bills he and his family face, as he is working only a limited amount of hours due to his condition. Even with insurance, his out-of-pocket expenses are quickly skyrocketing.”
The boot drive will take place in the following three locations throughout town:
Bank Street & Wakeley Street
Derby Avenue & Bungay Road (near Tri-Town Plaza)
Holbrook Road & Great Hill Road (at the rotary)
For those who can’t make it to any of those locations, there is an option to donate via Venmo and putting “Rocky” in the memo.
Willis said Rockwell began his role as deputy fire marshal in Seymour in May 2019. Prior to coming to Seymour, Rockwell worked as a deputy fire marshal in both Darien and New Canaan. Though not a volunteer firefighter in Seymour, Rockwell has been a member of the Shelton Fire Department since the late 1970s, and is past captain of White Hills Fire Co. and current member of Echo Hose Hook & Ladder Co.
Rockwell is married with one son. He was diagnosed with cancer last spring, Willis said, and due to his compromised immune system, hasn’t been able to come to work as often as he’d like.
“He is probably the most compassionate person I know in public service,” Willis said. “Sometimes, in this job, it’s hard not to get a little jaded, but Rocky, to a fault, is almost too nice to people. He would never ask for help. But he’s been dealing with this now for the past eight-nine months, and we want to do whatever we can to help him out.”
