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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, SEPTEMBER 6, 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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From The Hamden Chronicle, Thursday, September 10, 1953:
Red Cross Vehicle Serves Double Purpose
Not a real emergency but it could be. After taking delivery of a new station wagon recently, the Hamden Branch of the American Red Cross demonstrates the use to which it could be put. The vehicle is intended primarily for the use of the Red Cross, but officials have announced that it is available to the Hamden Police and Fire Departments for use as an ambulance in emergencies. Here Fireman Robert Williams plays the part of an accident victim while Firemen Robert O'Donnell, Burton C. Hillocks and David Howe prepare to put the "victim" into the ambulance. Looking on at the left are Fire Chief Raymond C. Spencer and Mrs. Seymour Page of the Red Cross.
Posted 9/6/13
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| The Hamden Chronicle, September 10, 1953 (Photo by I.A. Sneiderman) |
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| The Hamden Chronicle, September 4, 1952 |
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Chief Spencer and His Cigars
When we spotted this item in a 1952 edition of The Hamden Chronicle, we knew it was time to finally relate a true story - yes, it is TRUE! - about Chief Spencer, a cigar, and a guy named Fred. Enjoy!
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Joe Rahl had just finished his night shift at Headquarters. He was relieved by Fred, who was coming in to work on the day shift.
Just before leaving the station, and ever the prankster, Joe handed three special cigars to unsuspecting Fred.
Fred carefully slipped Joe's gift cigars into his breast pocket, saving them for after lunch.
Chief Spencer, a well-known cigar lover himself, arrived at Headquarters just before lunch to deliver the weekly paychecks.
Never missing an opportunity to ingratiate himself to the boss, Fred pulled one of Joe's cigars from his breast pocket. "Here, Chief, have one of these."
The Chief smiled and graciously took Fred's cigar, lighting it up in the car as he pulled out of Headquarters on his way to Station 2.
They say that Chief Spencer was puffing away on Fred's cigar at the traffic light in front of the high school when . . .
BANG!!!
We've been told that the Chief was pissed off, mostly because he had to get out of his car to brush the hot ashes off his uniform in front of a bunch of kids waiting for the bus.
Posted 9/6/13
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| August 10, 2002 - Firefighters Austin "Augie" Williams, Roberta Angiletta, Harold Mangler, Joe Anderson, Lt. Sam DeBurra and B/C John Spencer (Photo by Bob Mordecai) |
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50 Years Ago!
In the 1950s, 60s and 70s, the Hamden Fire Department had at least one softball team (sometimes two!) in the Greater New Haven Firemen's Softball League. This end of the season photo was taken at Montewese in September 1963, in which at least four Hamden firefighters can be identified. Can any others be named? Let us know. (CLICK to enlarge)
Sal "Cookie" Ferraro and George Reutenauer (top row, first and second from left). Art Heriot (3rd row, last guy on left). John O'Hare (2nd row, second from left). Photo courtesy of John O'Hare.
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| September 1963 - CLICK to enlarge |
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| MAY 1939 - 1938 Diamond-T Squad e/w 150 GPM pump and 1938 Seagrave Canopy Cab 600 GPM pumper. L-R: Roland Ruwet, 1st Asst. Chief Raymond C. Spencer, Joseph Dukat, and Robert Reutenauer |
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| Firefighter Gerald R. Wolf (1927-2013) |
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Firefighter Gerald R. Wolf
(1927 - 2013)
It is with deep regret that we announce the passing of retired Hamden firefighter and HFRA member Gerald "Jerry" Wolf on August 30th. Jerry served on the Hamden Fire Department from 1957 until his retirement in 1991.
Jerry is survived by his wife of 62 years, Laura Wetmore Wolf, his son John Wolf of Hamden, and his daughter Linda Campagna and husband Thomas of Stewartstown, Pennsylvania, and five grandchildren.
Jerry's Funeral Service took place at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, at Beecher and Bennett followed by burial with military honors at Mt. Carmel Cemetery.
Contributions in Jerry's memory may be sent to Shriner's Hospital for Children, 516 Carew St., Springfield, MA 01104.
Our thoughts and prayers are with Jerry's family.
Revised 8/31/13
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| Hamden Fire Retirees Association, Inc. |
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| CLICK here for daily flag status |
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FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 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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The 1965 Mack Signaled a Return to RED
In August 1965 the Hamden Fire Department acquired its one and only Mack pumper. It was the first new apparatus since 1959, and first new apparatus since 1954 to be painted red. Chief V. Paul Leddy, head of the department for nearly five years, was unalterably opposed to white and there was no way the first pumper acquired during his tenure was going to be any color but red. Check out The Hamden Chronicle article below.
Posted 9/13/13
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| Hamden's 1965 Mack 750 GPM Pumper |
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| Tha Hamden Chronicle, Thursday, September 2, 1965 (Article courtesy of Chan Brainard) |
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| Member Letitia Flagge |
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Mrs. Flagge Turns 100
Mrs. Letitia "Tish" Flagge, the first Hamden Fire Department secretary and one of our first honorary members, celebrated her centennial birthday on July 13th. Formerly of School Street, Mrs. Flagge now resides at Regency House of Wallingford.
When Mrs. Flagge started in October 1957, she was secretary to Chief Raymond C. Spencer and Marshal Al Purce, and then Chief V. Paul Leddy and Marshal Bob O'Donnell before she retired in 1978.
Upon learning of Mrs. Flagge's milestone late last week, albeit a few weeks late, the HFRA E-Board sent her flowers and a card from the HFRA membership, which were delivered to her personally last Saturday afternoon.
Mrs. Flagge, sharp as ever, was delighted to be remembered by her fellow retirees on her special birthday. She is in very good spirits and sends her thanks and love to all "her firemen," who she said were "always there for me" (as she was for us).
Posted 9/13/13
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| 1946 Mack Model 75 |
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| This year's Engine 260 Muster at Milford's Eisenhower Park, a September tradition among Southern Connecticut fire buffs, featured an 1860 Gould hand pumper owned by Ken and Joshua Pankovic, and a handsome 1946 Mack Model 75 owned by Salvatore J. Pitruzzello of Portland, Connecticut.
One of the dozens of fire apparatus making an appearance was New Haven's former Engine 15, a Seagrave "shorty" (below), built on a short wheelbase to fit into Station 15 on Fountain Street.
At left is the "beer mug" sold at the first Engine 260 Muster in 1972. Subsequent years have featured more conventional glass mugs with handles.
Posted 9/13/13
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From Cop Cars to James Dean's "Chopped and Decked" Classic:
Hamden and its Mercury Patrol Cars
The 1955 film classic "Rebel Without a Cause" made every kid in those days want to own the same kind of two-door postwar Merc that a real cooool James Dean cruised around in. Ahhh, but the Hamden Police Department had them first.
Posted 9/13/13
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| This 1950 photo from the archives of the Hamden Historical Society shows an unidentified Hamden police sergeant next to several new Mercury squad cars parked outside Hamden's police station, which was located in the south end of the Town Hall until the new station was opened in 1951. |
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| For over four years the Hamden Fire Retirees Association website has been committed to preserving the history of the Hamden Fire Department. We are especially grateful to the members of the Hamden Historical Society, and archivist Joseph Pepe, for their valuable and generous assistance in providing important historical photos and data that would be otherwise unavailable to us.
We encourage our members and other website visitors to visit the website of the Hamden Historical Society. CLICK on the Jonathan Dickerman House drawing at left.
Posted 9/13/13
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| Hamden Fire Retirees Association, Inc. |
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| CLICK here for daily flag status |
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FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 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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75 Years Ago
September 21st
The Great New England Hurricane of 1938
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| Centerville - Looking north on Whitney Avenue, just north of School Street - CLICK ON THE PHOTO |
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Probably the single greatest weather event to impact Hamden in the 20th century was the Hurricane of 1938, which occurred 75 years ago this weekend. Hundreds of trees were downed and electric and telephone service was out in many areas for days, even weeks.
In all, over 682 lives were lost, mostly in Rhode Island and Massachusetts. According to author Leslie H. Tyler, who published "The New England Hurricane" (1938), "The wind velocity was officially recorded at 186 miles per hour at the Harvard Meteorological Observatory at Blue Hill . . . on the edge of the storm."
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| Station 4 Fifteen Years Ago - Rescue 1 - 1998 Ford 3-D |
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| Old Whitneyville Badge a Gift to the HFRA
Dick and Joan Kennel of Marietta, Georgia were passing through Connecticut last week on their vacation. For many decades, Mr. Kennel had been in possession of badge #48 from the Whitneyville Volunteer Fire Co. No. 3. He believes the badge may have belonged to either of his two grandfathers, both of whom lived in Whitneyville and both of whom may have belonged to the fire company.
Having learned of the Hamden Fire Retirees' Association a few months earlier, and wishing to give the badge a good home, Dick and his wife Joan stopped by the HFRA secretary's home to donate the badge to our archives.
We are presently combing through our files and those of the Hamden Historical Society to find out if records of badge numbers were kept by Co. 3, and to see if Dick Kennel's grandfathers were members. Thank you, Mr. Kennel - much appreciated!
Posted 9/20/13
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Ray's Last Day on the Line
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| September 1994 - Capt. Dave Johnson, Firefighters Harold Prescher, John Longo, Mark Pratt, Ray Chase and Batt. Chief Tom Doherty. This was Ray's last day on Platoon 3 before taking the position of Asst. Supt. of Alarms & Apparatus. Ray joined the Department in July 1970 and retired on July 1, 1999. |
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| Truck 2 in 1978 |
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Memorable First Ride on a Fire Truck 35 Years Ago
September 26, 1978 at Station 3 began with Lt. Frank Eitler temporarily assigning a recruit firefighter to Truck 2 for the day because Training Officer D/C Ken Harrington was off duty for a doctor's appointment. About ten minutes after 8 a.m. roll call a box assignment was dispatched to 10 Eleanor Street for a kitchen fire. Engines 1 and 2 responded with Rescue 2 out of Station 2.
At Station 3, Truck 2's driver and the recruit firefighter climbed aboard the 1970 Maxim aerial. "Truck 2, 10-1." It was the recruit firefighter's first ride on a piece of fire apparatus!
With lights flashing and siren blaring, Truck 2 proceeded cautiously down a very narrow Waite Street. A small line of cars was queued up at the corner of Whitney, where a Hamden police officer was directing traffic due to an earlier traffic accident. When the cop saw the ladder truck approaching, he held up his hands to stop traffic in all directions and waved Truck 2 through the intersection.
A woman heading north on Whitney said later that she didn't see the cop's hand signal to stop, and the blind corner at Waite and Whitney prevented the driver of Truck 2 from seeing the woman's '72 LeMans approaching from the south. Her car reached the intersection at the same time as Truck 2, which slammed into her right quarter panel. The LeMans spun around scaring the hell out of all involved, especially Patrolman Vic Zygmont, who narrowly avoided being hit.
Pulling to the side of the road, Truck 2's driver yanked the microphone from the dashboard bracket, "Truck 2 to Headquarters, we've been involved in a minor accident at Waite and Whitney. You'd better send Truck 1 to Eleanor Street." Fortunately, there were no injuries and the truck came through undamaged.
The driver of Truck 2 was at a loss for words. What do you say to a new firefighter taking his first ride on a fire truck when something like this happens? What can you say? Slipping the mike back onto the bracket, the driver of Truck 2 smiled at the new recruit sitting beside him and sighed, "Have you considered maybe a career in hair dressing?"
The woman driving the LeMans was cited for failing to obey a policeman's signal and not granting the right-of-way to emergency apparatus. She also was the secretary to the president of the Board of Fire Commissioners, who managed a local bank.
In 2010, the recruit firefighter completed thirty-two years with the department, retiring as a battalion chief. The driver of Truck 2 spent another twenty-plus years with the department and, in retirement, has chronicled stories such as these as your webmaster. The kitchen fire on Eleanor Street turned out to be very minor, which was good news to the recruit. It was his wife's parents' house. (You just can't make this stuff up!)
Posted 9/20/13
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A Little Hamden History
As the driver of Truck 2 spent the rest of September 26, 1978 at the watch desk completing his accident report for Chief Leddy, a noontime news program on Channel 8 featured an interview with some members of the Branford Electric Railway Association. They were observing the 30th anniversary of the last trolley run in Connecticut, on September 26, 1948. Hmmm! The only other time a Hamden truck company was involved in an accident was in 1941 - with a trolley.
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| Hamden Chronicle, September 23, 1948 (Courtesy of the Hamden Historical Society) |
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| Hamden Chronicle - September 23, 1948 |
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| 1934 - A Connecticut Co. trolley at Dixwell & Pershing (William Watts photo) |
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| 1941 - Dixwell and Mather - Hamden Ladder Truck vs. Trolley |
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| Hamden Fire Retirees Association, Inc. |
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| CLICK here for daily flag status |
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FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 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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Don't Hold Your Breath Dept.:
50 Years and Still Waiting!
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| Article courtesy of Chan Brainard |
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Visit by a Big Fan and Good Friend of the Department
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Honorary HFRA member and benefactor Chandler "Chan" Brainard visited Station 3 during his biennial visit to New England this past week. A former Hamden resident who has lived in California for the past 40 years, Chan has visited Station 3 many times before, but never this particular 43-year old Station 3. During the late 1950s, Chan spent many shifts at the old Station 3 on Putnam Avenue when he was a member of Hamden's Civil Defense Fire Auxiliary. That station, now privately-owned, closed in September 1970.
Batt. Chief Bill Fitzmaurice, Capt. Rich Otlowski, Lt. Jeff Naples and the other members of Tower 1 and Engine 3 welcomed Chan, who also had an opportunity to ride with Tower 1. And, of course, many good stories were swapped during the Wednesday morning visit.
Posted 9/27/13
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| Sept. 25, 2013, Next to Tower 1 - Capt. Rich Otlowski, Ff. Ron Mikolinski and Ff. Luis Torres, Chan Brainard, Ff. Mike Battick, Ff. Glenn Tricarico, and Lt. Jeff Naples |
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| Lt. Naples, Capt. Otlowski, Chan and Ff. Mikolinski |
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Connecticut State Firefighters' Assn. Convention Parade
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| CSFA Parade judges give Bethany's Engine 82 the white glove treatment - and it wins! (Photo by Lester Warner) |
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| Bethany Wins 2013 Trophy
by Les Warner, BVFD
It is no small feat to win the trophy and plaque for best fire apparatus at a State Fireman's Convention. Nonetheless, at the annual Convention, held this year in South Windsor, Ct., the Bethany Volunteer Fire Dept beat out over one hundred other trucks, engines and antiques to do just that.
Led by former Chief Alan Green, members of the department put in many hours to make Engine 82, a 2008 Spartan Custom, sparkle and shine. When the judges in the line of march went over Bethany's pristine pumper, they declared it the outstanding vehicle of the 2013 State Convention.
The trophy is Bethany's to keep and the plaque will hang in the firehouse until next year when it is brought back to the 2014 Convention in Litchfield / Bantam to be presented to next year's winner.
Congratulations all!!
Posted 9/27/13
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. . . and 75 years earlier:
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| August 1938 - Hamden's brand new Seagrave pumper won the CSFA Parade trophy at Milford |
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(These photos courtesy of the late G. Donald Steele)
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| August 1938 - Preparing Hamden's '38 Seagrave and '38 Diamond-T "Squad" at Milford |
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DEADLINE EXTENDED:
There are still slots in the Local 2687 October 4th
Golf Tournament.
Contact any of the guys on the poster at right.
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The Fall Meeting of the Hamden Fire Retirees' Association
will take place at the Hamden Elks on
Wednesday, October 9th
at NOON.
Menu to be announced shortly.
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| This article from The New Haven Evening Register courtesy of Chan Brainard |
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| Ed Doiron Jr's photo of Station 9 bunk room twenty-five years ago (1988) |
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