NVFD, town applaud Ron Zanobi’s 5 decades of dedication

Every town and community needs people who put others first, who do not strive for the spotlight, but prefer to be behind the scenes, ensuring that things are taken care of. This is an opportunity for Norfolk to acknowledge one of its quiet heroes. Ron Zanobi has recently been recognized for 50 years of service with the Norfolk Volunteer Fire Department (NVFD), and his story is inspiring.

Norfolk born and raised, Zanobi attended Center School and Northwestern Regional 7 before moving on to the University of Connecticut. While working for Mulville Construction Co. at age 20, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy. The year was 1969. As a Seabee (construction battalion), he traveled the world: first to Rhode Island, then to the Island of San Salvadore, back stateside to California and finally off to Vietnam. His Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 3 arrived there in 1970 and was deployed to some forward areas, including the northernmost Navy base at Cua Viet. In late 1971, his time in the service ended. Returning home to Norfolk, Zanobi joined the fire department in December 1971.

The department back then looked and operated quite differently from today. There were three trucks and firefighters were assigned to one of them when they joined up. There were only two breathing air tanks for the entire department. Chief Marty O’Connor was working hard to update the tactics and training of the department. Zanobi attended fire school in Burrville with Jay Whalen, Bill Whalen, Graham Golan and Paul Adamson. Sometimes referred to as the “iron firefighter” days, riding a fire truck to an emergency meant wearing a rubber coat and holding on to a bar at the rear of the apparatus in any weather condition. Harold Webb, John Barry, Richard Osborne and Bill Teirney were a common sight arriving to manage an emergency situation, with Mike Mulville driving and operating the pumper. 

The 1980s were a remarkably busy time for the small-town fire department, with a slew of new members and new equipment. Zanobi rose to the task, moving up the chain of command and passing along experience, a skill that comes very naturally to him. The NVFD fought some of its biggest fires at this time. At a large barn fire at the end of Windrow Road in Great Mountain Forest, Zanobi recalls that, “The flames were so intense across the road that it blocked our access to the closest water source.” Ingenuity and tanker trucks helped extinguish the large blaze. Next came the “brick block” fire on Greenwoods Road, where the parking lot of the former Haystack Pizza is now located. Then, it held a large building that had started life in 1913 as a hotel. “It was a very challenging fire and we needed help from Winsted with their ladder and squirt trucks” to help put out the blaze, he remembers. More Norfolk ingenuity was required, pumping water all the way from Mill Pond on Westside Road uphill to the scene. Lastly, there was the hardware store fire. The former Norfolk Water Company building, where the Berkshire Country Store is now, had been converted to a hardware store. The building was packed with paints, pesticides and everything in between. This became a multiday conflagration that was easily the most dangerous in town history. “We are lucky nothing else caught fire,” says Zanobi. “The buildings were so close.”

In his 50 plus years with the NVFD, Zanobi has served in nearly every officer post, reaching first assistant chief, the number two person in charge. Throughout, he has always kept with his tradition of not seeking notability while managing any situation, on or off the fireground.

Many department members and officers have learned volumes of lessons and benefited from Zanobi’s insights over their careers. The current first assistant chief, for instance, credits Zanobi with sharing the practices of how to always conduct yourself professionally and how to approach with tact when you have constructive criticism. Captain Steven Hutchins points out how “patient and positive Ronnie is in showing younger members how to pump water as efficiently as possible.” In fact, notes Hutchins, an 18-year veteran, “He taught all of us how to pump.” 

Zanobi has always been there, serving the entire town, as well. In 1981, he was elected to the Board of Selectmen. In 1983, he joined the Sewer Commission. He has been involved with the Memorial Day Road Race and the accompanying scholarship since day one. He joined the Norfolk Curling Club in 1975 and is still highly active there. 2015 saw him become the Republican Town Committee chair. Zanobi has showed no sign of slowing down, even after his retirement from the State of Connecticut as a project manager.

If you see “Obi-Ron” Zanobi out and about in town, he’s probably on his way to a meeting. Just say hi and give him a wave. It’s the quiet ones not seeking the limelight that make this wonderful place run smoothly.