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, OCTOBER 3, 2014
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 Fall Quarterly Meeting
NEXT Wednesday, October 8th at 12:00 NOON
Hamden Elks' Lodge, 175 School Street
Sausage & Pepper or Eggplant Parmesan Subs
& Penne with homemade sauce – All for $6.00
IMPORTANT REMINDER
Following the meeting and optional meal . . .
At 2:00 p.m. in the upstairs main hall at the Hamden Elks' Lodge, the members of the HFRA will honor ten of our members who have passed since 2011. Widows and other family members of the ten honorees will be present to receive memorial plaques honoring their loved ones' years of service in the Hamden Fire Department. Light refreshments will be served following the presentations.
The entire event will probably last no more than one hour. Even if you cannot make the meeting at noon, we urge active and retired department members who live in the area to attend the 2:00 p.m. plaque presentations. All honoree families will be present and many are eager to reminisce with our members. It promises to be a memorable and meaningful occasion for everyone.
For full details scroll down to the September 26th update.
Posted 10/3/14
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Hamden's First Retirement Plan Took Effect 65 Years Ago
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| The Hamden Chronicle, Thursday, October 6, 1949 |
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| September 29, 2014 |
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| Same Spot - Sixty Years Earlier |
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(CLICK to enlarge either photo)
Longtime HFRA website contributor and Honorary Member Chan Brainard visited Hamden last week. While getting a tour of Station 4 from the guys working on Platoon 3, Chan posed next to Squad 1, the successor to Engine 4, just as he had done 60 years earlier with an Engine 4 that was 70 years older - and a lot smaller. At right, Chan was pictured with "Blackie," the station mascot.
Posted 10/3/2014
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2014 Snapshot in Time: Here are (L-R) Firefighters Jay Connolly and Scott Blake with Lieut. Jeff Pechmann, who were working at Station 9 last week.
With nearly 34 years on the job, Ff. Connolly is the most senior firefighter on the department, and second only in longevity to B/C Don LaBanca, who has over 36 years. Supt. Don Buechele has 32 years. B/C LaBanca, Ff. Connolly and Supt. Buechele are the last three active department members to have served while V. Paul Leddy was Chief of the Department. Chief Leddy retired in April 1984.
Posted 10/3/14
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| Station 9 - September 29, 2014 |
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| Rescue 1 - One of Hamden's three brand new rescue units. At any given time one of the three units will be kept in reserve. |
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The late Stan Brown was an avid photographer and a Hamden career firefighter in the 1950s and 60s. Stan took this photo of Cheshire's 1913 Model T Ford "parade piece" sometime in the mid-1960s. (Photo courtesy of Chan Brainard)
Posted 10/3/14
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| Hamden Fire Retirees Association, Inc. |
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| CLICK here for daily flag status |
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FRIDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2014
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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| Hartford Firefighter Kevin Bell |
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| Hartford Firefighter Kevin Bell Dies in the Line of Duty
A house fire on Blue Hills Avenue in Hartford Tuesday night resulted in the death of Firefighter Kevin Bell, a six-year veteran of the Hartford Fire Department. Ff. Bell was among four firefighters who were advancing a line to a well involved rear bedroom in the 2-1/2 story wood frame dwelling.
At this time please keep Firefighter Bell's family, the injured firefighters
and the Hartford Fire Department in your thoughts and prayers.
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HFRA Members Honor the Memories of Ten of Their Own
Dozens of on and off-duty and retired Hamden Fire Department personnel were joined by family members and friends of honorees for the HFRA's 2nd Memorial Plaque presentation at the Hamden Elks' Lodge Hall on Wednesday, October 8th.
Ten Association members who have passed since 2010 were honored with memorial plaques that were presented to their families. 5 x 7 color photos of the plaques and "We Remember" DVDs were also presented to other family members.
Following the presentations, which lasted about 45 minutes, members and guests were invited for cake and light refreshments. Family members of the honorees took the opportunity to meet and reminisce with many of the HFRA members who had worked with their loved ones.
The HFRA thanks the Hamden Elks, who provided the Association with the use of their hall for the ceremony.
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HFRA President Bob Mordecai opened the Association's 2nd Memorial Plaque Presentation by welcoming the families of ten deceased Association members being honored with memorial plaques. The informal gathering assembled in the Elks' Lodge Hall also included about thirty HFRA members along with over a dozen on and off-duty Hamden Fire Department personnel. In all, about seventy attended.
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Hamden Fire Department and HFRA Chaplain, Rev. Owen Sanderson of Christ Lutheran Church, offered an opening prayer during which he asked for a moment of silence to remember Hartford Firefighter Kevin Bell, who died in a house fire the day before.
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At the podium, B/C Thomas Doherty (Ret.) presents Ff. Paul Reutenauer's memorial plaque to his children, Molly McKenna, Sheila DeChello, Kate Jensen and Dan Reutenauer (far right). Paul brother, Richard (right foreground), is a retired Hamden police officer.
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2015 HFRA Officers Elected - By-law Change Proposed to Lengthen Terms
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| New V.P. with Prez |
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Association officers for 2015 will remain the same as 2014, but two of them have switched roles. Re-elected at Wednesday's quarterly meeting were President Bob Mordecai, Secretary-Treasurer Dave Johnson, and Trustee Gilbert Spencer, whose three-year term was up this year. Bob Viglione, who has served as Vice President since the Association's by-laws were adopted in 2011, did not wish to be re-elected for that position.
Jim Dunlop was unanimously nominated as Vice President, thereby vacating his position as Trustee until 2016. When nominations were opened to fill the remaining two years of Jim's term as Trustee, Bob Viglione accepted the nomination, which was not opposed. The Secretary cast one vote to elect all those who were nominated. The Association's third trustee is Jim Leddy, whose three-year term ends next year. However, a by-law change to double the lengths of all terms was voted for a final approval in January.
A motion was made, seconded and passed unanimously to change Article 9, Sections 1 and 2 of the by-laws to double the lengths of the terms of all elected offices starting with the present slate of officers. President, Vice President, and Secretary-Treasurer would serve two year terms. Trustees would serve six years terms, with one Trustee's term ending every two years. A required final vote will take place at the January meeting. A 2/3 majority of those present and voting will be required for the by-law change to take effect.
Posted 10/10/14
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Twenty-five members and one guest attended the HFRA's Autumn Meeting at the Hamden Elks Hall on October 8th. Following a brief meeting, the members sat down for another fine meal prepared by Brian Forsyth and the Elks' own Ollie. At 2 o'clock, the members gathered in the upstairs main hall with many of the active Hamden Fire Department personnel, on and off-duty, to present ten memorial plaques to the families of ten of our HFRA brothers who passed since 2010.
Posted 10/13/14
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64 Years Ago - First HFD Chaplains Appointed
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| The New Haven Register - October 12, 1950 |
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| Darien's 1949 Ward-LaFrance Quad (Courtesy of Chan Brainard) |
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| Hamden Fire Retirees Association, Inc. |
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| CLICK here for daily flag status |
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FRIDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2014
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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Hamden Firefighters Assist New Haven
After Trench Collapses on Four at SCSU
At around 9:15 last Tuesday morning, October 14th, four workmen were working below grade outside of an SCSU building on Wintergreen Avenue when the trench they were in collapsed around them. Two of the victims were able to get out on their own. A third was able to get out with some assistance. New Haven Fire Department called for Hamden's Technical Rescue Unit to assist with the extrication of the fourth victim, who was trapped up to his waist in dirt.
The Incident Commander, NHFD Battalion Chief Bill Gould, described all four as very, very lucky. According to sources at the scene, it appeared there were some OSHA violations. A spokesman for OSHA noted that excavating is recognized as one of the most dangerous construction activities.
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| Hamden's Tactical Rescue Trailer at the Wintergreen Avenue scene |
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Sixties Station Scenes Served as Student's Snapshot Subjects
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| CLICK to enlarge (Picard Photo) |
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It was 1968. Photography student Gerry Picard aimed his camera at Capt. Paul Rosadina and snapped the shutter. The result was this back lit and perhaps intentionally overexposed image of the captain standing beside the 1958 Maxim 75' aerial ladder truck at Station 2.
Several of Mr. Picard's photos are in the HFRA collection. The piece of apparatus pictured next to the ladder truck is the 1938 Seagrave canopy-cab pumper, which was designated as Engine 1 when the photo was taken.
According to retired Supt. of Alarms Richie Lostritto, Picard attended the Paier School of Art, which is still located up the street from 2's at the corner of Gorham and Circular Avenues.
The year was almost certainly 1968. Another of Picard's photos is of Hamden's brand new 1968 Maxim (below) and we know that the Seagrave was disposed of right after the '68 Maxims arrived.
Capt. Rosadina became Dep. Chief Rosadina in 1972, following the retirement of Dep. Chief Joe Hromadka. Rosadina's captain's slot on Platoon 3 was filled by HFRA member Tom Doherty, who went on to earn his third trumpet and gold braid in 1984. Chief Rosadina joined the department in 1946, retired in 1985 and passed away eleven years ago last week.
Posted 10/17/14
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| Gerry Picard Photo |
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This is the aforementioned photo of one of two new 1968 Maxim pumpers taken by photography student Gerry Picard. The glass bay doors in the background and the trees beyond suggest that this photo was taken up at Station 9. If so, then it was most likely around the time the new station was dedicated in December of 1968.
The arrival of the new Maxim pumpers coincided with the completion of the fire station. It is quite likely that the new apparatus were stored there temporarily prior to being placed in service.
Posted 10/17/14
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| Gerry Picard Photo |
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Company 7's 1939 Diamond-T pumper, as viewed looking up from the rear step. The top of the portable pump that was stored on the tailboard is barely visible at the bottom edge of the photo. Mr. Picard probably shot this in the Repair Shop while the engine was in for routine maintenance. Note the spare helmets and the overhead ladder mount that was typical of the Diamond-T pumpers manufactured by Woods Engineering Service.
Posted 10/17/14
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The New American Freedom Train Show is Pulling in to CT! FREE!
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| CLICK ON THE PHOTO TO CHECK IT OUT |
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| House of Heroes - Connecticut
An HFRA member and military veteran contacted the website about this local organization whose motto is "to recognize, honor & serve military and public service veterans for their service & sacrifice."
Check them out, and the "musical and multi-media tribute to veterans and their families" that HOH of CT are sponsoring in Hamden on Nov. 6th.
Posted 10/17/14
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50 Years Ago
HFD Conducts a Fire Extinguisher "In Service" on Skiff Street
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| The New Haven Register, Tuesday, October 20, 1964 (Chan Brainard) |
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For decades, training employees in the proper operation of fire extinguishers was one of the services provided to Hamden businesses by the fire department. In the newspaper photo above, HFD Dep. Chief Dan Hume is seen conducting such an "in service" training session with employees of the Nationwide Insurance Co. in a vacant lot across from their 261 Skiff Street office building, which presently houses the Area Cooperative Educational Services (ACES).
At the time of this photo, a problematic bend in Skiff Street was about to be straightened. This project would lead to a dramatic below grade rescue a couple of months later, which the website will feature on its 50th anniversary.
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| Stan Brown Photo (Courtesy of Chan Brainard) |
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See what's printed on the plate on the front of this nice looking Mack pumper?
"1866-1966 - MIDDLEFIELD CONNECTICUT CENTENNIAL"
Looks like this parade might be part of that event.
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| Laura Cannon has written an article about last week's HFRA Memorial Plaque Presentation, published in the current edition of The Hamden Journal.
Thank you, Ms. Cannon, for an outstanding account of the event.
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| Hamden Fire Retirees Association, Inc. |
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| CLICK here for daily flag status |
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FRIDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2014
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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The Gov Visits 3s!
Last Tuesday afternoon Governor Dannel Malloy was greeted by Hamden firefighters when he
stopped by Station 3 with IAFF General President Harold Schaitberger and other labor officials.
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(L-R) Ff. Scott Blake, Lt. Hugh O'Callahan, Dep. Marshal Brian Dolan, Ff. Pete Lynch, Ff. Tim Doyle,
Gov. Dannel Malloy, Ff. Jay McCarthy, Ff. Dan Such, Ff. Brian Gagnon, Ff. Rich Lennon and Ff. Larry Bowden.
Posted 10/24/14
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Gov. Malloy and IAFF General President Schaitberger
Address Local 2687 Members
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| Seated (L-R): IAFF 3rd District VP Michael Mullane, Local 2687 Pres. Kurt Vogt, UPFFA Pres. Pete Carozza, IAFF General Pres. Harold Schaitberger, CT AFL-CIO Pres. Lori Pelletier and State Senator Martin Looney |
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Last Tuesday, Local 2687 President Kurt Vogt and a few dozen other Hamden firefighters welcomed IAFF General President Harold Schaitberger and another guy with fire service in his family, Governor Dannel Malloy. Other notables included Connecticut UPFFA President Peter S. Carozza, IAFF 3rd District Vice President Michael Mullane (Boston FD, Ret.), State Senator Martin Looney and Connecticut AFL-CIO President Lori Pelletier.
Governor Malloy addressed the large gathering of on and off-duty Hamden Fire Department personnel, which included Chief Berardesca and Dep. Chief Merwede. The Governor began his remarks by noting that he comes from a family with a lot of firefighters. His nephew, Brian Malloy, is currently serving on the Stamford Fire Department. Four of his Kelly cousins are also firefighters. And Malloy related how an uncle, "a long term firefighter" in Stamford, "refused to retire until the day after he got badge number 1" as the most senior firefighter on the Stamford Fire Department.
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| IAFF Gen'l Pres. Schaitberger addressing members |
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The visit by IAFF officials was to enlist the support of Hamden firefighters for Malloy in the upcoming gubernatorial election. The Governor cited his personal commitment to the collective bargaining and arbitration rights of municipal employees, as well as his administration's recent successful efforts to address the state's underfunded pension. If the state pension crisis had not been addressed, he asserted pointing to the firefighters sitting before him, "then YOU were on the menu," suggesting that his opponents would have corrected the deficit on the backs of current employees.
Following the Governor's remarks, President Schaitberger shared the story of a personal journey that brought him to the fire service and his subsequent involvement with the IAFF at both the local and national levels. He praised Local 2687 President Kurt Vogt and other leaders of the local, stating that leadership on the local level is the hardest job in the IAFF.
President Schaitberger expressed concerns regarding the future of employees' rights in the current political climate, when many state and municipal leaders throughout the country today are targeting collective bargaining and arbitration rights, as well as looking for givebacks from public safety employees and retirees.
Connecticut's UPFFA President Peter Carozza and I.A.F.F. 3rd District Vice President Michael Mullane echoed Pres. Schaitsberger's concerns with their own stories. Following the talk, which lasted over ninety minutes, the guests fielded several questions from the local members present.
This was IAFF President Harold Schaitberger's first visit to Hamden, a planned visit two years ago having been called off due to Hurricane Sandy.
Posted 10/24/14
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The "Repair Shop"
From 1951 until the late 1990s, the fire department maintenance facility was located at the back of Station 2 on Circular Avenue. Until his 1968 retirement, Clem Wetmore was Superintendent of Alarms and Apparatus, assisted at different times by Ken Harrington and Richard Lostritto.
Ken Harrington, who joined the department in 1949, served as Clem's part time assistant in "the Shop" from 1954 until 1961, when he returned to line duties full time. Richard "Richie" Lostritto followed Harrington as a part timer in the Shop, in addition to his regular line duties.
On June 7, 1965, Lostritto was appointed to the new full time position of Assistant Supt. of Alarms and Apparatus. He became Superintendent upon Clem Wetmore's retirement, at which time Clem's son Paul was appointed to replace Lostritto as Assistant Superintendent. Lostritto served twenty years as Superintendent, retiring at the end of 1985, at which time Paul Wetmore, Sr. was appointed to replace him.
This photo of Asst. Supt. Paul Wetmore, Sr. on the phone in the Superintendent's office was taken around 1983.
When Asst. Chief Walt Macdowall accepted the fire chief's job in La Grange, Illinois in 1991, Paul Wetmore, Sr. was appointed to take his place. He succeeded Chief John Tramontano two years later and served until 1996. Both very happily retired, Richie and Paul are occasional attendees at HFRA meetings.
Posted 10/24/14
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October 24, 1951
One of the first structure fires to hit Hamden after the closing of the Highwood fire station occurred sixty-three years ago when a large barn was destroyed on Hubbard Place off Ridge Road. This was just over three weeks after Engine 1 and the Ladder Truck were reassigned to the Humphrey fire station to be quartered with Engine 2.
Arrivng firefighters directed efforts at protecting exposures that had already sustained damage from flying brands. The four responding companies were most likely Engine 6, Engine 3, the Emergency Squad and the Ladder Truck.
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| The Hamden Chronicle, Thursday, October 25, 1951 (Courtesy of the Hamden Historical Society) |
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| The Hamden Chronicle, Thursday, October 25, 1951 (Courtesy of the Hamden Historical Society) |
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| Photo by Edward W. DuBord (Courtesy of Dennis Baker) |
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This undated photo of Station 2 by Edward W. DuBord shows Engine 2 (1984 Pierce Dash), Rescue 2 (1986 Chevy) and Engine 1 (1968 Maxim S Model). Firefighters Harold Mangler and Don Buechele are next to Rescue 2. Years later, Buechele would be appointed as the department's Superintendent of Apparatus, and Mangler the Assistant Superintendent. Website thanks to Dennis Baker for providing this and numerous other photos that will be posted in the near future.
Posted 10/24/14
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| Photo by Christine Johnson |
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Columbus Day 1974
Forty years ago Hamden was represented in a New Haven parade twice within six months by the Mt. Carmel Volunteer Fire Co. The first was in New Haven's Columbus Day Parade on October 13, 1974, when about a dozen members marched with their modestly appointed 1960 GMC brush truck, Car 55, pictured here motoring east down Chapel Street near the Yale Art Gallery.
The second was New Haven's St. Patrick's Day Parade the following March 16th, when the company marched the same route with Mayor Lucien DiMeo immediately after the ground breaking ceremony for Station 5's new annex.
Posted 10/24/14
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| Hamden Fire Retirees Association, Inc. |
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| CLICK here for daily flag status |
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FRIDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2014
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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| Ff. Sid Trower |
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This week's website update is dedicated to the memory of
HFD Firefighter Sidney Trower (1915-2011)
Firefighter Sid Trower was a solid, well-respected firefighter who served on the Hamden Fire Department from 1947 until his 1980 retirement. Gil Spencer recently spoke about when he walked into Station 3 as a brand new lieutenant in 1970. With already 23 years on the job, Firefighter Sid Trower helped to put him at ease, assuring Gil that he was there to help him make a smooth transition into his new role as company officer. "Sid was very well respected by the other firefighters," recalled Gil, "so he made things a lot easier for me as the 'new guy'," something Gil says he will always remember fondly about Sid.
Sid Trower was among the first retirees to join the HFRA five years ago. He passed away in April of 2011 at the age of 96. The Hamden Fire Retirees' Association wishes to thank Sid's family, especially daughter Sylvia Trower Bontatibus, for the generous loan of images of newspaper articles, photos and other HFD memorabilia from Sid's personal scrapbook, spanning the years 1940 to 1980, many of which will be shared with website visitors in the coming weeks.
Below is an wonderful panoramic view of Hamden Plains taken from the top of Hamden's new aerial ladder right after it was placed in service in December 1958.
Posted 10/31/14
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| December 1958 - View over Station 2 from the top of Hamden's new 75' aerial ladder (Sid Trower Collection) |
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The HFRA History Committee is always looking for old photos of any Hamden Fire Department activities,
including fires, fire apparatus, parades, training sessions,
fire station life, off-duty get-togethers - you name it.
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Retired Supt. of Alarms & Apparatus Richie Lostritto (pictured far right) sent this Halloween photo, taken many years ago in front of Station 2. Hydrant Maintainer Larry Gershman (back to camera) assists Richie and an unidentified guy (hmmmm), while they replace yet another head gasket on the Waukesha powerplant in Engine 1. The repair shop guys could usually be counted upon to don ridiculous outfits on Halloween, but that year they observed the occasion by just being themselves. (Who was that masked man?)
Originally posted 11/2/12
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Taken around 1960, the photo below shows a firefighter at the old Western Electric cordless tabletop switchboard in the Alarm Room at Fire Headquarters, when the desk faced the wall adjacent to the doorway. The firefighter looks a lot like Ed Kopjanski, but the photo was taken long before he joined the department. Anyone recognize him? (We don't.)
Posted 10/31/14
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| From Sid Trower's Album (Courtesy of Sylvia Bontatibus) |
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Below: Another view of the Dispatcher's desk in the Alarm Room at HQ - c. 1960
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| Photo courtesy of Chan Brainard |
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Now, in Hi-Rez!
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Joe McDermott provided the website with another version of this photo several years ago. Sid Trower's scrapbook had the original glossy, which provided the really nice hi-rez image shown here.
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Probably taken at the same time as the 1958 Hamden Plains aerial view above, this photo shows Station 2's crew of "old Platoon 1" with Training Officer, D/C Dan Hume. Standing L-R: Ff. Dick Stacey, B/C Daniel Hume (Drillmaster), Ff. Dave Herrmann, Ff. Mickey Cantarella, Capt. James Strain. Kneeling: Ff. Joe McDermott, Ff. Sid Trower and Ff. Hugh McLean.
Posted 10/31/14
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Spark Time
Hamden firefighter Stan Brown snapped this photo of Seymour's impressive pre-1958 Seagrave "quint" aerial ladder truck during a parade in the mid-1960s. Enjoy!
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| Seymour Fire Department's early 1950s Seagrave "Quint" Aerial Truck (Stan Brown photo courtesy of Chan Brainard) |
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