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| MAY 2022
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Important updates will be posted immediately.
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Last update: Monday, May 30, 2022 - 2202 hrs
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Superintendent Richard "Richie" Lostritto
(1926 - 2022)
It is with deep regret that we report the passing on Friday, May 27th of retired HFD Superintendent of Alarms & Apparatus Richard "Richie" Lostritto (95). He died peacefully at his home with his family beside him.
HFD's oldest living retiree at the time of his passing, Richie served his country faithfully in the US Army during WWII in the Pacific Theater. He joined the department in September 1950. He was appointed Asst. Supt. of Alarms and Apparatus in 1965, and Superintendent three years later. Richie retired in December 1985 with more than 35 years on the job.
Blessed with a heart of gold, Richie was a friend to all who knew him. Until a few years ago, he was a regular attendee at HFRA meetings. Although unable to attend more recently, Richie always remained interested in HFRA and HGSRA activities.
The Visiting Hours will be Tuesday, May 31st from 5:00 to 8:00 PM at The Havens Family, North Haven Funeral Home, 36 Washington Avenue. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated Wednesday morning, June 1st at 10 AM, in St. Barnabas Church, North Haven. Burial will be in All Saints Cemetery in North Haven.
Please keep Marge Lostritto and the rest of Richie's family, including his nephew, retired HFD Firefighter Jim Koutsopolos, niece Judy Frodel, and his grand-nephew, retired Lieut. Jeff Pechmann, in your thoughts and prayers at this sad time.
Posted 5/30/2022 - 2200 hrs.
This website will have a tribute to Supt. Lostritto in our June edition.
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New Training Officer, Two New Firefighters Sworn In
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| Capt. Julio Lopes |
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| Firefighter Connor Healy |
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| Firefighter Wilson Rodriguez |
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This morning 25-year department veteran Julio Lopes was sworn in to take on the role of Captain the department's Training and EMS Division. Also sworn in were Firefighter/Paramedics Connor Healy and Wilson Rodriguez, who now join the department following 17 weeks of firefighter training at the Connecticut Fire Academy.
In remarks at a ceremony before about 75 people, Chief Gary Merwede noted that as a member of the administrative staff, Capt. Lopes will oversee the completion of the department's medical software conversion, maintain departmental records, secure inventory, and manage and direct departmental training initiatives.
For the full story and additional photos CLICK HERE.
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| PLEASE PRAY FOR UVALDE, THE VICTIMS, THEIR FAMILIES, AND THE FIRST RESPONDERS.
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Governor Lamont Directs Flags to Half-Staff to Mourn the Victims of the Elementary School Mass Shooting in Texas
(HARTFORD, CT) – Governor Ned Lamont today announced that – in accordance with a proclamation from President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. directing flags to be lowered throughout the country as a mark of solemn respect for the victims of the mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas – he is directing U.S. and state flags in Connecticut to be flown at half-staff beginning immediately until sunset on Saturday, May 28, 2022.
Accordingly, since no flag should fly higher than the U.S. flag, all other flags, including state, municipal, corporate, or otherwise, should also be lowered during this same duration of time.
CLICK HERE to read the Presidential Proclamation.
Posted 5/24/2022
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7 Retirees Honored at Local 2687 Retirement Dinner-Dance
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At the April 23rd Local 2687 Retirement Dinner-Dance, the first in three years, seven department members who retired between March 2019 and late 2021 were honored for their service. Eleven more department members who retired last year will be honored at the 2023 dinner. More photos of this year's dinner and will be posted on the website in the near future. Stay tuned.
Posted 5/24/2022
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We are very sorry to report that Honorary Member Elaine Jones, widow of our brother retiree, Firefighter Sam Jones (1925-2015), passed away recently in Decatur, Georgia.
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Four New Firefighters
May 10, 2022 - Officially appointed two weeks ago, four recruit firefighter/paramedics were sworn in yesterday morning in the town hall rotunda. Firefighters William Pepe, Joseph Seminoro II, Thomas Mieldzioc, and Nicholas Traycheff all have previous experience as career firefighters in other departments.
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Hamden's 1973 Maxim Telesqurt Acquired by Mt. Carmel Volunteer Capt.
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A few weeks ago, Mt. Carmel Volunteer Co. 5 Captain Mark Guarino purchased Hamden's 1973 Maxim 1,000 GPM "Telesqurt" from the individuals who had acquired it from the Town in the late 1990s. Having been garaged since it left Hamden two-plus decades ago, the truck is in remarkably good condition with only a few chips of paint missing here and there and absolutely no rust. After some minor mechanical tweaking by its former owner, the truck runs as well as it did when it was in service.
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| Volunteer Co. 5 Capt. Mark Guarino behind the wheel of what was Hamden's Engine 3 from 1974 until 1998 |
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This front view clearly shows how well this nearly 50-year old truck has been preserved since it was sold to a private buyer in the late 1990s.
| The "Pierce" name plate was applied by that company when this truck and its "twin," the 1973 Maxim "foam truck," were refurbished by Pierce in 1985, when the hard suctions were moved to the top the new high-side compartments. See photos below.
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| Mark with his dad, Mark Sr., an enthusiastic supporter of the restoration project. |
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In 2015, three individuals with connections to the HFD acquired the Hamden's 1959 Maxim "cab-forward" from the same seller, but that truck needed lots of cosmetic attention. The '59 Maxim was eventually re-sold to another party, who had hoped to restore the truck to its original white finish.
Guarino's 1973 Maxim pumper, however, may become the first former piece of Hamden apparatus to remain in the hands of a Hamdenite with a tangible connection to the Hamden Fire Department. He hopes to make the Telesqurt a "parade piece" to represent volunteer Co. 5 in community events, such as Hamden's upcoming Memorial Day Parade, that usually feature fire apparatus.
The next phase in Mark's restoration project is to equip it with the correct ground ladders, hose for the hosebeds and the preconnects, and any other equipment that was carried on the pumper.
The HFRA wishes Mark Guarino best of luck in his effort to fully restore and preserve this classic piece of Hamden fire apparatus.
Posted 5/7/2022
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Before the 1985 Rebuild by Pierce
| After the 1985 Rebuild by Pierce
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These two photos of the Maxim Telesqurt, taken years apart by fire photographer Frank Wegloski, show how Engine 3 was when it was delivered in 1974, and again about a dozen years later after the body was rebuilt by Pierce. Note the newer highside compartments and the repositioning of the hard suction atop the compartments. Beginning with the 1984 Pierce Dashes, the tops of the cabs of all new and rebuilt Hamden apparatus were painted white.
These photos also clearly show before and after views of the front of Station 3, which was unintentionally "remodeled" in the late 1980s when the middle bay door was unexpectedly enlarged due to a motor mishap. The later photo of Engine 3 appears to have been taken before it was washed down following a run.
The Maxim Telesqurt was sold to a private buyer in the early 2000s. We have been told that this piece of apparatus is still around and in good condition, in a storage facility in a neighboring town. (Photos courtesy of Daryl Osiecki)
Posted 2/1/13
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Was Hamden's Maxim Telesqurt always assigned as Engine 3? Yes, except for ten days in the Summer of 1995, when it was temporarily re-assigned due to the world's single largest athletic competition that year. CHECK IT OUT.
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A little more history . . .
1973 Maxim 1000 Foam and Telesqurt Pumpers
Delivered February and March 1974, respectively
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| April 1974 - Chief V. Paul Leddy and Mayor Lucien DiMeo pose in front of Station 4 with the two new Maxim pumpers that were delivered in early 1974. The Telesqurt (Engine 3) is on the left. The foam truck (Engine 4) is on the right. Both pumpers were in service for about 25 years. |
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Although these pumpers arrived in 1974, delivery documents indicate that they were 1973 models. These would be the last of ten postwar purchases from Maxim.
In the large photo above, Engine 3 is on the left. It was a Maxim 1000 GPM "Telesqurt" (Chassis Model FFC 7510-C), powered with a 320 h.p. Cummins diesel engine. The telesqurt was operated from the rear step. It was placed in service at Station 3 on April 1, 1974.
On the right is Engine 4, a Maxim 1000 GPM pumper (Chassis Model FFC 7510-C) powered with a 320 h.p. Cummins diesel engine. It was equipped with a foam delivery system consisting of an onboard foam bladder that was suspended inside the tank, a cab-mounted turret nozzle that could be operated from inside the cab, and a pair of ground sweeps mounted beneath the front bumper. This pumper was specially equipped so that it could pump and roll at the same time. It was placed in service at Station 4 on February 7, 1974.
The three photos on the left (CLICK to enlarge) are of Engine 4 when it was delivered to Station 3 in February of 1974. Engine 4 was originally intended to be Engine 3 because of Station 3's proximity to the tank farm on Welton Street. The Telesqurt was was supposed to be Engine 4. But the truck was much too big to fit inside Station 4, so it was assigned to at Station 3.
After two new 1000 g.p.m. Pierce "Dash" pumpers were delivered in December 1984, the Pierce Co. of Appleton, Wisconsin rebuilt both of these 1973 pumpers. Each received a new body with high-side compartments, and a new two-tone paint job. The "Telesqurt" returned to service as Engine 3. The foam delivery system on Engine 4 was removed and it went back in service as Engine 9. Both pieces remained in service until the late 1990s. Just why the front bumper is missing from the "new" Engine 9 in the 1985 photo (below on the right) is a mystery.
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| 1973 Telesqurt rebuilt and back as Engine 3. The new high-side compartments are on the driver's side. |
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| Old Engine 4 rebuilt and back in service as Engine 9 |
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| Photo by Ed Doiron, Sr. |
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At first glance, the apparatus in the foreground in this summer 1974 photo looks like Engine 3, the 1973 Maxim Telesqurt. But the cab-mounted turret nozzle says otherwise. It's Engine 4, Hamden's 1973 Maxim 1000 GPM pumper with the foam delivery system. The Telesqurt is parked right behind. The older Maxim is Engine 5, the 1954 750 GPM. The flatside compartments (not visible in the photo) and the 10 lugnuts on the front wheels distinguish this pumper from the almost identicial 1951 and 1952 models.
The apparatus are parked just inside the Dixwell Avenue parking lot to the old Centerville School (now the Miller Library), where the Fire Chief's Office had been relocated a few months earlier. Previously, the Chief's Office was on the second floor of the town hall right above the north entrance just south of Station 4.
Originally posted 6/10/11
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| Summer 1950 - The Emergency Squad preparing to leave a Fennbrook Drive call. Looks like that might be Chief Raymond C. Spencer talking to the driver. (Photo by Chan Brainard) - CLICK to enlarge |
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20 YEARS AGO!
Uplift Mobility / Beirne's Home Medical
April 15, 2002
Major Conflagration on Sherman Avenue
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Governor Lamont: Flags Lowered To Half-Staff to Remember One Million American Lives Lost to COVID-19
(HARTFORD, CT) – Governor Ned Lamont today announced that – in accordance with a proclamation from President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. directing flags to be lowered throughout the country as a mark of solemn respect for the one million American lives lost to COVID-19 – he is directing U.S. and state flags in Connecticut to fly at half-staff beginning immediately until sunset on Monday, May 16, 2022.
CLICK HERE to read the Governor's entire proclamation.
Posted 5/13/2022
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| We Remember (2021 Ed.) |
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HOME PAGE UPDATES
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| CLICK HERE: Official Local 2687 Website |
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NEVER FORGET!
We will always remember our brother firefighters who made the supreme sacrifice, and the thousands of other innocent victims who lost their lives on September 11, 2001.
Always keep them, their families and the FDNY in your thoughts and prayers.
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