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 2, 2015
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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New format for the VIDEOS page.
Includes all 36 HFRA YouTube videos posted thus far:
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Hurricanes!
As the East Coast braces for a possible visit from Hurricane Joachin,
the website takes another look at the aftermath of Hurricane Gloria,
thirty years ago this past week.
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30 Years Ago - AFTERMATH!
Hurricane Gloria did pack a punch, although it could have been a lot worse. The Hamden Chronicle reported that the fire department handled 97 calls during the twelve hours of the storm, none of them serious. Things got more serious the next day, however, when candles used for illumination sparked a working house fire on Lakeview Avenue.
One aspect of the hurricane most of us recall was that once the "eye" of the storm passed over the area, there was no more storm. This came as a relief to all because the real punch of a hurricane usually occurs once the eye passes over and the wind shifts to the opposite direction.
Dep. Chief Walt Macdowall gave the storm an "8" on a scale of 10, but Housing Commissioner Charles Aitro said that the storm was a "creampuff" compared with the legendary Hurricane of 1938. The fact is, history seems to confirm that while the 1938 hurricane was the most damaging and deadly weather event for New England, it was the hurricane of November 1950 that did more damage in the Town of Hamden.
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| The Hamden Chronicle, Wednesday, October 2, 1985 (Miller Library Microfilm Collection) |
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The naming of hurricanes began in 1954, sixteen years after the most devastating hurricane to hit New England in the 20th century. Another hurricane actually did more damage to Hamden in 1950, although the 1950 storm was not nearly as devastating overall as the '38 storm. The last official hurricane to hit Hamden with significant damage was Gloria, in 1985.
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New England Hurricane of 1938
Damage in Hamden
but much worse east of the area
| Hurricane of November 1950
Hamden hit as bad as,
or worse than '38
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| Dixwell Avenue near Skiff - CLICK to view more Hamden photos of the '38 Hurricane |
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| Whitney Avenue where Whitney Manor Convalescent Home stands today - CLICK to view Hamden photos of the '50 Hurricane |
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Friends and former co-workers of Bill "Fitz" Fitzmaurice and Sam Deburra feted the two recent retirees last Wednesday evening at a party at Eli's on Whitney.
Dozens of friends and family members attended the gathering, which featured this really creative cake along with some mementos to be presented to the two former B/Cs by their friends.
Posted 10/2/15
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65 Years Ago!
Thursday, October 5, 1950
This is the earliest known news photo of the department welcoming new firefighters, seven in all. Two new company officers, Lt. Emil Strain and Lt. Dan Hume, were also reported.
Two of 1950's newest firefighters are still with us sixty-five years later. One of them, Richie Lostritto, retired thirty years ago as the deparrtment's Supt. of Alarms & Apparatus. He is an active member of the HFRA. The other is Bill Bossoli (96), who served on the departmenrt for about six years before going into private industry. Richie and Bill both attended the Centennial Reunion of the Mt. Carmel Volunteer Fire Co. in 2011.
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| (Courtesy of the Hamden Historical Society) |
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50 Years Ago!
Monday, October 4, 1965
This may be the last time the department conducted its annual Fire Prevention Week parade. Most of the department's apparatus is pictured here staged in the parking area of the Stop & Shop-Bradlees warehouse adjacent to St. Ann's Church at Dixwell and Arch.
To call attention to Fire Prevention Week each year, the apparatus formed a convoy in the south end of Hamden. Parading north on Dixwell Avenue to the Town Hall, the convoy of apparatus would turn left on Whitney Avenue, then proceed north to the Cheshire line. Local news photographer I.A. Sneiderman shot this photo, which is dated October 4, 1965.
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| October 4, 1965 - CLICK to enlarge (Photo by I.A. Sneiderman) |
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A good enlargement of this photo and a powerful magnifying glass permitted the identification of all the career personnel, who are all wearing their dress blues. CLICK on the photo for a larger view.
There are twelve HFD vehicles in this photo. Left to right: 1952 Dodge utility truck (Repair Shop), 1938 Diamond-T (Vol. Co. 9), 1958 Maxim 75' "Junior" Aerial (Ladder 1), 1939 Diamond-T (Vol. Co. 7), 1935 Dodge Bros. brush truck (Vol. Co. 7), 1958 International Travel-al (Rescue 1), 1959 Maxim (Engine 2), 1952 Maxim (Engine 5), 1951 Maxim (Engine 6), 1960 International Travel-al (Rescue 2), 1965 Mack (Engine 4) and 1954 Maxim (Engine 3).
Fire apparatus missing from the photo are the 1938 Seagrave (Engine 1 - spare), the 1942 Diamond-T 500 GPM (Vol. Co. 8), and the 1942 Diamond-T 600 GPM (Spare), as well as all staff vehicles.
Posted 10/2/15
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| October 4, 1965 - CLICK to enlarge (Photo by I.A. Sneiderman) |
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Taken on the same day as the photo above, department officers acknowledge Hamden youngsters who, it appears, may have won some sort of Fire Prevention poster contest. Left to right are Lt. Bill Hines, Deputy Chief Everett Doherty, Lt. Dan O'Connell, Chief V. Paul Leddy and Deputy Chief Dan Hume.
In the background in the white shirt, between Lt. O'Connell and Chief Leddy, is Co. 7's Erwin "Jim" Wetmore, who remains active in Co. 7 to this day. Somewhat obscured by the poster in Hume's hands is Jim's brother and future chief of the department, Ff. Paul Wetmore, Sr. Others to the right of Hume are Firefighters Frank Cubbellotti, Art Heriot and Joe Rahl.
Missing from these photos are Capt. Bob "Bubby" O'Donnell and Firefighters Johnny Hoffman, John O'Hare, Fred Fletcher and Charlie Esposito, the remaining members of Platoon 2 in 1965. They were undoubtedly manning spare engines at Station 2 and Headquarters.
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| Who's this guy? |
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The bow-tied fellow on last week's update was none other than Raymond C. Spencer, before he became Hamden's first career fire chief in 1942.
Spencer's photo at left came from a collection of "mug" photos of fire personnel taken in the late 1930s and preserved by Clem Wetmore's son, former Chief Paul Wetmore, Sr.
Posted 10/2/15
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| That's Who! |
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This coming Sunday, October 4th . . .
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| SUNDAY, OCTOBER 4th at the Irish-American Community Center, East Haven |
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| Helping Allison Stratton and her family with strong local fire service ties . . .
Hamden Fire Marshal Brian Dolan contacted us recently. "I am looking for help for a family member and hopeful that members of Hamden FD can help out. My cousin, Allison Stratton, was afflicted by a severe heart and nervous system virus last October. She was literally healthy one day, Life-Stared to the hospital the next, and on life-support for over a week.
Allison was able to fight through the virus and survived. She is now paralyzed, with a spinal cord injury, and is wheelchair bound as a result of the illness. She is married with two young children."
Brian noted that Allison was born and raised in Hamden. Her father, Phil Stratton, is a retired New Haven firefighter. Brian is trying to raise as much money as possible for Allison and her family, which has growing financial concerns as a result of her illness and physical limitations.
"The family suddenly went from two incomes to one. Their house now requires many renovations to make it handicap accessible."
Donations can be made payable to the “Allison Stratton-Peterson Fund.”
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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 9, 2015
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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70 Years Ago!
Thursday, October 11, 1945
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NHFD comes to Hamden
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| New Haven Evening Register, October 12, 1945 (Courtesy of the family of James Strain and the Hamden Historical Society) |
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Future Hamden Fire Department brass witness 1945 joint New Haven-Hamden
demonstration on the effectiveness of fog on Class A fires.
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| Photo courtesy of Local 2687 |
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Gilbert Spencer and Tom Doherty remember this 1945 demonstration very well. As fifth graders at Mt. Carmel School, Gil and Tom were returning to school following their lunch hour at home (until the 1960s, Mt. Carmel school kids could go home for lunch).
As the two ambled north along the Whitney Avenue sidwalk toward school, they were startled to see a New Haven Fire Department ladder truck drive right past them, then turn into Ives Street. "What the . . !"
Tom Doherty was the son of Hamden career fire officer, Lieutenant Everett Doherty. Gil Spencer's father, R.K. Spencer, was a prominent member of the Mt. Carmel Volunteer Fire Co. It would have been unthinkable for the younger Doherty and Spencer, two future Hamden battalion chiefs themselves, not to investigate the presence of a New Haven ladder truck on Ives Street. And so they did.
The New Haven Fire Department, in cooperation with the Rockwood Sprinkler Company, was conducting a demonstration on the effectiveness of fog application in heavy Class A fire situations. Hamden provided a small vacant 2-1/2 story house that stood on the south side of Ives Street between Broadway and Spruce Bank Road, right behind the old Woodruff factory (see then-and-now photo below). According to the 1937 Hamden City Directory, the house was once occupied by Walter H. Beach.
Fire officials from all over the region attended the demonstration, the results of which were published in Fire Engineering later that year and again in 1948 (see below).
The demonstration consisted of five separate burns involving both interior and exterior attacks. Hamden pumpers drafted from nearby Mill River to protect exposures and to supply the ladder pipe of New Haven's Truck 3, a 65' straight-frame aerial ladder truck assigned to Station 10 on Lombard Street.
As fifth graders Gil Spencer and Tom Doherty made their way down Ives Street toward the excitement they were joined by several more of their classmates, all of them transfixed by the spectacle of flames leaping from the windows and licking at the ancient clapboards.
In an era when living room console radios and Saturday movie matinees provided virtually all youthful entertainment, this amazing and completely impromptu live firefighting demonstration was an exciting diversion for all the kids. It also made them lose track of time. An unexpected spectator joined the crowd.
Mt. Carmel School principal Miss Elvira Holm - think of Miss Gulch, also an "Elvira" - abruptly ended the magic and wonder of the occasion when Gil and Tom caught sight of her among the scores of other spectators. Unfortunately, Miss Holm also caught sight of them.
Described by Gil as a stern disciplinarian, Principal Holm "suggested" that he, Tom and the rest of the Mt. Carmel kids "get right back to school." So ended the fire demonstration for the kiddies.
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Read more about this interesting and unique collaboration between the Hamden and New Haven Fire Departments in the June 1948 Fire Engineering article reprint below (courtesy of Chan Brainard).
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| (YELLOW arrow points to house) Ives and Broadway, then and today |
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| FIRE ENGINEERING REPRINT, June 1948 (Courtesy of Chan Brainard) |
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Below are several I.A. Sneiderman photos of the 1945 fire test demonstration, courtesy of
Hamden Professional Firefighters, Local 2687, IAFF; Ff. Brian Leddy; and Chan Brainard.
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Many locals witness fire officials as they prepare for the test.
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Ives Street - Hamden's 1938 Seagrave drafting from the Mill River raceway,
while the 1938 Diamond-T "Emergency Squad" is parked at curbside at right.
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Close-up taken from above photo - Hamden's 1938 Seagrave drafting from the raceway
off Mill River that once supplied power to the Woodruff factory in the background.
Photo below: The 1868 map below shows the raceway.
The water flow through the "raceway" was controlled by a lock located on Spruce Bank Road
about 800' north of the Woodruff factory (labeled "Brass Works" on the map).
We've added the locations of the Seagrave pumper and the lock, the remnants of which still exist.
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Notice the "Worcester Film Corp." printed on open door of truck at far left.
There's a newsreel somewhere of this event!
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Notice the new "Civil Defense" style helmets sported by New Haven
fire personnel during the mid-1940s. The style didn't last very long.
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A New Haven crew moves in for an interior attack.
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A fog pattern from New Haven Fire Department's Truck 3 ladder pipe is seen here deluging the doomed structure with water supplied by Hamden's Engine 2 drafting from Mill River.
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New Haven's Truck 3, a 65' straight-frame aeriaL, at the old Lombard Street fire station.
(from "New Haven Firefighters," Box 22 Associates - CLICK on photo)
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Test over, except for the hot spots.
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| Cover: Mid-1960s Maxim Sales Brochure |
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Spark Time
Gil Spencer provided this mid-1960s MAXIM brochure to the HFRA.
Over the next seven weeks the website will feature illustrations of their apparatus from this brochure.
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Collapsed Wall Claims Two Kansas City Firefighters
(Click on image for story)
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| CLICK to view story in the Kansas City Star, October 13, 2015 |
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***** Kansas City Fire Department *****
Firefighter Larry J. Leggio of Truck 2 and Firefighter John V. Mesh of Pumper 10
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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 16, 2015
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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22 Attend 28th Meeting of the Association
Nineteen members and three guests attended the Association's 28th meeting on Wednesday, October 14th. The meeting was followed by a lunch of meatball and eggplant parmesan subs with pasta sides, prepared perfectly by our own Brian Forsyth and his staff at the Elks. Next meeting is a breakfast meeting: Thursday, January 14th at 9 a.m.
October's meeting minutes are available by accessing the "MEMBERS ONLY" page in the menu above.
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| Photo snapped by Paul Rapanault |
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Back row: Ralph Purificato, John Poe, Harold Mangler, Paul Frodel, Bill LaVelle, Tom Doherty, Jim Leddy, Ray Dobbs, Bob Viglione and Dave Johnson. Seated: Rev. Owen Sanderson, Bob Mordecai, John O'Hare, Doug Yocher, Chick Manware and Gil Spencer.
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| Jimmy Dunlop, John O'Hare and Bob Mordecai |
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| Bobby V, Guests Paul Rapanault and Rich Beirne from UPFFA, and Johnny Poe. |
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| Augie Williams, "Froggy" Frodel, Ray Dobbs and Bobby V |
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| Jim Leddy, John O'Hare, Bill LaVelle, Tom Doherty, Bobby Viglione, Doug Yocher and Ray Dobbs |
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| Paul Rapanault, Johnny Poe and Rich Beirne / "Red" Ralph Purificato and Paul Frodel in back |
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| Chick Manware and brew |
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| Brian Forsyth on the LH side / Augie, Vic Mitchell and Gil Spencer |
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| Digging in after the meeting |
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| Gil Spencer and Bill Bossoli |
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| Co. 5's 1930 Maxim |
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This birthday cake for Gil Spencer, one day early, just happened to appear right after Wednesday's HFRA lunch at the Elks. The next day, Gil ran into former HFD Firefighter Bill Bossoli at Miller Library. It was Gil's 80th birthday, but Bill had reached that milestone over 16 years earlier.
Right after Gil joined Co. 5 in 1951, Firefighter Bill Bossoli gave Gil Spencer his first ride on a fire engine, Mt. Carmel's 1930 Maxim pumper. Bill was assigned to Station 5 with fellow career Firefighter Joe Dukat. The three of them were responding to a brush fire on Brooksvale Avenue.
Gil recalled that the Maxim's 80-gallon booster tank required frequent refills from the hydrant on Brooksvale near the railroad tracks. It was quite an experience. With young Spencer aboard for each refill, Firefighter Bossoli enjoyed flirting with danger. Returning to the fire scene with every full tank, Bill narrowly navigated the ancient pumper around a rocky outcropping at the righthand hairpin curve on Brooksvale, inching ever closer with each refill. "How close was I that time?"
Bill Bossoli has lived in Mt. Carmel since he was born in 1919. He joined Co. 5 in 1938 and then the career department in 1950. He was sworn in with Richie Lostritto and five others (see group news photo posted on the October 2nd update). Bill, an expert watch repairman, left the department six years later to pursue a career in the private sector. He has been a contributor to the website.
Since 1911, Gil Spencer, his father, his grandfather and his son, Batt. Chief John Spencer, have contributed more than 125 years (and counting) of active firefighting to the Town of Hamden.
Posted 10/16/15
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At Wednesday's meeting the Association welcomed its newest member, Bill LaVelle, who served on the department during the 1960s. Bill was appointed on December 11, 1961 with Paul Wetmore, Sr.
and George Patten. Welcome Bill!
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| Tom Doherty and Bill LaVelle. They both worked together in the early 1960s at Headquarters on old Platoon 1. |
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| December 1967 - Ff. Bill LaVelle, flanked by Ffs. Hugh McLean and Gerry Wolf, as Chief Leddy looks on in the background. |
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The guys at HQ are pictured below fifty years ago working hard to polish "Car 41," the department's 1962 Rambler sedan, newly assigned to Marshal Purce. The Rambler served Chief Leddy for three years previously as "Car 40."
From left to right, Ffs. Hugh McLean, Tom Doherty, Jerold Bradbury, Bill LaValle, and Dick Stacey.
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Spark Time
Here is the first of seven images from a catalog of Maxim fire apparatus that were marketed in the mid-1960s. This pumper has the same "nose" as Hamden's two 1968 S Models, but with a somewhat longer wheelbase.
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| Hamden's 1968 Maxim 1000 GPM "S" Model (Photo by Joseph Wegloski courtesy of Daryl Osiecki) |
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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 23, 2015
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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October 23, 1952
Quick Work by Hamden Fire Personnel Minimizes Damage to Forest Street Home
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| Photo courtesy of D/C Gary Merwede |
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The Hamden Chronicle reported that this fire at 134 Forest Street was among thirteen alarms received during a very busy week for Hamden firefighters.
"Firemen say the blaze started on the roof of the two-and-a-half story building, destroying most of the roof and a portion of the attic. Water damage to lower portions of the house was kept to a minimum when firemen spread tarpaulin coverings over furniture.
"Chief Spencer directed 12 paid firemen from three town fire companies in bringing the fire under control." Homeowner Joseph Longobardi expressed his gratitude for the department's efforts in an eloquent letter published in the Chronicle the following week.
Posted 10/23/15
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| Chan Brainard's 1948 photo of Hamden's Engine 4, a 1939 Diamond-T 500 GPM, on Bedford Avenue |
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55 Years Ago Hamden's Annual Firemen's Ball Was Still a Big Deal
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| The New Haven Evening Register, Thursday, October 27, 1960 |
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From 1934 to 1974, the Hamden Firemen's Ball was held annually in November. Fifty-five years ago this week the 1960 Annual Ball Committee was announced. Co-Chairmen were John O'Hare and Gene Maturo, who were assisted by Dick Carney and Bob "Ace" Callahan.
Each year the Board of Fire Commissioners gave permission to members of the Hamden Paid Firemen's Sick Benefit Association to sell tickets and program ads in uniform while off duty. The Ball was the single largest fundraiser for the Association.
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| John O'Hare |
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Gene Maturo (1923-1997) joined the department in 1957 and retired in 1989. Ace Callahan (1925-1982) joined in 1959 and retired in 1980. The 90th anniversary of Ace's birth is next Friday.
John O'Hare and Dick Carney both retired in the early 1990s with a total of 70 years of service between them. They are both currently members of the HFRA.
John's 89th birthday is next Wednesday; Dick's birthday is Tuesday, although his cake will have a lot fewer candles. (The rumor is that the Orange Fire Marshal has issued a permit for O'Hare's birthday cake, but an engine must stand by.)
Posted 10/23/15
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| Chief Stewart |
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Chief John B. Stewart
Hartford Fire Department (Ret.)
(1930 - 2015)
The website wishes to acknowledge the passing last Sunday of retired Chief John B. Stewart of the Hartford Fire Department, a fire service pioneer in many respects. Hamden Fire Department retirees may recall Chief Stewart's thoughtful and memorable orientation class for Hamden fire officers in September 1987, following the hiring of the department's first female career firefighter.
From Chief Stewart's online obituary, "During his tenure as fire chief, the [Hartford Fire] department experienced many 'firsts', which included the hiring of the first Hispanic and female firefighters. Engine Company #14 on Blue Hills Avenue was renamed in his honor. Chief [Stewart] was a founding member and first president of the Phoenix Society and a founding member of the International Association of Black Professional Firefighters. He published a biography about his life and career in the fire department; 'A Hard Climb Up the Ladder'."
The HFRA membership offer their sincere condolences to Chief Stewart's family, friends and colleagues in the Hartford Fire Department.
Posted 10/23/15
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Spark Time
This is the second of seven images from a catalog of Maxim fire apparatus that were marketed in the mid-1960s. Except for the rear compartment booster reel, dual bells and airhorns, this Model F "cab-forward" pumper is quite similar in appearance to Hamden's 1959 cab-forward, which was among the first to be manufactured by Maxim.
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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 30, 2015
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. Harrington in 1951 |
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Remembering Ken Harrington
Kenneth Harrington was born in 1919. If you heard him speak more than two sentences you knew he was a native of Maine. After serving in Europe during WWII, Ken came on the job in May 1949. In the 1950s, he served as the part-time Asst. Supt. of Alarms & Apparatus under Supt. Clem Wetmore. He was promoted to lieutenant in 1963 and captain in 1970. In 1974, he was appointed Deputy Chief Training Officer.
Although his official retirement date was March 31, 1981, Deputy Chief Ken Harrington's last day on the job was 35 years ago tomorrow - October 31, 1980.
Posted 10/30/15
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| From the 1967 Hamden Town Report |
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Lieutenant Ken Harrington is flanked by Dep. Chief Training Officer Dan Hume and Chief V. Paul Leddy in this 1967 photo stressing fire prevention with Hamden elementary school kids. Harrington succeeded Hume as the department's training officer in 1974.
Ken hailed from Maine, his pronounced "down east" accent providing proof of his northern - "naw-thun" - New England roots.
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| John Mongillo, Jr. photo from the 1968 Hamden Town Report |
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Above, Firefighter Charlie Carlson, Lieut. Harrington and Firefighter Joe Shields take a well deserved break to warm up during a bitter cold January 1968 fire at Mt. Carmel's Fleming Company at Ives and Broadway.
At left, Firefighters Joe Yoga and Sam Jones join Lieut. Harrington at the kitchen table at old Station 3 in this 1969 slide taken by Ed Doiron.
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This 3/4 view of Deputy Chief Harrington at Station 5 on his last day on the job, Friday, October 31, 1980, is the ONLY photo we have of him while he was the training officer. Anyone?
| This photo of Ken was taken exactly 52 weeks later on Friday, October 30, 1981, when he and retired D/C Joe Hromadka (hidden) were in the alarm room. Ff. Jimmy Koutsoplous is at right.
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Ken Harrington passed away October 6, 1988. His widow, Rita, is an Honorary Member of the Hamden Fire Retirees Association. Those who knew Ken Harrington remember a really nice guy with great sense of humor, who really knew his stuff. He is missed.
Posted 10/30/15
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This week 31 years ago . . .
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| L-R: Firefighters Brian Forsyth, Ernie Braun, Danny Murphy and Carmen Amarante. |
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On November 3, 1984, Station 9 became a four-man house when Truck 1 was transferred there from Station 5, where it had been stationed since 1976. The experiment lasted one year, after which Truck 1 became "Truck 2," becoming the department's spare aerial truck until it was sold in 1989. We are informed that the truck was resold several years ago to a party in Virginia.
Posted 10/30/15
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| Alice Peck* |
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| A Halloween Tale
In 1969, Station 9 firefighters worked
by themselves - but they weren't alone.
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| Little Red Schoolhouse in West Woods |
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Born in 1881, Alice Peck was a Hamden schoolteacher. For forty years Miss Peck taught West Woods children in the little red one-room schoolhouse, built in 1909 at the corner of Johnson and Still Hill Roads. She left the historic schoolhouse when she retired from teaching in 1950, but some believe that Miss Peck was still hanging around the neighborhood long after that.
Miss Peck's little red schoolhouse closed in June 1954, when a brand new elementary school named for her was built up the street. But the old schoolhouse that Miss Peck had taught in for so many years did not remain vacant for very long.
In 1956, the citizens of northwestern Hamden organized the West Woods Volunteer Fire Association and acquired Miss Peck's former schoolhouse for their quarters. They even added a new wing in 1958 to house their fire apparatus.
In 1967 the town decided that a new fire station was needed for West Woods. In early 1968, the old schoolhouse-turned-firehouse was moved to the rear of the property so that a new fire station could be built right where the old school had stood for nearly sixty years.
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| 1958 - Old schoolhouse converted into fire station |
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| 1968 - New location - Bay converted to meeting room |
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| 1968 - New Station 9 on same site as old schoolhouse |
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During the summer and fall of 1968, the department's new Station 9 went up on the site of the old schoolhouse. Dedication ceremonies were held on Sunday, December 8, 1968. Firefighters Warren Blake, Gil Spencer and Gene Maturo were the first personnel assigned to the new station, on Platoons 1, 2 and 3, respectively.
The first couple of months were fairly uneventful for the three firefighters - boring, in fact. So boring, that in late December the dispatcher actually forgot to include Engine 9 on the running assignment when sending apparatus to a Todd Street house fire.
In February 1969 things began to get a lot more interesting.
At this point it should be made clear that Station 9 was kept locked at night, from 10 until 7 the next morning. A key to the building was hidden inside the Gamewell Box 158, mounted on the front of the building, so personnel could get back inside on those very rare occasions when the engine was dispatched to a call during the night. But between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m., Station 9 was locked up tight. Only the lone firefighter assigned there could let anyone in.
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| 1968 - Firefighters Blake, Spencer and Maturo |
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On their respective shifts, Firefighters Blake, Maturo and Spencer bunked in the officers' room, which is located right off the main hallway to the dayroom. Late on the first of his four nights in a row, Gil Spencer was the only person in the fire station. Before hitting the sack, he made his usual check of the fire station. The building was locked. Spencer retired to his bunk.
Suddenly, Spencer was startled by sounds coming from outside the officers' room. The hallway door opened and closed. What? This was followed by footsteps heading down toward the dayroom.
The station was locked. But someone else was in the building.
Spencer knew this had to be a gag. Anyone who has ever worked with other firefighters knows that firehouse pranks sometimes get pretty intense, from finding real dead snakes languishing in your bed to participating in actual pie fights a la Moe, Larry and Curly. True!
Spencer assumed that someone, another firefighter no doubt, had opened Box 158 on the front of the building, took the key to the building, and entered the station.
But Spencer found no one else in the fire station that night. Whoever made those creepy noises in the hallway outside the officers' room also made a quick getaway. But how? The station was locked!
The door and footstep noises continued in the days and weeks that followed. Finally, Spencer reluctantly approached Blake and Maturo. Maybe they'll think I'm nuts, he thought, but he had to know if Blake and Maturo also heard the strange noises when they were on duty.
Indeed, Warren Blake and Gene Maturo also reported hearing the same eerie late-night sounds of doors opening and closing, as well as the footsteps with nobody there.
In time, the noises eventually stopped. But Spencer knows what he heard was real. He is convinced that the slamming doors and footsteps that he, Blake and Maturo heard during the winter of 1969 were manifestations of the ghost of Miss Alice Peck, haunting the very space where she performed her life's work.
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Were these three guys imagining things? Maybe. Maybe not. This week, while researching Alice Peck for this article, the author discovered that Miss Peck had passed away while visiting in Waterbury on Saturday, February 22, 1969. Her funeral was February 26th, when Gil Spencer first heard Station 9's unseen visitor.
Happy Halloween!
Posted 10/30/15
*Portrait of Alice Peck captured from Ancestry.com
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Spark Time
The third of seven images from a catalog of Maxim fire apparatus is this "conventional cab" 75' aerial ladder truck, quite similar in appearance to Hamden's 1958 "junior" aerial truck. Hamden's truck was an open-cab model, however.
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Older retirees, who rode in this ladder truck before its 1971 refurbishing, may remember the wipers on the outside and the inside of the windshield.
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When Hamden's 1958 ladder truck was repainted red in 1971, it also received a soft top to protect passengers from most of the elements, except the bitter cold.
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