| Happy New Year!
To our brothers and sisters who continue to serve in the fire, police, and EMS services in Hamden and elsewhere, we wish you and yours a very Happy, Healthy and Safe 2019.
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| ALL FLAGS RETURN TO FULL STAFF ON MONDAY, DEC. 31. |
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FRIDAY, DECEMBER 21, 2018
Website is updated every Friday - Important interim updates will be posted when necessary
Next regular update is Friday, January 4th.
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| CLICK to monitor HFD radio |
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Merry Christmas!
We’re taking Christmas Week off.
The next Friday update will be January 4th – Happy New Year!
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Gary Merwede Named Fire Chief
Mayor Curt Balzano-Leng has named Deputy Fire Chief Gary Merwede to be the ninth chief of the Hamden Fire Department. The announcement was made on Thursday afternoon before a large crowd assembled in the town hall rotunda. Merwede, a 24-year department veteran who was appointed deputy fire chief nearly five years ago, has been serving as acting chief since the October retirement of Chief David Berardesca.
In a brief statement before a large crowd of many friends and fellow firefighters, Chief-designate Merwede said that Hamden is where his roots are and that it is a source of great pride. "The Hamden Fire Department," he continued, "has given me the opportunity to have a tangible hands-on way to serve my friends and neighbors. It has given me the knowledge, skills, and ability to learn about leadership working side-by-side with some of the best mentors you can have - firefighters, paramedics, fire officers, labor leaders, and four different chiefs of the department, each one contributing to the skill set I bring to the table every day - every day since August 1994.”
With the number of fire department responses expected to top 12,000 for this calendar year, the Chief-designate noted, "The department continues to rise to the occasion by absorbing call capacity in delivering emergency services needs to the community," adding, "we must continue in that cause to supply our firefighters with the safest and best equipment possible because our people are the greatest and most valuable asset this department has."
Like several of his predecessors, Chief-designate Merwede was very active in the department's bargaining unit. The respect and trust that he earned from his fellow firefighters resulted in a unique distinction. While a member of Hamden Professional Firefighters, Local 2687, I.A.F.F. Merwede served in every elected office, including that of the union's presidency from 2005 until 2011.
Chief-designate Gary Merwede's fire service career began when he joined the Dunbar Hill Volunteer Fire Company in 1986. He was appointed to the career department in August 1994 and earned a promotion to lieutenant in 2004. He was chosen by Mayor Scott Jackson to replace retiring Deputy Chief Bob Surprise in January 2014. Merwede's appointment as Chief of the Hamden Fire Department will be voted on by the Hamden Legislative Council in early January.
The members of the Hamden Fire Retirees Association wish Chief Merwede all the very best as he takes over the reins as the department's ninth chief.
Posted 12/21/2018
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| Mayor Curt Balzano-Leng congratulates Chief-designate Gary Merwede following the anouncement of his appointment in Hamden's Memorial Town Hall |
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| Chiefs Merwede and Wetmore |
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Firefighting definitely a family thing
Many HFD retirees were on hand to congratulate Hamden's next fire chief, including former fire Chiefs David Berardesca and Paul Wetmore Sr.
Former Chief Wetmore, who led the department from 1993 until his 1996 retirement, was especially happy to be there. Merwede was appointed as a career member of the fire department on Chief Wetmore's watch. Years later, he became Chief Wetmore's son-in-law, married to his daughter Cheryl.
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42 Years Ago
20% of today's call volume with 135% of the number of today's personnel
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| Fire Report for Fiscal Year 1975-76, courtesy of Gil Spencer - CLICK TO ENLARGE |
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The number of responses during Hamden Fire Department's 1975-76 fiscal year rose by 12%, to just under 2,500. During the last three months of that period, the department's first paramedics were certified and began offering advanced life support services. So, it is not surprising that most of the 12% increase was due to calls for emergency medical assistance.
It is noteworthy that with 2,495 responses that year, department line personnel in 1976 consisted at four shift commanders (properly titled "deputy chief"), four captains, eight lieutenants, and 100 firefighters, for a total of 116. That number would actually increase within five years to 120 line personnel - 30 per platoon.
Today, with nearly five times the number of emergency responses, department manning totals only 92 line personnel. Our 2018 counterparts are on the go 24/7. Bravo, guys, bravo!
Posted 12/21/2018
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Training: Personal Escape System
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| Lt. Kevin P. Martin, Lt. Jeff Woodford, Ff. Victor Jackson, NHFD Capt. Miguel Rosado, and Ff. Jason Stevens. |
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For the past two weeks, Bail-Out System Training was conducted for all personnel in the HFD section of Hamden's Maintenance Garage on Shepard Avenue. The training simulated self-rescue techniques for firefighters who have been cut off from their crew in an IDLH (Imminent Danger to Life and Health) atmosphere in a structure fire.
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| Capt. Rosado demonstrates how to attach the carabiner to the safety line. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) |
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| Specialist trainer Capt. Miguel Rosado of the New Haven Fire Department and Hamden Training Officer Lieut. Charles Lubowicki Jr. guided every member of the department through the course and hands-on sessions for what Capt. Rosado has called a "personal escape system."
The practical training involved members "rolling-out" of a training window and rappeling to a safer location. Following successful completion of the training, individual bail-out kits were distributed to our personnel.
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| This is how the "bail-out kit" is carried as part of the firefighter's gear. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) |
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| In full turnout gear, Firefighter Jason Stevens prepares to escape out this mock-up of an upper floor window. |
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In the photos below, Firefighter Stevens demonstrates escaping through
the window of an upper floor using the new personal bail-out system.
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| CLICK TO ENLARGE |
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| CLICK TO ENLARGE |
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Capt. Miguel Rosado controls the belay line while Firefighter Stevens rappels down the side of the "building."
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| CLICK TO ENLARGE |
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| CLICK TO ENLARGE |
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| CLICK TO ENLARGE |
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This project took just over a year to arrange, and is the result of efforts of several committees, equipment research, equipment specifications and the capital approval process. The training was the culmination of a Capital Project supported by both the Town Administration and Legislative Council from account 36686-6214.
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Regency Hills Condos Fire
302 Pine Rock Avenue
December 16, 2018
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For the second time in just over a year, fire damaged a unit at the Regency Hills Condos at 302 Pine Rock Avenue.
Shortly after 3:30 on Sunday afternoon, December 16th, Hamden’s Central Communications began receiving multiple calls from residents that the building was filling with smoke. The Hamden Fire Department was dispatched at 3:33 p.m. The responding companies included Engine 2, Engine 3, Tower 1, Squad 1, Rescue 2, Car 1, and Car 3.
Engine 2 arrived first at 3:38 and reported smoke coming from a second floor window. The personnel of Engine 2 stretched a hose line down a hallway and forced entry into unit B12, where they encountered a heavy smoke condition in the apartment and active fire in the kitchen area.
The crew quickly brought the fire under control while other crews checked for fire extension in the walls of apartment and the unit directly above it. The resident of the apartment was not home at the time of the fire and no injuries were reported.
A fire investigation was conducted by Fire Marshal Brian Dolan, during which it was determined that the oven and one stovetop burner had been left on by the resident, who had left the apartment shortly before the fire. The fire spread from the stovetop to the kitchen cabinets immediately above the oven range.
On November 26th of last year, also between 3:30 and 4:00 on a Sunday afternoon, a similar fire caused considerable damage to Unit B13, right across the hall. In that incident, Marshal Dolan determined that the fire in the kitchen of that condo was caused by ignited cooking oil, spreading to the cabinets, nearby walls and ceiling.
Posted 12/21/18
The website thanks the Fire Marshal Brian Dolan for providing the photo and information for this article.
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48 Years Ago
(Give or take)
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| I.A. Sneiderman photo - CLICK TO ENLARGE |
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Back before "the 42," Firefighter Sal "Cookie" Ferraro (left) and Firefighter Freddy Knudsen worked together at Station 6 on Platoon 3. The 1954 Maxim 750 g.p.m. pumper was Engine 6.
The fact that the two-story H&D Paper Products building is gone from behind the fire station, suggests that this photo was probably taken during the summer of 1969 or 1970. (Nice '61 Chevy!)
Posted 12/21/2018
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Spark Time
Website thanks go out to frequent website visitor (and contributor) Mel Kooper of Temple Terrace, Florida for sending along these photos he took recently of a 750 g.p.m. pumper built on this c.1946 Mack chassis. This pumper once served Howey-in-the-Hills (2000 pop. 956) in Lake County, Florida.
Posted 12/21/2018
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| Photo by Mel Kooper - CLICK TO ENLARGE |
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| Photo by Mel Kooper - CLICK TO ENLARGE |
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| Photo by Mel Kooper - CLICK TO ENLARGE |
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| Swearing in Lieuts. Esposito and LaBanca (1984) and Mechanic Melillo (1987) |
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| A couple of "new" old photos at the top of the Alumni page |
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Winter HFRA Meeting
Wednesday, January 9th at 9:00 AM
Hamden Elks' Lodge, 175 School Street
FREE continental breakfast of Danish, donuts, juices,
milk and coffee will be served. Bar will be open.
Members who have yet to remit their 2019 dues of $15 may pay at the meeting or send their check to:
HFRA, P.O. Box 185605, Hamden, CT 06518-0605.
2019 dues cards will be available at the meeting.
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NEVER FORGET!
We will always remember our brother firefighters who made the supreme sacrifice, and the thousands of other innocent victims who lost their lives on September 11, 2001.
Always keep them, their families and the FDNY in your thoughts and prayers.
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