| Hamden Fire Retirees Association, Inc. |
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| CLICK here for daily flag status |
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FRIDAY, APRIL 1, 2016
Website is updated every Friday - Important interim updates will be posted when necessary
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| CLICK to monitor HFD radio |
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HFRA Spring Meeting on the 12th
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Tuesday, April 12th at 5
Hamden Elks Lodge
175 School Street
Agenda
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Report on the recent meeting of the HGSRA (COLA and pension plan status)
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Report on the proposed CT Retired Professional Firefighters Assn.
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Annual Report of the Treasurer
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Anything for the Good of the Association
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Jack Calamo says he will be there - Jeff Stoehr may also
Menu
T.B.A. Shortly
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| Summer '10 - Bobby V, Jimmy Koutsopolos and Ray Dobbs |
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Jay Leno's 1914 Christie Tractor & Steamer
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| CLICK PHOTO to view video |
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| "Jay Leno's Garage" is an online TV show hosted by the legendary comedian, talk show host and antique auto enthusiast. In this fourteen-minute episode, Jay interviews antique fire apparatus restoration expert Andy Swift about this 1914 Christie tractor that was retrofitted onto an early 20th century steamer. These tractors, developed by Walter Christie (1865-1944), enabled fire departments to motorize horse drawn steamers and ladder trucks.
As with most of the vehicles featured on his show, Jay actually takes this monster for a spin in his Los Angeles neighborhood. Great stuff!
Posted 4/1/16
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30 Years Ago
Hamden-Bethany Mutual Aid Pact
On March 27, 1986, Bethany Fire Chief George Quinn sat down with Hamden Chief John Tramontano to ink a mutual aid agreement that has endured for the benefit of both communities for the past 30 years. The need for the agreement stemmed from the June 1982 flood that wreaked havoc with border areas of both towns, preventing Hamden and Bethany apparatus from reaching occupancies in their respective communities.
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| Chiuef John Tramontano and Bethany Chief George Quinn (Photo courtesy of Tara Tramontano Madison) |
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Chief Tramontano retired in 1993. He passed away last September at his home in Gilford, New Hampshire. Chief Quinn led one of the most progressive and well-trained volunteer fire departments in Connecticut. Now retired from his fire service duties, George Quinn is well and still living in Bethany. Our own Tom Doherty runs into him frequently at a popular Bethany eatery following his weekly Wednesday golf outings.
When Chief Quinn recently saw this photo he chuckled and noted that, like Hamden a couple of years before this photo was taken, Bethany subsequently dumped the eight-pointers and adopted the traditional firefighter's "bell" cap.
Posted 4/1/16
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Posterity Project
Platoon 4 - Station 9
A website celebration of today's future HFD retirees.
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Lieutenant Kevin St. John and Firefighter Burton "Chip" Talmadge
The third member of the crew is currently on active duty with the U.S. armed forces.
We wish him well and look forward to his safe return to the HFD.
Posted 4/1/16
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Maryjane Grelle-McGaffin
(1957 - 2016)
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| Maryjane Grelle-McGaffin |
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The website deeply regrets to report the sudden passing last week of an important Hamden historian and author, who made a significant contribution to the HFRA archives a few years ago.
Maryjane Grelle-McGaffin, 58, a lifetime Hamden resident, was an author of short stories and Secretary of the Mt. Carmel Burial Ground, Hamden's oldest cemetery.
Several years ago while organizing cemetery records, Maryjane discovered all of the lost minutes and correspondence of the North Hamden Improvement Society (1911-1924), an organization that managed the North Hamden Volunteer Fire Company for over a dozen years in the 19-teens and twenties. Several pages from 1914 were known to exist, but no others.
Maryjane's discovery proved what until then was merely speculation about a second fire company in Mt. Carmel. Aware of the importance of her discovery, Maryjane donated those minutes to the HFRA along with many images from her vast collection of early Hamden postcards.
Maryjane is survived by her husband, David, numerous family members and many, many friends.
Posted 4/1/16
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Five Years a "Weekly"
April 1, 2016 - Already in business for nearly two years, our website went "weekly" five years ago today, publishing regular updates each Friday (bi-weekly during July and August since 2013).
The first week featured the photo and blurb below, which quite obviously is now dated. The April HFRA meeting announcement also applies to this year's April meeting, except for the start time. This year's meeting on Tuesday, April 12th starts at 5.
Posted 4/1/16
BELOW WAS THE FIRST OF 245 FRIDAY UPDATES
(so far)
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| Hamden Fire Retirees' Association - Friday, April 1, 2011 |
The HFRA website will be updated once each week on Friday.
Important midweek updates will be made whenever necessary.
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The Spring meeting of the HFRA is 3 p.m., Tuesday, April 12, at the Hamden Elks. Scroll down to view details.
Reminder cards have been mailed to all members in good standing.
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| Supt. Buechele, Dep. Chief Surprise, and Capt. Harrison - CLICK to enlarge |
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Still Going Strong
All of us remember working with these guys. Future HFRA members Supt. Don Buechele, Deputy Chief Bob Surprise and Capt. Dennis Harrison recently posed for this impromptu photo when the new tower arrived. Together, they have a total of 83 years on the job!
Posted 4/1/11
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Ed. Note: Harrison eventually became fire marshal. Bob Surprise retired in November 2013;
Buechele and Harrison one year later. All three became members of the HFRA and the HGSRA.
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