Career Takes ‘Cousin Bill’ from Hoses to Hollywood to House Democrats
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By Rachael Savoie
Bill Heffernan’s career has been anything but stagnant. Holding an impressive resume with positions ranging from firefighter and department historian to Hollywood producer and State Representative, it’s safe to say Bill’s got quite a range of stories to tell. He reflects on them in a conversation with CRACKYL.
In 1982, Bill began his firefighter career right out of high school, volunteering with the West Haven Hook and Ladder Company No. 1 in Connecticut. In 1993, the West Haven Fire Department hired him as a firefighter, and he eventually worked his way up the ranks to lieutenant until he retired in 2021.
“When I volunteered, it was ‘let’s drink beer and play cards.’ The social aspect was much more prominent at the time, but now of course we don’t do that stuff anymore,” says Bill.
Hollywood Calling
In 2018, Bill received a call from his cousin and actor Kevin Heffernan of Super Troopers fame. When Kevin got the green light to write a sitcom about a fire station, “Cousin Bill” was pulled on board as the show’s technical adviser and consulting producer, providing them with the stories they needed to get Tacoma FD up and running.
“I was in the writer’s room with Kevin and Steve (Lemme) writing the scripts. Costumes, props, everything went through me,” says Bill. “It’s a comedy, but we have to laugh with them and not at them. These are serious people who are doing a real job, and it’s mayhem, just like a regular fire department.”
Bill’s personal firefighting experiences are what drive the stories behind Tacoma FD. The mischievous dynamic between Kevin and Steve came from Bill’s relationship with his buddy, Jimmy O’Brien. The stories from the fire department became so intertwined with the show that Bill recalls being called into the chief’s office with a friendly reminder to not put certain situations into the sitcom.
With the help of some Hollywood “tweaking,” they were still able to use many of the real-life scenarios that Bill provided. “I would call guys up to (let them know) their episode’s on next week,” says Bill. “A lot of the stuff came from the West Haven Fire Department, which was great.”
With Tacoma FD wrapping its fourth and final season in 2023, Bill has no plans to return to Hollywood. While he recalls his time with the show as “the best job ever,” he is content with laying his technical advising skills to rest.
“I had a really good thing going and unless somebody calls me up and needs something, I could always give someone an idea or work on a script,” he says.
At the Helm of a Historical Library
Today, Bill is busy running the West Haven Fire Department Historical Library that opened in 2010. Initially, the library started as a history project between him and his friend Jimmy. It has since turned into a non-profit organization. “You talk to the old timers, the retired guys … there’s a lot of handwritten minute books, old helmets and axes … a lot of memorabilia over the years,” says Bill.
Bill is also serving as the Connecticut state representative. Never considering himself a “public office guy,” he found himself in the position after the former state representative stepped down, and they were looking for a replacement.
“My family’s been involved in politics since I was a little kid. Some of the best deals in town were made in my living room when I was growing up,” he says.
Bill has goals to get onto the public safety committee this year, which is something “near and dear to (his) heart.”
What Comes Next?
Bill continues to navigate his new political journey. He’s learning more about the differences between the political world and the firefighting world every day.
Even with Bill’s growing resume, he still jokes he doesn’t know what he wants to be when he grows up. “I’m having a really good time and I like it, so I think I’ll hang around for a while. We’ll see where it all goes from there.”
Tacoma FD is available to stream on Netflix (US), truTV (US) and Apple TV (CA).
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