The Hamden Guardian Services Retirees Association (retired police & fire) met last Tuesday evening and re-elected the organization's Executive Board for another four years. Minutes of the meeting have been emailed to all online members.
The Hamden Fire Retirees Association will be holding its July meeting a week later than usual, either on Wednesday, July 20th or Thursday, July 21st. It will be an evening meeting. The exact date of the meeting and the menu will be emailed to all members and posted here once they are known.
Firefighter Harold Mangler and Firefighter/Paramedic Kevin O'Hare are pictured here at Station 3 in a photo dated 1993. Looks like Engine 1, one of HFD's two 1968 Maxim S Models, was subbing for Engine 3.
Station 4 benefit two very fortunate car occupants.
This car went off the northbound side of Wilbur Cross Parkway last Tuesday afternoon, near the northbound Whitney Avenue exit and entrance ramps. Arriving on scene at 1300 hours, the personnel of Squad 1 and Rescue 1 began patient treatment and vehicle stabilization. An immediate request for assistance brought Tower 1 and Engine 2 to the scene to help prevent the automobile from falling off the retaining wall and to assist with rescue.
Hamden Fire Department Photo
Firefighters chained the car to the guardrail to maintain its stability, then placed simple lifelines on each patient, who were then assisted to stretchers a few feet away. Firefighter Scott Blake is positioned on the ladder as a safety measure in case someone slipped.
.
Engine 2, seen in the photo, was positioned up on the parkway, while the Squad, Tower 1 and Rescue 1 were in a small unpaved area adjacent to the parkway overpass on the east side of Whitney Avenue. Parkway traffic flow was reduced to a single lane when state police closed the traffic lane closest to the accident.
.
The two vehicle occupants, a male driver and female passenger, were both extricated within 15 minutes of arrival. They were transported to Yale-New Haven Hospital via AMR for treatment and evaluation. The extent of their injuries do not appear to be life threatening at this time. The cause of the accident is under investigation by the Connecticut State Police. .
Posted 6/3/16
.
[The website thanks the Fire Chief's Office and Dep. Chief Gary Merwede for providing this article and photo.)
In November 1954, the department's three shift commanders, Captains Joe Hromadka, Everett Doherty, and Paul Leddy were summarily promoted to the newly created rank of Battalion Chief. The department's only three lieutenants, James Strain, Emil Strain and Daniel Hume, were all summarily promoted to the rank of captain. The three positions of lieutenant were left vacant until two years later.
The June 3, 1956 New Haven Sunday Register news article below provides and interesting picture of the department hierarchy sixty years ago and how Hamden's volunteer fire companies were trained in-house before the department had a training officer and long before state certification training was available.
Until the position of training officer was established in late 1956, training on all three shifts was the responsibility of the individual battalion chiefs, assisted by their only company officers, the captains.
Mentioned in the newspaper article is Captain Dan Hume who, a few months later, was promoted to the rank of battalion chief and appointed as the department's first training officer. The lieutenant positions, vacant for the previous two years, were also filled at that time.
Posted 6/3/16
New Haven Sunday Register, June 3, 1956 (Courtesy of Chan Brainard)
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.
And if the winner prefers, the dealer will negotiate a cash buy-back.
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.
Governor Dannel P. Malloy today announced that - in accordance with a proclamation from President Barack Obama directing flags to be lowered to honor the victims of the mass shooting in Orlando, Florida - U.S. and state flags in Connecticut will fly at half-staff beginning immediately until sunset on June 16, 2016.
----------- Please keep the Orlando victims, their families and loved ones, and the first responders in your thoughts and prayers.
From 1964 until the mid-1970s, Hamden Fire Department career and volunteer personnel, along with their families, joined together in some friendly competition in the Annual Firemen's Field Day at Brooksvale Park. Usually held on the second Sunday of June, the field day was a relaxing afternoon of hot dogs, hamburgers, and soda that included some spirited events like the bucket brigade, hose laying, ladder climb, midnight alarm and horseshoes. The wives and ladies' auxiliaries participated too. Trophies were awarded for first, second and third place in all events.
The annual field days lasted for about ten years. Years later, one final field day for the career and volunteer companies was held at Quinnipiac College in conjunction with the May 1986 Hamden Bicentennial Celebration (see bottom of this page).
__________
The photos below are from the June 12, 1966 field day, when all participants were treated to an unexpected final event, for which no trophies were awarded.
Originally posted 6/7/13
Sunday, June 12, 1966 - One of five events was the Hose Laying Contest. Engine 5 and Rescue 2 can be seen in the background. (Photo by Ed Doiron, Sr.)
The Ladies' Auxiliary had their own team in the hose laying competition. The two firefighters in khakis by Engine 5 are Fred Fletcher and Dave Howe.
June 12, 1966 - The Bucket Brigade. The object was to fill a 55 gallon drum until the inflated ball inside floated over the top. (Photo by Ed Doiron, Sr.)
L-R: Al Barnes, Bill Cook, Rex Barnes, Vin Vitale, Hudson "Hud" Weigold and Dave Woodruff.
This c. 1930 photograph of six employees included a future Hamden fire commissioner, Hudson "Hud" Weigold, who served on the Hamden Board of Fire Commissioners from 1947 until 1958. By 1937, Mr. Weigold (second from right) was president of the Connecticut Doughnut Company.
(Maryjane McGaffin Collection)
c. 1935 - The Connecticut Doughnut Company sold their products to local vendors,
delivering their baked goods in these vehicles.
(Maryjane McGaffin Collection)
For over 20 years, until the early 1960s, the Connecticut Doughnut Co. also operated as the Puritan Doughnut Co., marketing their "donutty" products throughout the area. This 1941 photo shows their fleet of "PURITAN" panel trucks parked in their side lot.
CONNECTICUT DOUGHNUT COMPANY - c. 1950 (Maryjane McGaffin Collection)
Today, the General Rental Center at 3800 Whitney Avenue, and Smokey's at 3810 Whitney Avenue.
Both businesses occupy the site of the old Connecticut Doughnut Company building.
New Haven Register, Friday, June 11, 1976 (Courtesy of Gil Spencer)
June 10, 2016 - Forty years ago this evening, five off-duty Platoon 3 guys gathered for their weekly nickel-dime poker night. The game venue rotated among the members' homes, this one taking place at the apartment of a younger member who had a scanner.
Around 8:30, as the next hand was being played, Dispatcher Wilbur Baker's voice could be heard over the scanner announcing, "possible building fire at Maisano's Package Store, 1533 Dixwell Avenue. Engine 1, Engine 2, Truck 2 and Rescue 2." All of the off-duty card players were assigned to one of those pieces.
The call eventually went to two alarms, which did not faze the poker players. "C'mon, deal!" And anyway, the adult beverages included on these occasions precluded all of them from an off-duty response. The dealing, betting and winning (and losing) continued.
Once the fire was deemed under control and companies were preparing to return to quarters, the Chief radioed Dispatcher Baker to start calling the off-duty men to get someone to stand "fire watch" for the remainder of the night.
The off-duty guys holding cards in their hands all chimed in, "Good thing I'm not home!"
"They won't find me!"
"Hey kid, leave your phone off the hook."
No matter. The kid's phone never rang. Baker radioed back to Car 40. An off-duty "Guy" was contacted for fire watch. And the poker game continued uninterrupted.
In conjunction with the Spring 1986 celebration of the 200th anniversary of the founding of the Town of Hamden, the Hamden Fire Department conducted its first (and last) inter-company fire muster competition since the late 1970s. Teams representing Mt. Carmel, Mix District, Dunbar Hill, West Woods and a contingent of career members that included Chief John Tramontano all competed in several events.
Previous fire musters, from 1964 until the late 1970s, were always held at Brooksvale Park. The Bicentennial Muster was held on the property of then-Quinnipiac College, about where the law school stands today. Unfortunately, we find no department or newspaper records of winners, but the competition did included a Midnight Alarm, Tug-of-War, Bucket Brigade and one or two other contests.
Fortunately, some department members did take photos, a few of which are posted here:
(CLICK to enlarge)
L to R: Co. 7's 1918 Brockway, 1935 Dodge, Hamden's 1941 Diamond-T ladder truck (owned by Ken Lewis), three unidentified pumpers, Co. 7's 1951 Maxim, Co. 5's 1954 Maxim, 1959 Maxim "cab-forward" (Engine 6), 1958 Maxim 75' Aerial (Truck 1), 1975 Ford (formerly Rescue 2), Co. 8's 1978 Pierce Minipumper, 1973 Maxim "foam truck" (Engine 9), and one of two 1984 Pierce "Dash" pumpers (either Engine 2 or Engine 4). Except for the three unknowns, only the 1959 Maxim "cab forward" and the 1978 Minipumper are known to exist today.
Below is a composite of two photos taken by Co. 7's Jim Wetmore, showing the same apparatus starting with the first of the three "unknowns." The enlargement of this photo is quite detailed.
Composite photo by Jim Wetmore - CLICK to enlarge
CLICK to enlarge
CLICK to enlarge
The late Ken Lewis, who was a longtime member of Company 8 and an enthusiastic collector of old fire apparatus, purchased Hamden's 1941 Diamond-T ladder truck from the New Milford Fire Department, which bought it from Hamden in 1963. Mr. Lewis generously allowed an HFD department member to drive this iconic former Hamden fire truck to the Hamden Bicentennial Fire Muster. The muster was held on the grounds of Quinnipiac College, where the Quinnipiac University Law School stands today.
CLICK to enlarge
CLICK to enlarge
"It's Showtime!" (Who always said that?) - Remaining muster photos courtesy of Gil Spencer
Folks arriving before the events began
Bucket Brigade - Fill the 55-gallon drum until the rubber ball inside floats over the top. Best time wins.
Midnight Alarm - Find and don your own gear. Time stops when last man is done. Best time wins.
HFD Chaplain Owen Sanderson (above) and retired Chief V. Paul Leddy (in the red shirt below) judged all events.
Advancing a 2-1/2 line to the opening . . .
. . . then directing a straight stream to knock the Clorox bottle off the pedestal. Best time wins.
It was Cops vs. Firemen at Brooksvale Park in a friendly game of softball. Here our own Charlie Cargan blasts one to the outfield as HPD catcher (Bill Sikorsky?) and Umpire Tony Mentone look on.
Firefighter Brian Forsyth laid down a carpet of high-expansion foam for the kids to play in.
Then-Supt. and future Chief of Department Paul Wetmore, Sr. with a young attendee.
The Bicentennial Outing was a fun day for many department families, and especially for the kids.
Next week marks the 80th anniversary of Hamden's Sesquicentennial Parade, celebrating the 150th anniversary of the Town of Hamden. In cooperation with the Hamden Historical Society, the HFRA website will be posting an 8-minute 16mm film of the parade, which featured the Hamden Fire Department, a large marching contingent from the Highwood Volunteer Fire Association with their first apparatus, and many other Hamden organizations of 1936.
From the You-Just-Can't-Make-This-Stuff-Up Department:
Here's the rest of the story . . .
Last March 11th, the website featured this March 1961 New Haven Register story of then-Firefighter Joe McDermott receiving a citation from Hamden's Board of Fire Commissioners for saving the life of a small child two months earlier.
Shortly after the article appeared on the website, we were contacted by Deputy Chief Bob Freemen (WHFD, Ret.), who thought he knew the present whereabouts of the child whose life was saved by Joe.
The guy had attempted to contact Joe years ago, but Joe and his wife Helen were then residing in Florida. And confidentiality policies prevented the town from revealing Joe's Florida address.
In his quest to locate and thank the man who had saved his life so many years earlier, the grateful fellow had hit a brick wall. But that all changed last week, thanks to Bob Freeman's sharp eye and the exchange of a few emails.
Last week, 55 years later, Joe McDermott and the boy whose life he saved had a reunion at a local restaurant.
Chief James P. O'Brien (WHFD) and Dep. Chief Joe McDermott (HFD, Ret.)
Joe McDermott's quick thinking and heroic actions that day in January 1961
saved the life of James P. O'Brien, who today is Chief of the West Haven Fire Department.
Posted 6/17/16
__________
Joe McDermott was appointed to the Hamden Fire Department on May 11, 1953. He was promoted to lieutenant in December 1963, captain in September 1970, and Deputy Chief (shift commander) in May 1973. Joe retired in September 1991 and has been a member of the Association since the beginning. He and his wife Helen live in Branford.
From June 14-16, 1936, Hamden celebrated its "Sesquicentennial" with a huge townwide 150th anniversary celebration and parade that, of course, included the Hamden Fire Department. Check this out . . .
The unknown photographer aimed his camera toward the southwest to capture the intersection of Whitney and Dixwell Avenues as the parade stepped off. The gas station on the far corner of the intersection was a City Service gasoline station operated by the DeAlmo family. It was razed in 1971 to make way for Freedom Park and the fountain that attracts so many new high school grads at this time of year.
The only structure in this photo that still exists - and it is probably a replacement - is the flagpole in front of the town hall.
The carriages led the parade, transporting the three selectmen and other VIPs. Here they are seen pulling into Day Spring Avenue, where the passengers took their places on the reviewing stand, which faced Whitney Avenue.
Dr. Lays' 1936 parade films surfaced last year
1936 Hamden parade film now on YouTube
Yesterday, June 16th, marked the 80th anniversary of Hamden's 150th Anniverary (Sesquicentennial) Parade.
Late last year the Hamden Historical Society discovered in its archives two 100' reels of 16mm home movies of the 1936 parade. The films, one color and the other black-and-white, were shot by Dr. Walter S. Lay, Hamden's medical examiner at the time of the event.
The line of march proceeded north on Whitney from just south of Dixwell, turned into James Street and concluded at Legion Field. The Hamden Fire Department marching contingent included Chief Loller, his three assistant chiefs and fourteen paid drivers. Marching right behind the career members was the Highwood Volunteer Fire Association with its original 1896 hose cart displayed on a flatbed truck.
Dr. Lay's film has been digitzed and edited into an eight-minute DVD. Thanks to Rachel Hartley's book, A History of Hamden, Connecticut (1943), all of the parade units seen in the film are identified. The film, which is peppered here and there with bits of local historical info, concludes with excerpts from athletic competition at Legion Field among various age groups of boys and girls.
In conjunction with this year's 230th anniversary of the founding of the Town of Hamden, the parade filmed by Dr. Lay on June 16, 1936 is now available on YouTube.
The reviewing stand was located in front of the Mason Temple building at the corner of Day Spring and Whitney Avenues. Although it was converted into condos in the 1990s, the outward appearance is virtually unchanged.
The shorter fellow in the white helmet is undoubtedly Capt. Daniel Hume. The two other firefighters are unidentified. (Photo and article courtesy of Chan Brainard)
Circle JULY 21: This year the Summer meeting of the Hamden Fire Retirees Association will be held one week later than usual. The meeting will take place in the evening on Thursday, JULY 21st at the Elks' Hall.
Members will be notified of the menu and the exact time of the meeting early next month.
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.
Hamden firefighters from five companies spent more than six hours fighting a stubborn fire that destroyed over a ton of magnesium at the Hamden Smelting Company, situated near the New York, New Haven and Hartford railroad tracks off State Street. These two articles from New Haven's two daily newspapers of that era tell the story.
New Haven Journal-Courier, Wednesday, June 27, 1956 (Chan Brainard)
New Haven Evening Register, Wednesday, June 27, 1956 (Chan Brainard)
c. 1954 - The Squad is shown below at a brush fire off State Street. The firefighter with his back to the camera may be then-Capt. V. Paul Leddy, who would have responded on the Squad from HQ.
HFRA acquires Co. 1 badge of "The Historian of Highwood"
A lady dropped by Station 2 last week with a gift for the Association. She handed it to the first firefighter she saw. It was a badge from Highwood Hose Co. No. 1. The lady told the firefighter that it had belonged to her late father and that she wanted it to be kept in a safe place where the memory of her dad, the first Italian-American member of the Highwood fire company, would be preserved in perpetuity.
The owner of the badge was none other than the late John DellaVecchia (1908-1988), a genuine legend in Hamden history preservation.
Throughout the 20th century, Mr. DellaVecchia preserved the history of the Highwood neighborhood with his collection of hundreds of photographs and remembrances, most of which are now in the care of the Hamden Historical Society. Photos in his collection include some of the earliest images of the Highwood fire company.
The firefighter thanked the lady, took the badge and turned it over to his officer. When he returned, John DellaVecchia's daughter had already left the station. Her name is unknown!
The HFRA would be very grateful to know the identity of this lady so that we may thank her, properly acknowledge her remarkable gift, and assure her that her father's memory and his Highwood Co. No. 1 badge will be forever preserved by the members of the HFRA.
The Association will attempt to track her down through public records. In the meantime, if anyone knows the identity of this lady we would appreciate hearing from you (hfdbadge102@aol.com).
Senior Meteorologist Fred Campagna of WTNH's Storm Team 8 was the featured speaker at last Tuesday evening's monthly meeting of the New Haven County Fire Emergency Plan, held every June at the Dunbar Hill fire station.
Following the business meeting, Mr. Campagna gave a brief talk on weather phenomena of recent years and how they may affect firefighting activities. This was especially significant given the extensive ground cover fires happening out west right now during record breaking three-digit temperatures. North America at present is moving away from the El Nino weather patterns into the La Nina patterns, which could mean an increase in tropical storms during the present hurricane season.
According to his bio on the Channel 8 website, Fred Campagna has a B.A. degree in Economics from the University of Colorado, and, more importantly, a B.S. degree in Meteorology from Plymouth State University in New Hampshire.
Rev. Owen Sanderson and Alan Green
Rev. Owen Sanderson presented a plaque of appreciation on behalf of the membership to Alan Green of Bethany for his two years' service as the Emergency Plan's president from 2014 until last month.
Originally called the New Haven County Fire Chiefs' Emergency Plan, the New Haven County Fire Emergency Plan was established in 1937 by a group of New Haven area fire chiefs. The organization's goal is coordinating regional fire service resources in the event of a major disaster and facilitating effective communication between and among area fire departments.
Many career members of the HFD, active and retired, belong to the Plan. Retired Dep. Chief Clark Hurlburt presently serves as recording secretary. In recent years Hamden Batt. Chief Bill Fitzmaurice (now retired) served as president of the Plan, and he presently serves as a trustee. Membership in the Plan has not always been limited to fire officers either. One of the Plan's most memorable lifetime members was our own Firefighter Mario "Bucky" Serafino, who retired from the department in 1973. Bucky was present at almost all June meetings until 2000. He passed away the following February.
For decades, the June meeting of "the Plan" has been held at the Dunbar Hill fire station, where the Emergency Plan members have been treated to strawberry shortcake courtesy of Company 8 and the Hindinger Farm.
Posted 6/24/16
L-R: Financial Secretary Carmen Accousti (Prospect), 2016-17 President Vic Mitchell (Hamden),
Recording Secretary Clark Hurlburt (Hamden) and First V.P. Rev. Owen Sanderson (Hamden)
No, this is not Hamden - Hamden never had horse-drawn apparatus - but it's definitely one for the "Sparks."
This photo, taken on Church Street in New Haven around 1910, shows New Haven's Truck 1, an American LaFrance hook and ladder, delivered in 1905 and stationed at the old fire headquarters at Olive and St. John Streets. The exact nature of the call is unknown, as is the source of this great photo. But most of the businesses that could be identified in the photo are found in the 1910 New Haven City Directory.
Parked outside Station 8 last Tuesday night was Dunbar Hill's newest version of Brush 8, converted from one of Hamden last three rescue units built on a Ford Chassis.
Most of the work to convert the chassis into a brush firefighting truck was done by the department's Supt. Jim LaFond and Asst. Supt. Glen Tricarico.
