Torrington approves three fire promotions, confirms police officer; pinning ceremony set for Nov. 12

The Torrington Board of Public Safety on Nov. 5 approved promotions in the fire department and confirmed a police officer who completed probation. The board voted to promote Randall Chosanek to deputy chief, Alexander Reinberg to lieutenant and Jordan Tyrell to frontline driver, all effective Nov. 9, 2025. The board also accepted Officer Thomas Smalls as a regular member of the Torrington Police Department effective Oct. 11, 2025.

Why it matters: The promotions and personnel confirmations affect leadership and daily operations for the city’s first responders; the fire department said the Nov. 12 pinning ceremony will be live-streamed to allow families and the public to view the event.

The motions were moved from the floor, seconded and approved by voice vote. The mayor administered the oath for each promoted firefighter. In the oath, the administering official asked the promotees to affirm duties to the city and the constitutions of the United States and Connecticut; the official used standard sworn-language form during the ceremony.

Fire Chief Tripp praised departmental performance and said the department is balancing recruitment and budget constraints by seeking recruit-certified firefighters and partnering with local training classes to reduce training costs. "The men and women in our department are above exceptional," the chief said, commending staff after the promotions.

Next steps: The department plans a public pinning and promotional ceremony on Nov. 12 at Torrington High School; the chief said the event will be streamed and will include the three promotees honored at the Nov. 5 meeting.