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July 2021
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| Hamden Fire Retirees Association, Inc. |
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FRIDAY, JUNE 5, 2015
Website is updated the first and third Friday of each month.
Important interim updates will be posted when necessary.
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| CLICK to monitor HFD radio |
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Three "O"fficers Sworn In
Osiecki, O'Callaghan and Otlowski are Promoted
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| Sworn in were Lieutenant Daryl Osiecki, Captain Hugh O'Callaghan and Battalion Chief Rich Otlowski |
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Twenty-year department veteran Rich Otlowski was sworn as the department's newest battalion chief during a ceremony in the Town Hall rotunda on Tuesday, May 26th. B/C Otlowski fills the vacancy on Platoon 3 created by the retirement of B/C Don LaBanca last April 30th. Also sworn in were Hugh O'Callaghan, who replaces Otlowski as captain on Platoon 4, and Daryl Osiecki, who replaces O'Callaghan as lieutenant on Platoon 1. The members of the HFRA wish these gentlemen all the very best in their new roles and responsibilties.
Posted 6/5/15
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20 Years Ago
Off-the-Rails Administration Suggests an All-Volunteer HFD
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Politicians' Dishonest Spinning of Overtime Issue Results in Full-page Open Letter by Local
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Even before her election as Hamden's first female mayor in 1991, Lillian Clayman never tried to hide her disdain for members of the department. In May 1995, the animosity reached a crescendo when Mayor Clayman made headlines suggesting that Hamden could get by with an all-volunteer fire department.
At issue was the minimum manning mandated in the contract between the Town of Hamden and the Hamden Professional Firefighters Assn., Local 2687, I.A.F.F. and the costs related to funding the sub-straight time account in the department's annual budget.
What the mayor and her sycophants, which included Council president and future mayor Craig Henrici, would not acknowledge was the fact that keeping the overall number of line personnel at the minimum saved the taxpayers a fortune without compromising their safety.
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| CLICK TO READ THE ARTICLE |
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| Local 2687's full-page ad in the New Haven Register, Thursday, May 25, 1995 (Courtesy of Jim Koutsopolos) |
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| Ff. John Corbett, Pres. Local 2687 (1979-92) |
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In 1982, there were four officers and twenty-six firefighters on each platoon. The contract mandated that there be no fewer than 25 line personnel on duty at all times. Off-duty personnel were hired extra to fill shift vacancies only when more than five personnel were off due to vacation, illness or injury - something that happened rarely.
Chief John Tramontano and Local 2687 President John Corbett concurred that if, through attrition, the maximum manning of 120 line personnel were lowered to meet the minimum number of 100, the Town would save a fortune in wages, benefits and, eventually, pensions represented by the twenty unfilled positions.
To make the plan work, department line personnel would have to be willing to work shift vacancies on a rotating basis whenever they occurred - for straight time. Personnel working these extra shifts were paid from what was called the "Substitutes Straight Time" account. (Time and one-half would kick in only after an employee worked more than 38 extra straight time hours in a given 28-day period.)
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In 1993, Local 2687 and the Town agreed to lower the minimum manning to 23 personnel per shift. Only the minimum number of 92 line positions were budgeted. The savings to taxpayers in unpaid wages, benefits and future pensions for unhired surplus personnel each year dwarfed the cost to properly fund the department's "Substitutes Straight Time" account.
But despite the obvious and significant savings to the Town, some myopic politicians were irked that firefighters had the opportunity to earn extra income by spending as much as eighty or more hours a week on duty.
When planning the 1994-95 budget, Mayor Clayman and Council president and future mayor Craig Henrici intentionally underfunded the Substitutes Straight Time account by hundreds of thousands of dollars. This forced Chief Paul Wetmore, Sr. to keep coming back to the Council to request budget transfers to the underfunded sub-straight account, thus creating the bogus illusion of a budget crisis in the fire department.
Members of Local 2687 were fed up with the blatantly political attempts to paint a false picture of "fire department overtime." The last straw came when Clayman suggested that Hamden revert to an all-volunteer fire department. Even the three volunteer fire companies thought it ridiculous. Local 2687's full-page open letter to Hamden taxpayers (above) tells the whole story.
By 1997, Lillian Clayman's popularity had waned considerably, especially among independents. When she ran for a third re-election that year, she lost by just over 200 votes. Her running mate, Town Clerk Vera Morrison, won by over 2,000 votes.
Posted 6/5/15
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HFRA Honorary Member Bernice Stacey
To All Online HFRA Members:
It is with deep regret that we announce that we recently learned of the passing of HFRA Honorary Member Bernice Stacey, widow of our brother retiree Hamden Fire Lieutenant Richard Stacey (1921-1989). Bernice was 89 when she passed on November 21, 2012 in Norwalk.
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| August 1993 - Training with Tower 1 (Photo by Shirley Mangler) |
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Newly promoted Captain Bobby Viglione was assigned to Platoon 4, where he was the officer on Tower 1, the 1991 Pierce. Pictured alongside Bob in this August 1993 photo are Firefighters Gary Couture, Dave McDermott and Harold Mangler, the first two working extra duty on Platoon 4 that day. Captains didn't start donning white work shirts until sometime after this photo was taken.
This photo was among a new cache of photos recently provided by department photographer Shirley Mangler. Many more to come!
Posted 6/5/15
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1972 News Photo: Women Someday Serving in the Fire Service
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This 8 x 10 news photo, taken in October of 1972, was purchased recently on eBay from a Florida vendor. We couldn't resist. The lovely lady behind the wheel of Hamden's nearly new 1970 Maxim 100' aerial is New Haven Register staff reporter Jan Hemming, who was doing a story on the possibility of women serving as career firefighters.
According to the blurb on the back of the photo, provided by United Press International, Ms. Hemming opined that "Fire fighting isn't for the ladies. The [airpacks] are too big. The fire jacket feels like your father's overcoat and the hat - well, there goes the hairdo." (You've come a long way, baby!)
Posted 6/5/15
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Here's Firefighter Bobby Slater seven years later, getting ready to drive the 1970 Maxim aerial truck in the 1979 Memorial Day Parade. The truck is a little older than it was in the above photo, and Bob doesn't hold a candle to the driver, either. Nonetheless, it's a great photo.
Posted 6/5/15
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| Memorial Day 1979 |
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55 Years Ago
June Fire School
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| New Haven Register, Friday, June 10, 1960 (Courtesy of Chan Brainard) |
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Four career and four volunteer department members attended June Fire School at the New Haven Fire Training Center on Chestnut Street in 1960. The four career members included Batt. Chief Daniel Hume, who was the department's "Drillmaster" at the time, and Firefighters Robert "Ace" Callahan, Dick Carney and Dick Stacey.
Of the four volunteers, all of Co. 5, three would go on to join the department. Tom Doherty joined seven months later, in January 1961. Walt Macdowall and Bill Davin would follow in 1965. Tom Doherty is pictured with a white helmet shield because at the time he was captain of Company 5.
Posted 6/5/15
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| FIREWORKS NEXT FRIDAY!
The 9-Piece United States Navy Northeast Brass Band will perform next Friday evening, July 26th, at the 22st Annual Hamden Volunteer Firefighters' Fireworks at Town Center Park. Rain date is Saturday, June 27th.
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| Hamden Fire Retirees Association, Inc. |
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| CLICK here for daily flag status |
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FRIDAY, JUNE 19, 2015
Website is updated the first and third Friday of each month.
Important interim updates will be posted when necessary.
Next regular update is Friday, July 3rd.
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| CLICK to monitor HFD radio |
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100 YEARS AGO!
Sunday, June 20, 1915
Hamden's first motorized pumping engine photographed at Whitneyville firehouse
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| This photo of Co. 3 with their new Maxim engine was also printed on a postcard that was found in Joe Taylor's outstanding collection of old Hamden photographs. The caption on the postcard stated that the photo was taken on June 20, 1915. |
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June 20, 1915 - Members of the Whitneyville Volunteer Fire Association pose with their brand new 1915 Maxim combination pumping and chemical truck in front of their Putnam Avenue quarters.
The original wood-frame building was donated by the Winchester Repeating Arms Co. and subsequently moved to the site at 39 Putnam Avenue. The original building was torn down between November 1926 and May 1927, and a new two-bay brick building was constructed in its place. During the six months the new fire station was under construction, the temporary site of a Hamden fire station was actually a private home.
From the Station 3 Log Book (1926-1947): "We moved our [1910 Locomobile and 1915 Maxim] from the old Fire house to H.F. Hall's garage on Thursday Nov. 18, 1926. Was moved back to New quaters (sic) Saturday May 15, 1927." 116 Putnam Avenue was H.F. Hall's address, located between Clifford Street and Lilac Avenue. Mr. Hall was a prominent member of Co. 3 and part owner of Brock-Hall dairy.
The new two-bay brick fire station was officially dedicated on May 28, 1927. It was acquired by the Town of Hamden from the Whitneyville volunteers in 1951 and continued to serve as Station 3 until September of 1970, when new Station 3 was opened at the corner of Ridge Road and Hartford Turnpike.
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| 1915 - Whitneyville Co. 3 testing its brand new Maxim 500 GPM pumper, the first pumping engine manufactured by Maxim (HFRA Collection) |
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The Whitneyville Fire Association purchased this brand new Maxim triple combination pumping engine for $5,500. The apparatus was built on a Thomas Flyer chassis. Even though Mt. Carmel had acquired a Model-T Ford roadster in 1913 to pull its hose cart, the 1915 Maxim was Hamden's first motorized fire apparatus. It was considered a triple "combination" pumper because it had a 500 GPM rotary gear pump, it carried hose, and it also was a chemical truck, as can be seen by the transversely mounted tanks behind the driver's seat.
This 1915 Maxim also had the distinction of being the Maxim Company's first motorized pumping engine, as noted by author Walter McCall in his 1976 book, American Fire Engines Since 1900, (Crestline Publications, Inc., Glen Ellyn, IL: 1976).
Originally posted 10/18/2009
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June 20, 1966
George Reutenauer Replaces Deputy Chief Everett Doherty
Controversary Sparked by Appointment
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| L-R: Cmmr. Michael Sullivan, Chief Leddy, Cmmr. Anthony Raccio, D/C Reutenauer, Cmmr. Ted Baroncini (I.A. Sneiderman photo) |
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Until 1984 the platoon commander, now called Battalion Chief, was more properly designated as "Deputy Chief."
Even though deputy chief was a management position until 1982, deputy chief appointees were selected through the civil service examination process.
When Deputy Chief Everett Doherty was retiring in 1966, Hamden's civil service rules for selecting deputy chiefs allowed for any line officer, lieutenant or captain, with five years' experience in an organized fire department to take the civil service test for the position, with the top three scorers being the only eligible candidates for appointment.
George Reutenuaer's June 20, 1966 appointment to deputy chief was somewhat controversial because, although he had the requisite five years of minimum experience as a line officer, he was a lieutenant. He had placed second on the civil service list, between two captains.
Nonetheless, the appointment conformed to existing civil service rules. Deputy Chief Reutenauer got the job and assumed command of "old" Platoon 2. Shortly thereafter Chief V. Paul Leddy spearheaded a successful change in civil service rules. Thereafter, all future deputy chief candidates chosen through civil service were required to serve a minimum of three years at the rank of captain.
When the 42-hour work week was instituted four years later, Deputy Chief Reutenauer was assigned to command Platoon 3, where he served until his 1984 retirement. His replacement as shift commander was Thomas Doherty, son of the man he replaced 18 years earlier.
Goerge Reutenauer joined the department in April of 1946. He was promoted to lieutenant in 1961, during the promotional thread following V. Paul Leddy's appointment as fire chief.
Deputy Chief George Reutenauer passed away ten years ago this week, on June 20, 2005, the 39th anniversary of his appointment as a deputy chief.
Posted 6/19/2015
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House Fire
Ridge Road and Dessa Drive
Wednesday, June 21, 1967
Just after the first anniversary of his appointment, Dep. Chief George Reutenauer and Platoon 2 responded to this house fire. So did news photographer I.A. Sneiderman, who captured these seven photos, several of which were published the next day in the New Haven Journal-Courier. Located at the corner of Ridge Road and Dessa Drive, the house sustained heavy damage.
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| Notice the 2-1/2" nozzle wyed off with two separate 1-1/2" lines from the "skidload" off Engine 3. |
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| D/C George Reutenauer on the rear deck. Notice yet another 2-1/2" line wyed off with 1-1/2" lines from a pumper's "skidload." |
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| Ff. Bob "Whitney" Williams is donning a Scott off Ladder 42. |
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| Crew of Ladder 42 preparing to open the roof. |
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| Ventilating the old way |
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| That's Bob "Whitey" Williams, lower man on the ground ladder during overhaul. The khaki work uniforms were replaced by the currrent dark blue uniforms in 1972. |
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| Heavily Damaged! |
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All Photos by I.A. Sneiderman
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