| Hamden Fire Retirees Association, Inc. |
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FRIDAY, AUGUST 7, 2015
Website is updated the first and third Friday of each month.
Important interim updates will be posted when necessary.
Next regular update is Friday, August 21st.
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VJ Day 70 Years Ago
Joy of victory celebrations undampened by some area fire activity
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August 15, 2015 - Today marks the seventieth anniversary of the end of World War II, with the unconditional surrender of Japan. Following the surrender of Germany three months earlier, hundreds of thousands of American troops in Europe were poised for the anticipated invasion of the Japan, which was pre-empted by the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
Within a year after VJ Day, the Hamden Fire Department was changing. Hamden fire personnel, Captain Joe Hromadka, Firefighters Paul Leddy, Mario "Bucky" Serafino, Stuart Keeler and Jim and Emil Strain, all returned home following service in the war. The Department was growing and war veterans were being hired to bolster department numbers. Bill Hines, who was stationed at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, was Hamden's first new postwar firefighter, hired on September 20, 1945. Francis "Chalky" Leddy followed on January 26, 1946. Art Smith, Fred Fletcher, George Reutenauer, John Hoffman and Paul Rosadina all joined the department before the end of 1946. By the end of 1950 the Hamden Fire Department would grow to 55 career members.
Posted 8/15/15
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Featured in this update . . .
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"Fitzy" Retires
| '59 Maxim Back Home
| Promotions
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| Battalion Chief Fitzmaurice |
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B/C Bill Fitzmaurice Retires
Joined HFD in 1987
Thursday, August 6, 2015 - Dozens of friends and fellow firefighters, active and retired, gathered at Station 3 Thursday afternoon, August 6th, to bid farewell to Batt. Chief Bill Fitzmaurice, who joined the department in February 1987 as a Firefighter-Paramedic, and who officially retires as of August 10th.
Platoon 2 presented Bill with a ceremonial gold-plated axe commemorating his more than twenty-eight years of service to the Hamden Fire Department. "It's been a great career," said Bill as he prepared to cut the cake honoring his retirement. Thanking the several retireees who were present, he noted, "You guys were my mentors." He expressed the hope that he had "passed something positive along" to the active guys during his career.
Bill told the crowd that he was moving forward to a new career, "but I'm gonna miss you guys." He concluded with, "Stay safe. Stay on top of the game. And keep training," sage advice from a consummate firefighter and fire service leader.
William Fitzmaurice began his career with the Hamden Fire Department as a firefighter/paramedic on February 9, 1987 and was later assigned to Platoon 2. He was promoted to lieutenant in August 1993. In May 1999, Bill was appointed to fill the position of Training Officer (now Director of Training), which had been vacant for nine years. His new assignment included the additional responsibilities of the EMS Officer, another former department position, that had been vacant for six years. Promoted to captain early in his eleven year tenure as Training Officer, Bill was again promoted to Batt. Chief in July 2010 and took over command of Platoon 2, following the appointment of Bob Surprise (now retired) as Deputy Chief.
Bill isn't really retiring. He has accepted the new position of Director of Operations with Northwest Connecticut Public Safety in Prospect, a regional fire, police and EMS dispatch center for twelve communities, including Waterbury.
Bill will definitely be missed on the job here in Hamden, but he was presented with a crisp new membership card in the Hamden Fire Retirees Association, Inc. He promises to be at the October 14th meeting at the Elks.
The members of the HFRA thank Bill for his dedicated service to the Hamden Fire Department, the residents of Hamden and his fellow firefighters. We wish him all the very best in his new career.
Posted 8/7/15
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| Cake honoring "Fitzy" and a beautiful gold-plated ceremonial fire axe from Platoon 2 |
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| Getting ready to cut the cake. |
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Photos by Bob Mordecai
Any of the ten photos below may be enlarged by CLICKing on them.
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| Ffs. Larry Bowden and Pete Lynch with Pete's wife, Jamie, a Central Communications dispatcher |
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| Lieutenants Naples and Kobbe |
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| Petrillo & Johnson - Their first shift was 40 yrs ago today! |
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| "Coop" (Coppola) making a point |
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| Capt. Ron Desroches and Fitz, both members of the Class of '87 (ver. 1.0) |
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| Chief David Berardesca, "Fitzy" and Deputy Chief Gary Merwede |
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| The traditional "farewell" group photo in front of Station 3 - CLICK to enlarge |
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Battalion Chief Bill Fitzmaurice stands on the front step of Tower One holding
the ceremonial gold-plated fire axe presented to him earlier by Platoon 2.
Standing below (L-R): Ff. Pete Lynch, Supt. Paul Petrillo (Ret.), Ff. Larry Bowden, B/C Bill Coppola (Ret.), Dep. Chief Gary Merwede, Lt. Jeff Naples, Ff. Mike Battick, Lt. Paul Kobbe, Capt. Ron Desroches, Ff. Luis Torres, Ff. Kevin Recca, B/C Sam DeBurra (Ret.), Ff. Kevin Delaney, Lt. Rob Madigosky, Supt. Jim LaFond, Chief of Department David Berardesca. Kneeling (L-R): Capt. Dave Johnson (Ret.), Ff. Dave Beaton, Ff. Brian Gagnon, Ff. Ralph DeFonzo III, Asst. Supt. Glen Tricarico, Ff. Cerrone Davis and Ff. John Coughlin.
Many more people attended and other department units arrived to offer Bill their best wishes after this photo was snapped.
Photo by Lt. Bob Mordecai (Ret.), President, Hamden Fire Retirees Association, Inc.
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The "Cab-Forward" is Back Home!
Purchased last week by three Hamdenites with strong ties to the HFD
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| The 1959 Maxim in the 1966 Memorial Day Parade - Photo by Ed Doiron, Sr. |
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| 1959 Maxim in North Haven just before it was purchased last week by "Hamden 1959 Maxim, LLC" |
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| The New Haven Evening Register, Tuesday, July 7, 1959 (Courtesy of Gil Spencer) |
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| Co. 8's Dave Lockery and Co. 7's Vic Mitchell |
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It has taken twenty years, but the 1959 Maxim "cab-forward" is finally back home again. For the first time in the history of the Hamden Fire Department a former piece of career fire apparatus has been purchased by present and former career and volunteer members for the specific purpose of restoring it to its original condition, which will eventually include a white paint job just like the one it received before its 1959 delivery.
Dave Lockery of Dunbar Hill Co. 8 had discovered the whereabouts of the piece. Last year, plans failed at assembling a consortium of investors to purchase the rig, mainly due to storage issues ("Where the hell are you gonna park it?"). The plan was finally realized last week when Lockery, Vic Mitchell, a member of Mix District Co. 7 and a retired industrial fire officer, and one other fire department retiree each put up equal amounts of cash to purchase it. The three investors have formed an LLC to manage their goals of restoring and displaying "for historical purposes" the 56-year old pumper in parades and at musters.
Records indicate that this Maxim 750 g.p.m. pumper, Model No. F-2617-C, was delivered to the Hamden Fire Department on June 29, 1959 and was assigned as Engine 2. In 1968, the 1965 Mack became Engine 2 and the "cab-forward" became Engine 1. When Engine Co. 6 ceased to be an active career engine company in 1974, the "cab-forward" was reassigned to Station 3 as the department's spare and designated as "Engine 6."
Despite being a spare piece, the pumper was repowered with a Detroit diesel engine in 1981. It was removed from service in January 1995 and sold to a private party.
As reported in the July 7, 1959 Register newspaper article (above), Hamden's 1959 Maxim "cab-forward" was the first "F" model produced by the Maxim Motor Company of Middleboro, Massachusetts. According to local fire department lore, Hamden got Maxim's first "F" model because 44 years earlier Hamden's Whitneyville Volunteer Fire Association had purchased Maxim's first pumping engine. That was 100 years ago!
For now, the former Hamden pumper will be stored locally, but it is expected to be garaged nearby as restoration efforts begin. Look for it at the 2015 Engine 260 muster next month, but a decent restoration is still a long way off.
Posted 8/7/15
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| The New Haven Journal-Courier, Tuesday, July 7, 1959 (Courtesy of Chan Brainard) |
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NOTE: The image of the above newspaper article has been modified to correct several typographical errors.
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| Dave Lockery and Vic Mitchell with the original dedication plaque that will adorn the "cab-forward" once again |
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Check out the minutes of the November 1958 meeting at which the purchase was authorized, and the dedication plaque that adorned the pumper when it was delivered eight months later.
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Original invoice from Maxim Motor Co.
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CLICK on eiher image to enlarge.
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| Check out the minutes of the November 1958 meeting at which the purchase was authorized, and the dedication plaque that adorned the pumper when it was delivered eight months later. |
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NOTE: The November 1958 Fire Commission minutes gave the Maxim's Model number prefix as "E" not "F," which is either a typo on the minutes, or the Maxim Motor Company changed the designation of its cab-forward models sometime between November 1958 and the time of the delivery to Hamden.
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| Factory photo courtesy of Chan Brainard |
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Couture promoted to Battalion Chief
Replaces Retired B/C DeBurra on Platoon 4
Grasso promoted to Captain
Replaces Couture
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| Hamden Town Clerk Vera Morrison administers oath to Capt. Grasso and B/C Couture in the rotunda of Memorial Town Hall (HFRA photo) |
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Friends and co-workers gathered in the rotunda of Memorial Town Hall on Monday, July 23rd, for the swearing-in of HFD's newest battalion chief and captain. Hamden Town Clerk Vera Morrison administered the oaths to newly promoted Battalion Chief Gary Couture and Captain John Grasso.
B/C Couture joined the department in September 1987. He was promoted to lieutenant in 1997 and captain eight years later. He is a certified fire marshal and has received numerous commendations during his career. He succeeds B/C Sam DeBurra, who retired at the end of June after twenty years of service. B/C Couture will be in command of Platoon 4.
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Capt. Grasso joined the department in 1998 and was promoted to lieutenant in 2006. He was appointed as the department's Director of Training in 2013 following the retirement of Capt. John O'Dea. He is a certified paramedic and fire marshal. Capt. Grasso will be assigned to take B/C Couture's vacated captain's slot on Platoon 2. It is expected that the Director of Training position will be advertised and filled in the near future.
In what now can be called an interesting role reversal, Bob Mordecai's 2000 photo at right shows Firefighter Sam DeBurra with Lieutenant Gary Couture at Station 4. Fifteen years later and a total of five promotions between the two of them, Captain Gary Couture would succeed retired Battalion Chief Sam DeBurra as the commander of Platoon 4
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| July 23, 2015 - Commissioner Jim O'Brien, Captain Grasso, Chief David Berardesca, Batt. Chief Couture and Mayor Curt Leng (HFRA photo) |
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| B/C Couture and his grandson, Philip, who pinned on his new badge |
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| Capt. Grasso's dad pins new badge on his son |
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