| Hamden Fire Retirees Association, Inc. |
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FRIDAY, APRIL 15, 2016
Website is updated every Friday - Important interim updates will be posted when necessary
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| Rear of the greenhouse at sunrise |
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Quick Response and Knock Down Save Centerville Greenhouse
April 15 - The Hamden Fire Department was dispatched at 3:30 this morning for a reported fire in the rear of 2485 Whitney Avenue, a commercial property known as Lucian’s Greenhouse.
Central Communications received two reports of fire in the rear of the address. Following a three-minue response time, Squad 1 reported that the detached greenhouse in the rear of the address to be well-involved. Additional fire companies assisted with water supply, overhaul and exposure protection.
The main body of fire was knocked down quickly, preserving approximately 75% of the steel-hoop and plastic structure. No injuries were reported.
Deputy Fire Marshal Timothy Lunn (203-407-3181) is investigating the origin and cause of the fire. The photo of the rear of the property at right, taken after sunrise, shows the location of the fire.
Posted 4/15/16
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[The website thanks the Fire Chief's Office and Dep. Chief Gary Merwede for providing this article and photo.)
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Two dozen turn out for the Association's 30th meeting
COLA and Pension Plan Info Reported
Discussion on the proposed Connecticut Retired Professional Firefighters Association
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Twenty of the 24 members who attended last Tuesday's Spring meeting of the HFRA were on hand for this group photo, which would have come out a lot better if the bozo who set up the camera had also set the auto-focus. Oh, well. Anyway, a good time was had by all.
Standing (L-R): Kerry Castracane, Bob Macauley, Austin Williams, Ralph Tortora, Doug Yocher, Harold Mangler, Jim Leddy Sam DeBurra, Jack Calamo, Clark Hurlburt, Dave Johnson, Rich Maybury, Gil Spencer and Dennis Baker. Seated: Ray Dobbs, Bob Viglione, Bob Mordecai, Tom Doherty, Chick Manware and Jim Dunlop.
Minutes of the meeting will be posted shortly in the MEMBERS ONLY section.
Thank you to Vic Mitchell, who pushed the button on the camera. But the poor focus was the fault of his brother-in-law.
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Posterity Project
Platoon 2 - Station 9
A website celebration of today's future HFD retirees.
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Captain Adam Barletta, Firefighter Michael Battick and Firefighter Victor Jackson
Posted 4/15/16
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40 Years Ago!
April 1976 - Second Rescue is Placed in Service
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| April 9, 1976 - Ff. Ray Reilly backing Rescue 2 in for the first time |
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Less than an hour after Ff. Ernie Braun drove Truck 1 out of the center bay at Station 2 and up to Station 5, Ff. Raymond Reilly backed new Rescue 2 in its place, where that unit has been assigned ever since. The rescue had a modular body built on a 1975 Ford chassis, which was a gift from Hamden's Unitas Club.
The new rescue contained a 4,000 watt generator and an air cascade system for refilling Scott bottles on scene.
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| 1960 International Travel-al |
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| Rescue 1 when new on a 1971 Ford Chassis |
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Two small International suburban-like trucks called "Travel-als" were Hamden's rescue units from the late 1950s until November 1971. Originally assigned to Station 2, then Station 3, Rescue 1 covered the south end. Rescue 2 covered the north end out of Station 4.
The white rescue units were removed from service in November 1971 when the "new" Rescue 1, a 1971 Ford with a modular body, went in service at Station 4 to cover the north end. EMS calls in the south end, however, were covered by Engine 2 until the "new" Rescue 2 was placed in service four and a half years later.
Rescue 2's addition to the inventory coincided with the certification of Hamden's first paramedics and the introduction of Advanced Life Support services in the department.
Posted 4/15/16
NOTE: This news photo was taken in front of Station 4 at Town Hall.
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| From The New Haven Register, April 1976 - (Photo ©1976 The New Haven Register) |
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At the Spring meeting earlier this week, retired Deputy Chief and HFRA member Clark Hurlburt presented the Association archives with one of the two dedication plaques that were mounted on Hamden's first postwar apparatus, the 1951 Maxim 750 GPM pumper that was delivered in the summer of 1951. The pumper was officially placed in service when the newly reconfigured three-bay Humphrey fire station was re-opened on October 1, 1951 and the Highwood station at Dixwell and Morse was closed.
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Like all such plaques, it gave the date and listed the names of the first selectman, the fire chief and fire commission members. It had been mounted on the driver's side of the '51 Maxim, above and to the right of the pump panel (see photo). The plaque was the mate to a similar plaque of the same size, found earlier, that honored the memory of the late William Damon, who had served as a fire commissioner in the 1940s. The Damon plaque had been mounted on the opposite side of the pumper.
Posted 4/15/16
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Shortly after Clark presented the plaque to the Association,
the Association had something to present to Clark . . .
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An Association memorial plaque honoring the memory of Lieut. Howard Hurlburt, Jr., who passed away in November 2013, was presented at the Spring meeting to Howie's brother Clark, who accepted the plaque on behalf of Howie's son, Edward, who was unable to attend the original ceremony. Dave Johnson, a friend of Howie's since childhood and a former Station 4 crew member of his, made the presentation on the behalf of the Association.
Howard Hurlburt, Jr. joined the department in 1970. The following year he was among the department's first EMTs and, in 1976, he was among the department's first eight paramedics. Howie was promoted to lieutenant in 1984 and retired ten years later. Howie and Clark's dad, Howard Hurlburt, Sr., also served on the Hamden Fire Department, from 1948 until 1981. After he retired, Howie, Sr. represented the First District on Hamden's Legislative Council. Howie and Clark's mother Nancy served as Hamden's Town Clerk in the 1980s and 90s.
Posted 4/15/16
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We were apprised of this excellent video earlier this week and wanted to share it. This training session of British firefighters was done in 1957 and photographed in 35mm. The equipment and techniques are so very different from what we are used to. And yet, in some ways, they are very much the same. Check it out.
Posted 4/15/16
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