Education
M.S., National Security, University of New Haven.
B.S., Fire Science Administration, University of New Haven.
About Richard
Richard Fontana is the emergency management director for the City of West Haven. Previously, he was Director of the City of New Haven's Office of Emergency Management & Homeland Security, where his time was spent preparing for, and responding to major emergency incidents in New Haven, and serving as an Operations Section Chief for the Connecticut Department of Emergency Management & Homeland Security Region 1,2 & 5 Incident Management Team.. He retired from the West Haven Fire Department after spending over 30 years as a Paramedic and Career Firefighter with 2 departments including a Lead Firefighter & Shift Commander for the Sikorsky Aircraft Fire Department. His
Mr. Fontana earned his Fire Science Administration Degree from the University of New Haven and went on to earn a Masters Degree in National Security and Public Safety also from the University of New Haven. Mr. Fontana is appointed to serve on the FEMA Region 1 Regional Advisory Committee with the states of CT, MA, RI, ME, NH, and VT.
Mr. Fontana currently serves as the ESF-5 Chair of the Region 2 Steering Committee under the Connecticut Department of Emergency Management & Homeland Security Agency. He further serves as the Region 2 ESF-20 Port Security Chair.
Additionally, Mr. Fontana is a Governor appointed Fire Commissioner for the CT Commission on Fire Prevention and Control. Fontana was nominated and selected in 2013 to represent the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities and is serving his second 3-year term.
Courses Taught
- EMGT 6624 (Social Dimensions of Disaster)