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, APRIL 1, 2016
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 Spring Meeting on the 12th
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Tuesday, April 12th at 5
Hamden Elks Lodge
175 School Street
Agenda
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Report on the recent meeting of the HGSRA (COLA and pension plan status)
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Report on the proposed CT Retired Professional Firefighters Assn.
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Annual Report of the Treasurer
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Anything for the Good of the Association
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Jack Calamo says he will be there - Jeff Stoehr may also
Menu
T.B.A. Shortly
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| Summer '10 - Bobby V, Jimmy Koutsopolos and Ray Dobbs |
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Jay Leno's 1914 Christie Tractor & Steamer
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| CLICK PHOTO to view video |
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| "Jay Leno's Garage" is an online TV show hosted by the legendary comedian, talk show host and antique auto enthusiast. In this fourteen-minute episode, Jay interviews antique fire apparatus restoration expert Andy Swift about this 1914 Christie tractor that was retrofitted onto an early 20th century steamer. These tractors, developed by Walter Christie (1865-1944), enabled fire departments to motorize horse drawn steamers and ladder trucks.
As with most of the vehicles featured on his show, Jay actually takes this monster for a spin in his Los Angeles neighborhood. Great stuff!
Posted 4/1/16
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30 Years Ago
Hamden-Bethany Mutual Aid Pact
On March 27, 1986, Bethany Fire Chief George Quinn sat down with Hamden Chief John Tramontano to ink a mutual aid agreement that has endured for the benefit of both communities for the past 30 years. The need for the agreement stemmed from the June 1982 flood that wreaked havoc with border areas of both towns, preventing Hamden and Bethany apparatus from reaching occupancies in their respective communities.
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| Chiuef John Tramontano and Bethany Chief George Quinn (Photo courtesy of Tara Tramontano Madison) |
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Chief Tramontano retired in 1993. He passed away last September at his home in Gilford, New Hampshire. Chief Quinn led one of the most progressive and well-trained volunteer fire departments in Connecticut. Now retired from his fire service duties, George Quinn is well and still living in Bethany. Our own Tom Doherty runs into him frequently at a popular Bethany eatery following his weekly Wednesday golf outings.
When Chief Quinn recently saw this photo he chuckled and noted that, like Hamden a couple of years before this photo was taken, Bethany subsequently dumped the eight-pointers and adopted the traditional firefighter's "bell" cap.
Posted 4/1/16
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Posterity Project
Platoon 4 - Station 9
A website celebration of today's future HFD retirees.
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Lieutenant Kevin St. John and Firefighter Burton "Chip" Talmadge
The third member of the crew is currently on active duty with the U.S. armed forces.
We wish him well and look forward to his safe return to the HFD.
Posted 4/1/16
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Maryjane Grelle-McGaffin
(1957 - 2016)
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| Maryjane Grelle-McGaffin |
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The website deeply regrets to report the sudden passing last week of an important Hamden historian and author, who made a significant contribution to the HFRA archives a few years ago.
Maryjane Grelle-McGaffin, 58, a lifetime Hamden resident, was an author of short stories and Secretary of the Mt. Carmel Burial Ground, Hamden's oldest cemetery.
Several years ago while organizing cemetery records, Maryjane discovered all of the lost minutes and correspondence of the North Hamden Improvement Society (1911-1924), an organization that managed the North Hamden Volunteer Fire Company for over a dozen years in the 19-teens and twenties. Several pages from 1914 were known to exist, but no others.
Maryjane's discovery proved what until then was merely speculation about a second fire company in Mt. Carmel. Aware of the importance of her discovery, Maryjane donated those minutes to the HFRA along with many images from her vast collection of early Hamden postcards.
Maryjane is survived by her husband, David, numerous family members and many, many friends.
Posted 4/1/16
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Five Years a "Weekly"
April 1, 2016 - Already in business for nearly two years, our website went "weekly" five years ago today, publishing regular updates each Friday (bi-weekly during July and August since 2013).
The first week featured the photo and blurb below, which quite obviously is now dated. The April HFRA meeting announcement also applies to this year's April meeting, except for the start time. This year's meeting on Tuesday, April 12th starts at 5.
Posted 4/1/16
BELOW WAS THE FIRST OF 245 FRIDAY UPDATES
(so far)
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| Hamden Fire Retirees' Association - Friday, April 1, 2011 |
The HFRA website will be updated once each week on Friday.
Important midweek updates will be made whenever necessary.
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The Spring meeting of the HFRA is 3 p.m., Tuesday, April 12, at the Hamden Elks. Scroll down to view details.
Reminder cards have been mailed to all members in good standing.
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| Supt. Buechele, Dep. Chief Surprise, and Capt. Harrison - CLICK to enlarge |
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Still Going Strong
All of us remember working with these guys. Future HFRA members Supt. Don Buechele, Deputy Chief Bob Surprise and Capt. Dennis Harrison recently posed for this impromptu photo when the new tower arrived. Together, they have a total of 83 years on the job!
Posted 4/1/11
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Ed. Note: Harrison eventually became fire marshal. Bob Surprise retired in November 2013;
Buechele and Harrison one year later. All three became members of the HFRA and the HGSRA.
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| Hamden Fire Retirees Association, Inc. |
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| CLICK here for daily flag status |
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FRIDAY, APRIL 8, 2016
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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46 Years Ago
April 10, 1970
26-28 Dudley Street
The alarm came in around 8:15 on Friday night, April 10, 1970. Engine 2 and Ladder 1 out of Station 2, Engine 3 and Rescue 1 out of old Station 3, and Car 30 (D/C George Reutenauer) responded on a reported house fire at 26-28 Dudley Street (the newspaper mistakenly gave the address as 30 Dudley).
Fire was coming through the roof when Engine 2 arrived on scene. A second alarm brought Engine 6 out of Merritt Street), Engine 4 and Rescue 2 out of HQ (Sta. 4), and Car 40 (Chief V. Paul Leddy). Firefighter Art Heriot was photographed with one of five puppies rescued from the building. There were no injuries, but the second and third floors received significant damage.
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| New Haven Register, Sunday, April 12, 1970 (Courtesy of Chan Brainard) |
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Chief V. Paul Leddy (white turnout gear) can be seen on the second floor porch communicating with Deputy Chief Reutenauer (white helmet) at the front of the building.
The late G. Donald Steele, who was captain of Co. 5 at the time, maintained a log book of calls involving Co. 5 volunteers, who were on standby due to the second alarm. Don also noted that for the duration of the incident Engine 59 (Co. 9 vols.) stood by with Engine 9 at Station 9, Engine 5 transferred to HQ, Engine 58 (Co. 8 vols.) transferred to Station 2, and Co. 7 volunteers stood by in their quarters.
When comparing the 1970 newspaper photo of the house with a photo taken this week, the much shallower roof slope in the newer photo would seem to indicate that the third floor living quarters was downsized into a storage area when the house was rebuilt following the fire.
Posted 4/8/16
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And speaking of Dudley Street . . .
Sixty-five years ago this week The Hamden Chronicle reported that one of Hamden's oldest fire hydrants was replaced at the corner of Dudley Street and Dixwell Avenue. Records from Chief Charles Loller's era indicated that Hamden's first hydrant was "set" in 1898 at Alling Street and Dixwell Avenue, one block south of Dudley. The hydrant replaced in 1951 at Dudley and Dixwell likely dated from that time, when the Highwood Volunteer Fire Association was only two years old.
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| Article: Hamden Chronicle, April 5, 1951 (Courtesy of the Hamden History Society) / Hydrant Photo (DGJ) |
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The hydrant presently located at Dudley and Dixwell is a modern three-way unit with a "steamer" port. Hamden's earliest hydrants were two-way hydrants - only two 2-1/2" ports and no steamer. Many two-way hydrants were still in service into the 1990s.
Posted 4/8/16
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| Training Officer, Capt. John Grasso |
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Posterity Project
Training Division
Training Officer, Capt. John Grasso
The website is celebrating today's future HFD retirees with the
HFRA "Posterity Project," a collection of photographs of
every current active member of the department, line and staff.
Featured this week is Capt. John Grasso, Training Officer,
who oversees and coordinates all department training.
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Connecticut Firemen's Historical Society Re-opening
- - - New Website - - -
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In the March 2016 edition of The Trumpet, a newsletter for members of the Connecticut Firemen's Historical Society, the organization reports that it now has a new website: TheFireMuseum.org (CLICK on the large photo below).
The Society's museum, located in a 1901 fire station at 230 Pine Street in Manchester, will re-open on April 9th for a full schedule. The Society, organized in 1970, just acquired the 1912 Seagrave chemical and hose wagon (right), which was among Manchester's fire motorized pieces of fire apparatus and was also assigned to the same fire station that now houses the museum.
We encourage our members and other web visitors to visit the website as well as the museum itself. Among the many fire department artifacts there are a watch desk with a dial candlestick telephone and walnet ringer box that were once installed at Hamden's Mt. Carmel Fire station.
Posted 4/8/16
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| CLICK on this photo to visit the Connecticut Fire Museum website. |
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2016 Harley Davidson to be Raffled!
The Renegade Pigs Motorcycle Club, Gertz-Meriden Motorcycle Club of Connecticut, Inc. is comprised of police officers, firefighters, and any other public safety officers or employees. The club sponsors the High Hopes Home in Meriden for severely handicapped and abandoned children.
The Club also makes donations to other charities during the year, including Thanksgiving and Christmas turkeys for the Home, the Meriden Fire Department and, when possible, other organizations that support their cause. The Club's only source of income is an annual Motorcycle Raffle.
This year's raffle prize - the ONLY prize - is a
Brand New 2016 Harley Davidson Street Glide!
Only 2000 tickets will be sold, at a cost of $20.00 per ticket.
The drawing for this beautiful motorcycle will take place on July 30th at 5:00 p.m. at the Meriden American Legion, Post #45, 835 Hanover Rd., Meriden, Connecticut. The lucky winner need not be present at the drawing, but is responsible for all taxes.
Contact Rich (Rambo) Maybury at 203-927-1641 for a ticket (or tickets) and/or for more information.
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Spark Time
Website thanks to Mel Kooper of Temple Terrace, Florida for sending along this photo of that city's late-model Pierce quint, taken in the parking area of a local grocery store. According to the Temple Terrace Fire Department website, the department is manned by 51 career and 20 volunteer personnel.
Posted 4/8/16
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| Photo by Mel Kooper |
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| Hamden Fire Retirees Association, Inc. |
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| CLICK here for daily flag status |
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FRIDAY, APRIL 15, 2016
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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| Rear of the greenhouse at sunrise |
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Quick Response and Knock Down Save Centerville Greenhouse
April 15 - The Hamden Fire Department was dispatched at 3:30 this morning for a reported fire in the rear of 2485 Whitney Avenue, a commercial property known as Lucian’s Greenhouse.
Central Communications received two reports of fire in the rear of the address. Following a three-minue response time, Squad 1 reported that the detached greenhouse in the rear of the address to be well-involved. Additional fire companies assisted with water supply, overhaul and exposure protection.
The main body of fire was knocked down quickly, preserving approximately 75% of the steel-hoop and plastic structure. No injuries were reported.
Deputy Fire Marshal Timothy Lunn (203-407-3181) is investigating the origin and cause of the fire. The photo of the rear of the property at right, taken after sunrise, shows the location of the fire.
Posted 4/15/16
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[The website thanks the Fire Chief's Office and Dep. Chief Gary Merwede for providing this article and photo.)
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Two dozen turn out for the Association's 30th meeting
COLA and Pension Plan Info Reported
Discussion on the proposed Connecticut Retired Professional Firefighters Association
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Twenty of the 24 members who attended last Tuesday's Spring meeting of the HFRA were on hand for this group photo, which would have come out a lot better if the bozo who set up the camera had also set the auto-focus. Oh, well. Anyway, a good time was had by all.
Standing (L-R): Kerry Castracane, Bob Macauley, Austin Williams, Ralph Tortora, Doug Yocher, Harold Mangler, Jim Leddy Sam DeBurra, Jack Calamo, Clark Hurlburt, Dave Johnson, Rich Maybury, Gil Spencer and Dennis Baker. Seated: Ray Dobbs, Bob Viglione, Bob Mordecai, Tom Doherty, Chick Manware and Jim Dunlop.
Minutes of the meeting will be posted shortly in the MEMBERS ONLY section.
Thank you to Vic Mitchell, who pushed the button on the camera. But the poor focus was the fault of his brother-in-law.
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Posterity Project
Platoon 2 - Station 9
A website celebration of today's future HFD retirees.
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Captain Adam Barletta, Firefighter Michael Battick and Firefighter Victor Jackson
Posted 4/15/16
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40 Years Ago!
April 1976 - Second Rescue is Placed in Service
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| April 9, 1976 - Ff. Ray Reilly backing Rescue 2 in for the first time |
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Less than an hour after Ff. Ernie Braun drove Truck 1 out of the center bay at Station 2 and up to Station 5, Ff. Raymond Reilly backed new Rescue 2 in its place, where that unit has been assigned ever since. The rescue had a modular body built on a 1975 Ford chassis, which was a gift from Hamden's Unitas Club.
The new rescue contained a 4,000 watt generator and an air cascade system for refilling Scott bottles on scene.
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| 1960 International Travel-al |
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| Rescue 1 when new on a 1971 Ford Chassis |
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Two small International suburban-like trucks called "Travel-als" were Hamden's rescue units from the late 1950s until November 1971. Originally assigned to Station 2, then Station 3, Rescue 1 covered the south end. Rescue 2 covered the north end out of Station 4.
The white rescue units were removed from service in November 1971 when the "new" Rescue 1, a 1971 Ford with a modular body, went in service at Station 4 to cover the north end. EMS calls in the south end, however, were covered by Engine 2 until the "new" Rescue 2 was placed in service four and a half years later.
Rescue 2's addition to the inventory coincided with the certification of Hamden's first paramedics and the introduction of Advanced Life Support services in the department.
Posted 4/15/16
NOTE: This news photo was taken in front of Station 4 at Town Hall.
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| From The New Haven Register, April 1976 - (Photo ©1976 The New Haven Register) |
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At the Spring meeting earlier this week, retired Deputy Chief and HFRA member Clark Hurlburt presented the Association archives with one of the two dedication plaques that were mounted on Hamden's first postwar apparatus, the 1951 Maxim 750 GPM pumper that was delivered in the summer of 1951. The pumper was officially placed in service when the newly reconfigured three-bay Humphrey fire station was re-opened on October 1, 1951 and the Highwood station at Dixwell and Morse was closed.
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Like all such plaques, it gave the date and listed the names of the first selectman, the fire chief and fire commission members. It had been mounted on the driver's side of the '51 Maxim, above and to the right of the pump panel (see photo). The plaque was the mate to a similar plaque of the same size, found earlier, that honored the memory of the late William Damon, who had served as a fire commissioner in the 1940s. The Damon plaque had been mounted on the opposite side of the pumper.
Posted 4/15/16
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Shortly after Clark presented the plaque to the Association,
the Association had something to present to Clark . . .
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An Association memorial plaque honoring the memory of Lieut. Howard Hurlburt, Jr., who passed away in November 2013, was presented at the Spring meeting to Howie's brother Clark, who accepted the plaque on behalf of Howie's son, Edward, who was unable to attend the original ceremony. Dave Johnson, a friend of Howie's since childhood and a former Station 4 crew member of his, made the presentation on the behalf of the Association.
Howard Hurlburt, Jr. joined the department in 1970. The following year he was among the department's first EMTs and, in 1976, he was among the department's first eight paramedics. Howie was promoted to lieutenant in 1984 and retired ten years later. Howie and Clark's dad, Howard Hurlburt, Sr., also served on the Hamden Fire Department, from 1948 until 1981. After he retired, Howie, Sr. represented the First District on Hamden's Legislative Council. Howie and Clark's mother Nancy served as Hamden's Town Clerk in the 1980s and 90s.
Posted 4/15/16
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We were apprised of this excellent video earlier this week and wanted to share it. This training session of British firefighters was done in 1957 and photographed in 35mm. The equipment and techniques are so very different from what we are used to. And yet, in some ways, they are very much the same. Check it out.
Posted 4/15/16
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| Hamden Fire Retirees Association, Inc. |
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| CLICK here for daily flag status |
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FRIDAY, APRIL 22, 2016
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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60 Years Ago!
April 26, 1956 - 1040 Ridge Road
Tragic Fire Follows Birthday Celebration
Hamden-North Haven Mutual Aid
Mrs. Walter Shaw, who had just celebrated her 80th birthday with family and friends the night before, perished tragically in an early morning fire that detroyed the Ridge Road home of her daughter and son in law, Mr. and Mrs. Rollin Mettler.
Subsequent news accounts stated that the family dog had alerted the family's maid, whose living quarters were near those of Mrs. Shaw. The maid awoke Mrs. Shaw and the two of them started to make their way out. However, Mrs. Shaw insisted that the maid alert other family members and that she would be able to exit the home unaided. She apparently lost her way in the smoke and later was found lifeless but unburned, the victim of smoke inhalation.
The fire at the home, located near the Hamden-North Haven town line, was discovered by a patroling North Haven police officer who alerted North Haven Fire Department, then an all-volunteer department, which dispatched West Ridge Volunteer Co. 3. On arrival, North Haven fire personnel alerted Hamden. Hamden Engines 4, 3, the ladder truck and emergency squad responded. Four units from North Haven assisted Hamden. Fire apparatus from both towns were on scene for five and one half hours.
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| Both articles courtesy of Chan Brainard |
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Talkin' Trash
From time to time every fire department gets these kinds of calls. Hamden firefighters this past week responded to a fire that can be best characterized as "nasty." When fighting a fire in trash, garbage, refuse - whatever you want to call it - you don't always know exactly what's burning. The job becomes even more challenging when the fire lies deep within the cargo area.
When all vestiges of the fire are gone the problem of cleaning up the mess begins. Fortunately, that task does not fall within the scope of the fire department's responsibility.
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| Wednesday, April 20, 2016 (HFD photo) |
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April 22 - At 8:11 last Wednesday morning the Hamden Fire Department was dispatched to a reported garbage truck on fire in front of 20 Bradley Avenue. Bradley Avenue is immediately adjacent to Station 2 at 71 Circular Avenue. Engine 2 responded from quarters.
The truck was fully loaded with recycling material and the engine and cab were on fire. Radiant heat from the cab and engine ignited the recycling load.
The Hamden Police Department closed both Circular and Bradley Avenues during suppression operations due to the location of the hydrant.
An access point was made to the cargo area, but the fire could not be extinguished fully while the load was on the truck. With the cooperation of All American Waste, the owners of the garbage truck, dumpsters were brought to the scene for clean-up. A 100 ton capacity wrecker was used to lift the cargo area while Hamden Public Works operators used a backhoe to remove the burning debris from the truck. The load was then fully extinguished.
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[The website thanks the Fire Chief's Office and Dep. Chief Gary Merwede for providing this article and photo.)
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Been there, done that . . .
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Hamden firefighters extinguishing fires in trash trucks has been documented several times before. Here are just a few . . .
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April 2, 1969 - Capt. Paul Rosadina and his crew of Engine 2 tackle this stubborn fire
in this refuse truck behind one of the complexes at Kaye Vue Drive, off Mix Avenue.
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c. 1966 - Lieut. Luke Tobin, Firefighter Sid Trower and fellow Engine 3 crew members
work on this pile of trash in the middle of Thornton Street.
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November 23, 1964 - Not too long before the Thornton Street event (above), Lieut Tobin and his crew had this one. This trash fire was near the old Quinnipiac College "campus," once located at the corner of Whitney Avenue and Servoss Street. Originally known as Larson College, the building is now an upscale assisted living residence called Larson Place.
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| The New Haven Register, Tuesday, November 24, 1964 (Courtesy of Chan Brainard) |
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Posterity Project
Fire Headquarters
Deputy Chief of Department
The website is celebrating today's future HFD retirees with the
HFRA "Posterity Project," a collection of photographs of
every current active member of the department, line and staff.
Featured this week is Deputy Chief of Department Gary Merwede,
who is in his 22nd year with the department.
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The Second-in-Command
When the Hamden Fire Department was re-organized under career fire officers in April 1942, the department's only full-time administrative position was that of Fire Chief, a position that was filled by Raymond C. Spencer. Chief Spencer had no second-in-command. But that would change.
Several years after Albert Purce was appointed as the full-time fire marshal, the Fire Commission designated him as the department's "assistant chief." When Bob O'Donnell became marshal following Purce's 1968 retirement, he was offered the department's number two position but declined.
At the time, the fire marshal, the shift commanders and the training officer were management personnel. The shift commanders and the training officer all held the rank of "Deputy Chief." Without a permanent second-in-command, Chief V. Paul Leddy decreed that, in his absence, the deputy chief who was on-duty would be Acting Chief of the Department.
When the five deputy chiefs and the marshal joined the union in 1982, the only management department member was Chief Leddy. In his absence the Chairman of the Board of Fire Commissioners was the Acting Chief. This awkward situation led to the 1983 creation of a permanent second-in-command, properly designated as "Assistant Chief."
EMS Officer Walter Macdowall was appointed as the department's first Assistant Chief. He was sworn in with Chief John Tramontano on April 30, 1984.
The title "Assistant Chief" was changed to "Deputy Chief" shortly thereafter to satisfy some within Hamden's political establishment, by conforming to the police department's nomenclature for its second-in-command. Some of Hamden's politicians at the time complained, "Why does the fire department need five deputy chief positions when the police department has only one?" (HPD did have only one D/C at the time.)
Some of the pols could not grasp the fact that the police and fire positions of "deputy chief" were not the same job and came with far different salaries. Repeated explanations fell on deaf ears. Again and again the Chief would try to make his point. "Let me explain: A captain in the army and a captain in the navy both have the same title. But the naval captain is the equivalent of a full colonel in the army. Similarly - are you following me? - the police department deputy chief is second-in-command of the entire police department, but fire department deputy chief is a shift commander, the same as a police captain."
The pols still didn't get it. (Surprise!) So a compromise was hammered out, lest the shift commanders' positions be lost altogether. On June 1, 1984, the shift commanders' title of "Deputy Chief" was changed to "Commander." More than a decade later, on February 1, 1995, the Hamden Fire Department rank of "Commander" was renamed "Battalion Chief." (NOTE: In 1961, Chief V. Paul Leddy successfully lobbied the Fire Commission to change the rank of "Battalion Chief" to "Deputy Chief." The more things change . . . )
Hamden's Deputy Fire Chiefs
Walt Macdowall 1984 - 1991
Paul Wetmore, Sr. 1991 - 1993
Timothy Sullivan 1993 - 1996
Edward Badamo 1996 - 2004
Clark Hurlburt 2005 - 2010
Robert Surprise 2010 - 2013
Gary Merwede 2014 -
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2016 Harley Davidson to be Raffled!
The Renegade Pigs Motorcycle Club, Gertz-Meriden Motorcycle Club of Connecticut, Inc. is comprised of police officers, firefighters, and any other public safety officers or employees. The club sponsors the High Hopes Home in Meriden for severely handicapped and abandoned children.
The Club also makes donations to other charities during the year, including Thanksgiving and Christmas turkeys for the Home, the Meriden Fire Department and, when possible, other organizations that support their cause. The Club's only source of income is an annual Motorcycle Raffle.
This year's raffle prize - the ONLY prize - is a
Brand New 2016 Harley Davidson Street Glide!
Only 2000 tickets will be sold, at a cost of $20.00 per ticket.
The drawing for this beautiful motorcycle will take place on July 30th at 5:00 p.m. at the Meriden American Legion, Post #45, 835 Hanover Rd., Meriden, Connecticut. The lucky winner need not be present at the drawing, but is responsible for all taxes.
Contact Rich (Rambo) Maybury at 203-927-1641 for a ticket (or tickets) and/or for more information.
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Thornton Street - Then and Now
The only really noticeable differences in these two photos of Thornton Street taken fifty years apart, is that the 1964 Chevy has been replaced by a late model Nissan Versa and the two trees on the right have gained a lot of girth. (Oh yeah, and the trash fire is out.)
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Thornton Street in 1966
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Thornton Street 50 years later
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Or, you can always look at it this way.
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| Hamden Fire Retirees Association, Inc. |
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| CLICK here for daily flag status |
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FRIDAY, APRIL 29, 2016
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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Four Honored at Local 2687 Annual Retirement Dinner
Approximately twenty-five Hamden Fire Department retirees, many accompanied by their wives, attended Local 2687's Annual Retirement Dinner last Saturday night at the popular Country House in Foxon. Four retirees representing 106 years of service were honored at the dinner. The members of the HFRA wish B/C Don LaBanca, B/C Bill Fitzmaurice, B/C Sam DeBurra and Firefighter/Paramedic Greg Pereira each a long, happy and healthy retirement.
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| Dunlop and Vogt |
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Pipers Lt. Charlie Lubowicki, Jr., Lt. Mike Dowling and Capt. Ed Evers opened the ceremonies.
RIGHT: HFRA Vice President Jim Dunlop presented Local 2687 President Kurt Vogt with a special plaque from the members of the HFRA, thanking the local for their "generous invitations to our members" year after year.
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Retirement Dinner Committee members Kevin Recca and Brian Gilson once again delivered an outstanding dinner-dance at the very popular Country House in Foxon. Thank you!
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Training:
Confined Space Rescue
This week the Hamden Fire Department has been conducting annual confined space rescue training, required under the HFD Training Plan for all members and includes classroom and hands-on operational training.
Confined space skills include metering techniques for hazardous materials and gases, ventilation systems, rigging and haul systems, low profile and remote breathing air systems, patient care and rescue packaging, communications, incident command procedures, documentation and firefighter safety.
The photo at left shows an adjustable tri-pod and rigging system used to lower a firefighter into a confined space to initiate a rescue. The firefighter wears an air mask and is supplied breathing air from the surface. The firefighter must also enter with a low profile escape bottle as a safety measure.
The photo below (LEFT) shows the ventilation system, tripod and simulated confined space being used for the training scenario. In the photo below (RIGHT), a firefighter is donning a low profile escape air bottles during the training scenario.
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Training: Confined Space Rescue '95
We recently found several videos from the collection of Shirley Mangler, who took lots of photos and videos of HFD activities during the 1980s and 1990s. Among them was about 20 minutes of a confined space rescue training session conducted at Station 2 in May 1995. We condensed Shirley's 20 minutes of raw video into about 12 minutes and posted it yesterday on YouTube.
Perhaps the best part of the video is the personnel, only two of whom are still on the job. In fact, these two young firefighters were the least senior among the dozen or so personnel present. They are now prominent members of the department. Oh yes, they also were selected to be the rescuers during the training session that was videoed.
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Posterity Project
Platoon 2 - Station 4
A website celebration of today's future HFD retirees.
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Lieut. Jeff Naples, Ff/Paramedic Kurt Vogt, Ff. Kevin Delaney,
Ff/Paramedic Thomas Coughlin and Ff/Paramedic Ralph Difonzo III
Posted 4/29/16
Lieut. Naples and his crew posed near their table last Saturday
night at the annual Local 2687 Retirement Dinner.
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| Jeff Naples, Kurt Vogt, Kevin Delaney, Thomas Coughlin and Ralph Difonzo III |
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55 Years Ago - A Very Dangerous Time!
The headline from this April 29, 1961 New Haven Register article vividly conveys just how perilous the times were. Later that year, the Soviet Union exploded a monster nuclear bomb in the atmosphere in an attempt to prove its superiority over the U.S. Not only was it not true, but their tactic did not work. But the dangerous escalation in the Soviets' actions made Civil Defense officials - it made everyone - very nervous. The height of the terror would occur eighteen months later when the U.S. "quarantined" Cuba after the Soviets placed nuclear missiles there - and we all held our breath.
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| Courtesy of Chan Brainard |
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At the time of this photo, Civil Defense deputy commander for New Haven county Ray Spencer was the president of the Mount Carmel Volunteer Fire Co. and woud remain active until the 1980s. His son, Gilbert, is a retired battalion chief with 35 years of the career department service and a trustee of the HFRA. Ray Spencer's grandson, John, on the job since 1987, serves as Hamden's most senior battalion chief.
Posted 4/29/16
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