“Firefighters never die, they just burn forever in the hearts of the people whose lives they saved.”

This statement, made famous by Susan Diane Murphree, holds especially true for a beloved fire fighter inducted into the Navy Fire and Emergency Services Hall of Fall nearly two decades after his passing.

On May 18, Commander, Navy Installations Command formally presented the Navy Fire and Emergency Services Awards for 2021, in which Assistant Fire Chief Kenneth Jeffrey was posthumously inducted at the U.S. Navy Museum.

Jeffery’s wife and son attended the ceremony to receive the award.

“Well, he’d be very humbled by it,” said Kathy Jeffery, Kenneth’s wife. “And he couldn’t have done this without the guys, all the guys that came up with him. And it’s been such a pleasure to see them.”

“My most memorable moment was when he let me go to work with him when I was a little kid,” said Timothy Jeffrey, son of Kenneth, who followed in his father’s footsteps as a Windsor fire fighter. “I liked to ride the rigs and sleep in the bunker room with the guys, and like all the guys just took me in and ... you’re really thinking you’re a firefighter for the night.”

Kenneth Jeffery’s dedication to training and safety would create a lasting impact on the firefighter community that echoed even beyond his career.

He began his F&ES career as a firefighter at the former Westover Air Force Base, now the Westover Air Reserve Base, in Chicopee and Ludlow, Mass. in 1974.

Kenneth continued firefighting with the Navy at Naval Submarine Base New London’s Fire Department on April 9, 1979, working his way up through the ranks from firefighter to assistant chief on B-Shift.

While at SUBASE New London, Kenneth assisted in standing up the hazardous material team and served as senior instructor for the Connecticut Fire Academy.

Additionally, Kenneth served as the fire chief of Windsor Locks.

One night at building 87 in December 1987, Kenneth was the incident commander who took quick actions in saving and salvaging critical records and equipment during a large- scale incident.

“He and his crew, the chief guys, made a miraculous save and saved the government lots of money,” Kathy recalled. “He was so proud of that and the guys.”

Within the same month, he led teams on a federal response to a 17-alarm fire incident in an old textile mill in Putnam.

In November 1989, two members of the Mariner Hotel became trapped in the basement. Kenneth was the first arriving officer and coordinated a rescue plan which saved both members.

One of Kenneth’s last accomplishments during his 32 years of service was working with State Sen. Cathy Cook to obtain new thermal imaging cameras for all Connecticut Fire Departments. The state allocated $3 million to purchase 325 thermal imaging cameras for use by career and volunteer firefighters in the 300 fire departments across Connecticut, the Connecticut Fire Academy, regional fire schools, and state agency fire departments

Jeffery last reported for duty at SUBASE New London Station 23 on Dec. 25, 2003, when he experienced chest pain and was taken to a cardiac care unit. He passed away a few days later.

Kenneth Jeffery is memorialized at the National Fallen Fighters Foundation wall in Emmitsburg, Maryland; Connecticut Fire Academy Memorial Wall; at the International Association of Firefighters Memorial in Colorado Springs; and the Training Room at SUBASE New London Fire Station 23.

“I’m just very appreciative of the fire service,” said his wife Kathy. “It is truly a brotherhood.”

For more about the Navy’s shore enterprise, visit: http://www.cnic.navy.mil.

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