A Naugatuck firefighter who has received several awards for his work on and off duty has been arrested after a domestic dispute with his wife in the borough Tuesday night.
Jason Alford, 30, and his wife, Jennie, 27, were charged with disorderly conduct, a Class C misdemeanor, after an argument, police said. Alford told police his wife pushed him during an argument and that as he was stumbling backwards, he grabbed a cell phone from his wife’s hands; she went next door and called police, according to a police report.
Both were released on $1,000 bonds and were given temporary protective orders before appearing in Waterbury Superior Court Wednesday for arraignment. Neither entered a plea and their cases were referred to a family relations counselor. They will go back to court next month.
Jason Alford has been a career firefighter in Naugatuck for nine years. Throughout that career, he has been known for the positive things he has done.
In 2006, he was named Naugatuck’s firefighter of the year, an award given by the Naugatuck Exchange Club. That year, he donated bone marrow that helped save the life of an ill woman whom he had never met.
Last year, he was one of several emergency responders in Naugatuck awarded with the medal of merit for rescuing a burn victim who was critically injured during a fire on Anderson Street.
As of Wednesday, the borough had not taken any disciplinary action against Alford.
Fire Chief Ken Hanks said Wednesday afternoon that he had not spoken to Alford but had planned to. While he did not comment on the situation, he vouched for the Alford’s character and work ethic.
“He’s a good firefighter, and I’ve known him to be a good guy,” Hanks said. “He’s truly an asset to the department.”
