Saint Mary’s Emergency Medicine Physician Sworn In by Naugatuck Police Department
July 23, 2026WATERBURY, Conn. Saint Mary’s Hospital emergency medicine physician Christian Kakowski, MD, was sworn in as a Tactical Police Physician during a ceremony at Naugatuck Town Hall on July 16, led by Naugatuck Mayor Pete Hess, III. Chaim Gewirtzman, paramedic and Deputy Chief of Hatzalah Ambulance, was also sworn in as a Tactical Police Paramedic.
Paramedic Chaim Gewirtzman, Deputy Chief of Hatzalah Ambulance, was sworn in as a Tactical Police Paramedic by Naugatuck Mayor Pete Hess, III.
Dr. Kakowski with his family after being appointed Tactical Police Physician for the Naugatuck Police Department.
The appointments formalize the roles that Dr. Kakowski and Gewirtzman have already served as tactical medics with the Waterbury Regional SWAT team, which supports law enforcement agencies in Waterbury, Naugatuck, Wolcott, Watertown and surrounding communities.
For the past year, Dr. Kakowski and Gewirtzman have volunteered alongside Wesley Kyle, MD, Emergency Medical Services Director at Saint Mary’s Hospital and Tactical Police Physician, providing medical support during SWAT operations and training activities. Their swearing-in follows the retirement of Scott Whyte, DO, Emergency Physician and Tactical Police Physician, and reflects the team’s growing need for medical expertise.
Dr. Kyle and Dr. Whyte made history in 2024 as the first physicians in Connecticut to be sworn in as Tactical Police Physicians. The Waterbury Regional SWAT team benefits from a strong tradition of leadership in tactical medicine. In 2014, Dr. Whyte helped establish East Coast Tactical Medicine, an organization that provides lifesaving and tactical medical training to first responders, physicians, military personnel and law enforcement agencies. Dr. Kyle, who serves in the Connecticut Army National Guard and has deployed to Afghanistan, Somalia and Kenya, continues to train regularly with the team.
The appointment of Dr. Kakowski further strengthens the partnership between health care and public safety, helping ensure specialized medical support is available during high-risk operations throughout the greater Waterbury region.