North Haven firefighter with ‘passion for the job’ dies after 14 years with the department

The North Haven Fire Department is mourning the death of firefighter and paramedic John Bysko.

Bysko served in North Haven for 14 years and was most recently assigned to the North Haven Fire Department headquarters, according to a social media post on Sunday.

The North Haven Professional Firefighters Association L2987 said Bysko had a “unique sense of humor and passion for the job that will be missed by all who worked alongside him.”

The department also said Bysko was respected “for his professionalism and ability to remain calm in high-pressure situations.”

The union extended its “heartfelt condolences” to the Bysko family and vowed to provide any support they would need “in the weeks ahead.”

The department requested privacy “as friends are notified of his passing.”

Many condolences poured in through social media for Bysko’s family, colleagues and the department.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with you,” the Yale New Haven Hospital Center for EMS said in a Facebook post.

The members of Meriden Fire Local 1148 offered their “most sincere condolences to the family and friends of Firefighter Bysko and our brothers and sisters of North Haven Professional Firefighters Association L2987 and North Haven Fire Department.

The department has not released his cause of death. Officials said information regarding funeral services would be shared as they become available.

The department has suffered other losses in recent years. In 2023, North Haven firefighter EMT Anthony Desimone died after suffering a medical emergency at home following a 38-hour shift at the fire station.

In 2022, firefighter Matthias Wirtz, 46, a 22-year veteran of the department, died after sustaining injuries during a fire call while working outside a building. The North Haven Police Department said at the time that he became distressed while battling the fire and was then transported to the hospital.

https://www.courant.com/2025/09/01/north-haven-firefighter-with-passion-for-the-job-dies-after-14-years-with-the-department/