We are in the process of archiving all weekly updates by the month. All of the weekly updates for this month are on this page.
Just scroll down to locate the desired update.
July 2021
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| Hamden Fire Retirees Association, Inc. |
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| CLICK here for daily flag status |
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FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2013
Website is updated every Friday - Important interim updates will be posted when necessary
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| CLICK to go to HGSRA webpage |
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One of Our Own in Hamden Mayoral Race!
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| Firefighter Bob Anthony |
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The HFRA is an independent, non-political social organization. And even though the HFRA does not endorse political candidates, we believe it is perfectly appropriate to inform our members and other readers that one of our own, retired Hamden firefighter Bob Anthony, is a candidate for Mayor of the Town of Hamden.
Bob served for thirteen years as president of the Hamden Professional Firefighters Association, Local 2687, IAFF. During his nearly 20-year tenure on the Hamden Retirement Board, Bob continually urged administrations of both parties to properly fund the pension plan.
Since his 2005 retirement, Bob has worked with the Uniformed Professional Firefighters Association of Connecticut and was a founding member of the Hamden Guardian Services Retirees Association, LLC, a group established last year by retired Hamden police officers and firefighters to protect the solvency of the pension fund for all Hamden retirees.
It is definitely a source of pride to know that one of your own has been tapped to run for the highest office in the town where he, and we, served. Good luck, Bob!
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Remember: Wherever you live, please exercise your right to vote this coming Tuesday, November 5th.
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November 1, 1970
Rev. Owen Sanderson Sworn In As a Department Chaplain
at Dedication of Station 3
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CLICK on the news photo at left to read more about the dedication ceremonies of the new Station 3, including a scan of the dedication program.
Posted 11/1/13
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| The New Haven Register, Monday, November 2, 1970 |
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| Forty-three years ago, a decade of unprecedented expansion of the Hamden Fire Department culminated in the dedication of Hamden's newest (and last) new fire station, located at the corner of Ridge Road and Hartford Turnpike.
Known as "new" Station 3, the new fire station replaced the much smaller stations located at 39 Putnam Avenue and 21 Merritt Street. It was the new home to Engine 3, Engine 6, Rescue 1, and Ladder 2 (as it was called then), the town's new second aerial ladder truck company. The Deputy Chief platoon commander was also assigned there.
The dedication of new Station 3 was also an appropriate occasion on which to swear in the department's newest chaplain, Rev. Owen Sanderson of Christ Lutheran Church on Shepard Avenue.
"The Rev," as he is affectionately and respectfully known, has been a good friend and advisor to both career and volunteer department members of all religious persuasions since the 1960s. Now, 82 years of age, Rev. Sanderson is still on the job and is the only full member of the Hamden Fire Retirees Association who is not actually retired.
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Summer 1974
Lieutenant Gil Spencer is pictured here with his crew of five firefighters by Engine 4, the department's new 1,000 GPM Maxim "foam truck" that was delivered in April of 1974. Two of the five firefighters rode Rescue 1 on a rotating basis. Firefighter Ed Charbonneau was one of Hamden's first EMTs and he would become one of the first paramedics when ALS was inaugurated in Hamden two years after this photo was taken.
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| Summer 1974 - Firefighters Ed Doiron, Bob Kenney, Ed Charbonneau, Bob Viglione (behind Charbonneau), Steve Hitchcock (up top) and Lt. Gil Spencer (Photo courtesy of Ed Doiron; Photographer unknown) |
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Ed Doiron found this gem in a folder of old photos during the past week. HFD crew photos like this one are exactly what the HFRA History Committee is looking for - and this is a nice one! If you have a similar photo of your HFD crew - of any HFD crew - please scan it and send it to the website: hfdbadge102@aol.com.
Posted 11/1/13
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26 years ago Hamden welcomed four new recruits,
including its first career female firefighter
This November 4, 1987 Hamden Chronicle article heralded the addition of what would be the last group of Hamden firefighters to be trained and certified "in-house" to Fire Fighter I prior to being assigned to platoons. The new recruits included Firefighters Bernard Amatrudo, Gary Couture, Mike DiStefano, and Kerry Paul (Castracane). Six other new recruits were added to the department the previous February.
Five other department personnel (see article) assisted the training officer with various elements of the certification process during the five-week training period. This would also be the last group of new Hamden firefighters to be hired for seven more years. The next batch of new firefighters, added in 1994, were among the first recruit firefighters in Connecticut to receive their training and Fire Fighter I certifications at the new Connecticut Fire Academy at Windsor Locks.
Posted 11/1/13
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| Article courtesy of Gil Spencer (CLICK to enlarge) |
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| The Hamden Chronicle, November 25, 1987 (Courtesy of Gil Spencer) |
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| Ff. Kerry Castracane (nee Paul) was Hamden's first career female firefighter. Since her 1987 appointment, two more female firefighters have joined the ranks of Hamden's career department. Kerry retired two years ago after 24 years on the job and became the first female regular member of the HFRA.
Hamden's first female volunteer firefighter was Cheryl Flynn, who joined Co. 5 in the summer of 1974. Since then all three volunteer fire companies have enrolled numerous women.
Today female firefighters and officers are now quite common in career and volunteer fire departments of all sizes nationwide. The San Francisco Fire Department has been led by Chief Joanne Hayes-White for more than ten years.
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Latest Aerial Gadget of the 1970s
| 60 Years Ago!
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| Maxim "Top-Trol" Ad from Fire Engineering - Courtesy of Gil Spencer (CLICK to enlarge) |
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| The Hamden Chronicle (Courtesy of Gil Spencer) |
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| Hamden's 1970 100' aerial, equipped with "Top-Trol," awaiting door installation at Maxim's Middleboro, MA factory in the summer of 1970. (CLICK to enlarge) |
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| Hamden Fire Retirees Association, Inc. |
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| CLICK here for daily flag status |
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FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2013
Website is updated every Friday - Important interim updates will be posted when necessary
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| CLICK to go to HGSRA webpage |
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Hamden Veterans Day Observances
Sunday, November 10th at 11:30 a.m. at the Hamden Middle School
"Along with the regular ceremonies there will be a dedication of a new plaque with 148 new names of
Hamden Veterans added to the monument which was dedicated 20 years ago in 1993." - Post Chronicle
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Brief Homecoming for Hamden Firefighter at Fire Headquarters During WWII
During this week that includes Veterans' Day, we share this
wonderful photo with our fellow retirees and other website visitors.
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| L-R - Unidentified firefighter, Ff. Joe Marchito, Unidentified civilian, Lt. Roland Ruwet, Ff. Dan Hume with station mascot "Sport," Chief Raymond C. Spencer, and Ff. Jim Strain on leave from the US Navy. (Photo courtesy of Jean Strain) |
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This WWII-era photo was obtained from Jean Strain, daughter of the late Deputy Chief James Strain, who was shift commander of Platoon 2 until his 1973 retirement. Chief Strain joined the department in 1942 and was given leave soon thereafter to join the U.S. Navy for service in World War II. This photo, from a family album, shows young Navy enlistee Strain in front of Fire Headquarters in 1942 with other HFD personnel, some of whom could be identified.
Other active HFD personnel who took leave from the department to serve in the Armed Forces during WWII were Capt. Joe Hromadka, and Firefighters Stuart Keeler, V. Paul Leddy and Emil Strain, James' brother.
Posted 11/8/13
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Website Navigation Made Easier
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| Firefighter Eugene Maturo - New Haven Register, November 9, 1960 (Chan Brainard) |
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| November 10, 2013 - Happy 238th Birthday USMC! |
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Veterans' Day 2013
Hamden Firefighters Have Served in
World War I - World War II - Korea - Vietnam - The Gulf - Afghanistan - Iraq
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Thank you!
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| November 11, 1918 |
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We came across this postcard in an antique mall a few years ago. The event that occurred on the memorable date on the postmark resulted in a national day of observance once known as Armistice Day. On June 1, 1954 the name was officially changed to Veterans Day.
Posted 11/9/13
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Hamden Firefighters Rescue 2 Kids From West Rock Cliff
November 11, 1965
More than a decade before the formation of Hamden's Mountain Rescue Team, Firefighters Benny Mikolinski and Paul Reutenauer, assisted by Lt. Bill Hines, Ff. Gil Spencer and other personnel, rescued two children from a cliff on West Rock. According to articles in The New Haven Journal-Courier and The New Haven Register, the children, ages 6 and 11, were "lowered to safety by firemen via a rope sling."
Posted 11/8/13
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| November 12, 1965 - New Haven Journal-Courier |
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RESULTS
Incumbent Hamden Mayor Scott Jackson was elected to a third term last Tuesday over challenger and HFRA member Bob Anthony. Website congratulates both Jackson and Anthony for conducting clean and intelligent campaigns that focused on the pressing issues confronting the town and Hamden's taxpayers.
Posted 11/8/13
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| Hamden Fire Retirees Association, Inc. |
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| CLICK here for daily flag status |
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FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2013
Website is updated every Friday - Important interim updates will be posted when necessary
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| CLICK to go to HGSRA webpage |
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Crews of Engine 3 and Rescue 1 on "old" 1st Platoon in front of Station 2
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| 1964 - Old Platoon 1 Crew of Engine 3 and Rescue 1 (at Station 2): Lt. Joe McDermott, Ff. Dave Herrmann, Ff. Ray Bantz, Ff. Jerold Bradbury and Ff. Howard Hurlburt, Sr. (Courtesy of Joe McDermott) |
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Minnesota Student Restoring a 95-Year Old Truck
Just Like HFD's 1918 Chemical Truck
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| CLICK HERE to view more about this truck |
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| Troy Vetsch's 1918 Stewart Truck (CLICK to enlarge) |
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We received an email during the week from website visitor Troy Vetsch, a Stewartville, Minnesota college student. Troy is currently restoring a 1918 Stewart truck very similar to the Stewart chemical trucks bought by the Highwood and Mt. Carmel fire companies in 1918.
Troy asked if we had any photos that might aid with his restoration project. We had only three, but we were happy to send him jpgs. Troy replied immediately with a sincere message of thanks and appreciation, and he provided some great photos and background information on his project.
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| New Haven Register, Tuesday, November 19, 1963 (Courtesy of Chan Brainard) |
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1982 - Repacking hose on Leeder Hill Drive
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| 1982 - Platoon 1 Firefighters John Calamo (in foreground), John Corbett (at left on tailboard) and Mike Murray (up top). This is one of the two 1968 Maxim S Models. Note the rear compartment door has been removed. Some of these 1960s and 1970s Maxims did not fare very well when it came to rust. - Photo by John Tramontano |
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| Co. 5's 1930 Maxim 600 GPM (CLICK to enlarge) |
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| Co. 8's 1918 Stewart Chemical (CLICK to enlarge) |
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| The Great Depression hadn't as yet kicked into high gear when a brand new $8,500 1930 Maxim 600 g.p.m. pumper was delivered to Hamden on January 6, 1930. But it would be the last full size Hamden fire apparatus to be purchased for the next eight years.
The 1930 Maxim - some fire department records list it as a 1929 - was assigned to Co. 5 in Mt. Carmel, replacing the 1918 Stewart chemical truck purchased new by Co. 5 for $1,900 in December 1918.
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| Engine 7 on a 1935 Dodge Bros. Chassis |
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On August 18, 1930, Co. 5's 1918 Stewart went to Dunbar Hill Volunteer Co. 8. The 1910 Locomobile chemical truck that had been donated to Co. 8 by the Whitneyville volunteers in February of 1928 was stored at Station 4 and eventually sold.
On August 12, 1935, the Mix District Volunteer Fire Co. 7 purchased a brand new Dodge Bros. truck for $750. They added a 150 g.p.m. pump, a booster reel, ladders and additional assorted equipment. The body of Co. 7's 1918 Stewart chemical truck was removed and placed on the new Dodge. Co. 7's 1918 Stewart was purchased new by Highwood in February 1918 for $1,800.
Easily the longest serving piece of apparatus in Hamden Fire Department history, Co. 7's 1935 Dodge - Engine 47 - remained in active service well into the 1980s. It is still owned by the Mix District volunteers and appears annually in Hamden's Memorial Day parades.
Posted 11/15/13
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Hamden Fire Department
Apparatus Inventory
1935
Station 1 – Highwood
Engine 1 – 1926 Maxim 500 g.p.m. pumper
Hook & Ladder – 1926 Maxim city service ladder truck
Station 2 – Humphrey
Engine 2 – 1919 Seagrave 750 g.p.m. pumper
Station 3 – Whitneyville
Engine 3 – 1928 Maxim 750 g.p.m. pumper
Station 4 (Headquarters) – Centerville
Engine 4 – 1925 Seagrave 350 g.p.m. pumper
Station 5 – Mt. Carmel
Engine 5 – 1930 Maxim 600 g.p.m. pumper - Delivered 1/6/30 - $8,500
Station 6 – Merritt Street
Engine 6 - 1924 Stutz 350 g.p.m. pumper
Station 7 – Mix District
Engine 7 – 1935 Dodge 150 g.p.m. pumper - Purchased 8/12/35 - $750
Station 8 – Dunbar Hill
Engine 8 – 1918 Stewart Chemical Truck
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| Hamden Fire Retirees Association, Inc. |
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| CLICK here for daily flag status |
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FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 2013
Website is updated every Friday - Important interim updates will be posted when necessary
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| CLICK to go to HGSRA webpage |
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L-2687 is holding it's Annual Turkey Delivery on Monday, November 25th at Station 5 around 10 a.m. Any help or donations from the retirees would be greatly appreciated.
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| Lt. Howard Hurlburt, Jr. (1948-2013) |
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Lieutenant Howard Hurlburt, Jr.
(1948 - 2013)
It is with deep regret that we announce the passing of retired Hamden Fire Department Lieutenant/Paramedic Howard "Howie" Hurlburt, Jr. on Wednesday, November 20th in Arkansas, where he resided for the last several years.
Howie's fire service career began when he joined the Mt. Carmel Volunteer Fire Co. in 1965. Howie became a member of the career department in 1970 and was one of Hamden's first EMTs the following year. In 1976, Howie was among the first eight Hamden paramedics to be certified. Following a brief stint as the Department's first Mechanic in 1984, Howie was promoted to Lieutenant and was assigned to Platoons 3 and 4 until his retirement in 1993
Howie was from a family with deep roots in Hamden public service. His brother, Clark, a 30-year veteran of the Department, is a retired Deputy Chief. Howie's father, the late Howard Hurlburt, Sr., served on the Hamden Fire Department from 1948 until his retirement in 1981, and later served on the Hamden Legislative Council. His mother, Nancy, also served on the Council and was Hamden Town Clerk for several years during the 1980s and 90s.
Our thoughts and prayers are with Nancy, Clark and the rest of the Hurlburt family.
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A Memorial Service for is planned for Saturday, December 7th at 1 p.m. Full details when available.
Revised 11/26/13
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Newspaper Reporter Visits HQ During Historic Week
"Snapshots in Time" Preserved
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November 22, 2013 - The shocking events of fifty years ago today, and the days that followed, are snapshot moments indelibly etched into the memories of all Americans who were old enough at the time to comprehend the gravity of what had happened.
Over the years that observation has become almost a cliché, but it's true! The assassination of President John F. Kennedy on Friday afternoon, November 22, 1963 was for the young people of the "Baby Boom Generation" what December 7th had been for the young people of 1941 who would become the "Greatest Generation," and what 9/11 has become for our children and grandchildren. And like those awful events of 1941 and 2001, the events of that terrible Friday afternoon one-half century ago changed the course of world history.
Fifty years ago this week, Dep. Chief Everett Doherty's 2nd Platoon was working the day shift from Tuesday the 19th through the Friday the 22nd. During that four-day trick, an unidentified New Haven Register reporter visited Hamden Fire Headquarters to write a story about the daily routine of Hamden firefighters. The reporter returned the following week to include three recruit firefighters who started on the job the day after President Kennedy's funeral. The story was published on Sunday, December 1st.
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| New Haven Register, Sunday, Dec. 1, 1963 (Courtesy of Gil Spencer and Chan Brainard) CLICK to enlarge |
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When the three recruit firefighters pictured in center-left photo of this article came on the job, the workweek was 56 hours and the pay was under $100 a week.
Two of the new firefighters stayed about two years. The third recruit, Charles Esposito, stayed for 30 years. In 1989, Lieutenant/Paramedic Charlie Esposito was appointed as the Department's second EMS Officer.
Contrary to the photo credit in the newspaper article, all but one of the photos in the article were taken by veteran newspaper photographer D.F. Vaccaro.
The center photo of Dep. Chief Hume training the three recruit firefighters was taken the following week by someone identified as Acampora, possibly the reporter.
The Vaccaro photos are believed to have been taken on either November 19th or 20th, and the Acampora photo on November 26th.
The website does have some of the original glossies from that newspaper article, all by D.F. Vaccaro.
The two Vaccaro photos immediately below did not appear in the published article - the three photos below them did.
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Ben Mikolinski and another day shift firefighter demonstrated the art of bed making for the benefit of the reporter. In some departments the day shift made the beds for the night shift. But in Hamden the night shift always made their own beds before going home each morning.
| Once the chores and training were done, (L-R) Firefighters Paul Reutenauer, Milner Benham, Gil Spencer and John Hoffman demonstrated the art of television viewing. We used to call this "alarm readiness." These days there is a lot more "alarm" and a lot less "readiness."
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| Dep. Chief Dan Hume with recruit firefighters Jerold Bradbury, Russell Smith and Charlie Esposito, who started on the job Tuesday, November 26th, the day after the National Day of Mourning for President Kennedy's funeral. Charlie Esposito put in 30 years and retired as the department's Emergency Medical Services Officer in 1993.
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Ff. Milner Benham atop Engine 4, the 1954 Maxim, inspecting the E&J resuscitator.
| A stereotypical firehouse pastime: The boys pose for a contrived game of Setback for benefit of the photographer. Gil reports that he never played cards. (Ah, but some of us did!)
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| Gone somewhere! (Vaccaro Photo) |
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Note the officer's shoes front left, and the driver's shoe's front right, and the three pairs of shoes at the rear.
Three firefighters rode the tailboard, making it a crew of five!
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Department Apparatus Committee Formed 30 Years Ago
Town Allocated Funds for First New Pumpers in Ten Years
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In November 1983, Chief V. Paul Leddy and Dep. Chief John Tramontano took a novel approach to designing apparatus that would meet the Department's needs for the next generation. They assembled a committee of Department members of various ranks and job descriptions to investigate different apparatus configurations and specifications and make recommendations for the first new Hamden pumpers in ten years. Following several months of meetings, visits to neighboring departments and even a few test drives, the committee developed specs for two new Pierce Dash pumpers. The new pumpers were delivered a little more than a year later and served the Department for twenty-five more years.
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| ENGINE 2 |
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| ENGINE 4 |
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The work of the apparatus committee, begun while Chief Leddy was still on the job, culminated in the delivery of two new Pierce Dash pumpers in early December 1984, eight months after Leddy retired. Below is retired Chief V. Paul Leddy in front of his home on Cumpstone Drive, standing next to the new Engine 4 less than a week after it arrived from the Pierce factory in Appleton, Wisconsin.
Posted 11/22/13
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| December 1984 - Retired Hamden Fire Chief V. Paul Leddy with Engine 4, a 1984 Pierce Dash 1,000 GPM Pumper (Photo by John Tramontano) |
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Leonard Pipe
375 Mather Street
Wednesday, November 28, 1973
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| The New Haven Register, Wednesday, November 28, 1973 (Courtesy of Chan Brainard) |
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| CLICK on either image to enlarge for easier reading. |
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| Hamden Fire Retirees Association, Inc. |
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| CLICK here for daily flag status |
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FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 2013
Website is updated every Friday - Important interim updates will be posted when necessary
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| CLICK to go to HGSRA webpage |
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| Deputy Chief Surprise |
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Deputy Chief Bob Surprise Retiring
November 29 - Hamden Deputy Fire Chief Bob Surprise is retiring today after nearly 33 years on the job.
Bob was one of eight new recruits hired in January 1981, a group that included Jay Connolly, John Longo, Harold Prescher, John O'Dea, Tim O'Flynn, Bob Stacy and Paul Wetmore, Jr. Firefighter Connolly, now second in department seniority, is the only member of that class still on the job.
When Bob came on the job he was a paramedic assigned to Platoon 4 at Headquarters. He earned promotions to lieutenant in 1988, captain in 1999, and battalion chief in 2006. A highly respected department officer, Bob was appointed by Mayor Scott Jackson to be the department's deputy chief in March 2010, the first time that position was filled by a department member who had previously served in all other lower ranks.
The HFRA wishes Bob a very long, happy and healthy retirement. He has informed us that he will be attending the Winter HFRA meeting on Thursday, January 9th at the Elks.
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Since 1988 the title "Deputy Chief" (four trumpets) has denoted the Department's second-in-command, previously "Assistant Chief." From 1961 until 1984, "Deputy Chief" was the same HFD rank that is now "Battalion Chief" (three trumpets).
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Dedication Plaques Last Surviving Vestiges of Bygone Hamden Apparatus
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| 1938 Seagrave Dedication Plaque |
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| 1938 Seagrave 600 GPM Pumper (I.A. Sneiderman) |
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On Saturday, May 21, 1938, one month after the delivery of Hamden's brand new Seagrave 600 GPM pumper, Hamden Fire Commissioner James A. Gillies passed away suddenly at the age of sixty. Cmmr. Gillies had served on the Board of Fire Commissioners since 1930.
A handsome silver-plated plaque was purchased by the department and mounted on the starboard side of the pumper. The engraved plaque dedicated the new apparatus in memory of Commr. Gillies, noting his term of service on the Board. It remained on the Seagrave until, sadly, the pumper was sold for junk thirty years later.
Fortunately for department preservationalists, Cmmr. Gillies' memorial plaque and several other apparatus dedication plaques have survived. These plaques are tangible reminders of the apparatus on which they were mounted, as well as the town and department leaders who were in office when the apparatus were purchased.
The HFRA is grateful to Deputy Chief Bob Surprise for finding these memorial plaques and donating them to the HFRA archives for preservation. The website will post additional photos of these "survivors" with photos of their apparatus during the coming weeks.
Posted 11/29/13
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| Dedication Plaque on 1938 Seagrave (Photo by Chan Brainard) |
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"Well done, thou good and faithful servants."
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In 1982, Platoon 4 Firefighter/Paramedics Bob Surprise and Howie Hurlburt, Jr. were usually assigned to Rescue 1, with only occasional respites on Engine 4. This week, after a 33 year career with the Hamden Fire Department, Deputy Chief Robert Surprise hangs up his helmet for we all hope will be a very long, happy and healthy retirement.
Put your thumb over the face of the guy on the right and show this photo to anyone who knew him and they'd say, "That's gotta be Howie!" Howie Hurlburt, Jr. was one of a kind, and a fine firefighter and paramedic. At the end of next week on Saturday, December 7th at 1 p.m, a memorial service for Howie will take place in Bethany at Lakeview Lodge on Rt. 42, west of Rt. 63. Howie passed away on November 20th in Arkansas where he had resided for many years following his retirement in 1993.
A Memorial Service for is planned for Saturday, December 7th at 1 p.m. Full details when available.
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55 Years Ago
Sunday, November 30, 1958
Major house fire on Armory Street was but one of three that kept Hamden firefighters busy that day.
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| New Haven Journal-Courier, Monday, December 1, 1958 (Courtesy of Chan Brainard) |
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On Monday, December 1, 1958, the same day the above article appeared in The New Haven Journal-Courier, ninety-two children and three nuns died in one of the worst school fires in U.S. history. A fire of undetermined cause consumed the fully occupied, 48-year old Our Lady of the Angels parochial school in Chicago.
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| CLICK to enlarge |
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