Simsbury Police Commission hires Kevin Ziegler as dispatcher, effective Jan. 22, 2025

The Simsbury Police Commission voted Jan. 22 to hire Kevin Ziegler as a police dispatcher, filling a vacancy in the department.

Ziegler, introduced by department staff, told commissioners he has an extensive background in emergency medical services and volunteer firefighting. He said he earned EMT certification as a teenager, served with the Newington Volunteer Ambulance and Fire Department, worked for New Britain EMS for 14 years and has been with Old Lyme Ambulance since 2015. During the interview he described a state life‑saving award he received after treating a severely injured patient who later survived.

The commission asked Ziegler about prior dispatching experience, required national incident management coursework and how he would handle high-stress calls. Ziegler said he had some limited radio/dispatch experience while working in EMS, is comfortable with computer systems, and that his EMS career prepared him for stress and communicating with callers and bystanders.

After a short executive session to discuss the appointment, a commission member moved to hire Ziegler effective Jan. 22, 2025. The motion passed on a voice vote.

The appointment follows department staffing needs discussed earlier in the meeting, including an open dispatcher position that commissioners tied to elevated overtime in the dispatch unit.

Ziegler was welcomed to the department after the vote and was given the option to remain for the rest of the meeting.

Details recorded at the meeting show the effective hiring date as Jan. 22, 2025. The transcript does not record the names of the members who moved or seconded the motion or a roll-call tally; the vote was taken by voice and recorded in the meeting minutes as approved.