Apartment Explosion
1181 Whitney Avenue
Tuesday, October 18, 1977
Off-duty Hamden firefighter Ralph Tomaselli was working his part-time job at Stone's Sunoco station at Whitney and Auger when a gas-fed explosion destroyed an
apartment building right across the street at 1181 Whitney Avenue. Ralph, along with fellow employee Wolfram Kaminskas
and by-stander Gary Jones, immediately rushed into the burning debris in an attempt to rescue two elderly victims. CLICK on The New Haven Register article below for the story. Posted 10/21/11
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| CLICK image to enlarge for easier reading |
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| Captain Daniel Liston of HPD confers with Chief V. Paul Leddy (Hamden Chronicle photo) |
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| Hamden firefighter operates ladder pipe from the 1970 100' aerial truck as Training Officer, Dep. Chief Ken Harrington and another Hamden firefighter check through the debris below. (Hamden Chronicle photo) |
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| CLICK to enlarge for easier reading (Newspaper articles on this page courtesy of Gilbert Spencer) |
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Firefighter Ralph Tomaselli and Civilians Recognized for Heroic Efforts Following Blast
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Annual Dinner at Reilly's Restauarant, April 6, 1978 - Hamden Firefighters' Association president Bob Slater presents the 1978 Alfred Ramelli Award to Firefighter Ralph Tomaselli. L-R: Craig Reynolds, Rev. Owen Sanderson, Pres. Slater, Wolfram Kominskas, Ff. Tomaselli, and Bob Stone. On October 18, 1977, Ff. Tomaselli, who was off duty, and the civilians pictured here were at the scene within seconds to search for and assist victims following an apartment building explosion at 1181 Whitney Avenue.
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