The Wethersfield Volunteer Fire Department has been cited for serious safety violations following the death of one of its firefighters who was battling the Hawthorne fire on Lamentation Mountain in Berlin last fall, officials said.

Firefighter Robert “Sharkey” Sharkevich Sr. died on Oct. 22, 2024 , when the utility task vehicle he was riding in rolled over, throwing him from the vehicle. Three additional firefighters sustained minor injuries and were treated without hospitalization.

According to a report by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration , the department committed several safety violations and a $640 citation was issued to the town of Wethersfield on Jan. 27. The report listed the violations as “serious.”

The report found that seatbelts and headgear were not wo

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