|
Station 2 - Humphrey
71 Circular Avenue
|
Humphrey Hook & Ladder Company
|
|
The historical outline below is taken from the program for
the Second Annual Hamden Firemen's Memorial Service,
held at Memorial Town Hall on June 10, 1934.
The History Committee for the event consisted of
Messrs. Ralph Eno, Michael J. Whalen, and Harold G. Emerson.
|
|
 |
| Humphrey Vol. Fire Assn. Co. 2 - 71 Circular Avenue (CLICK to enlarge) |
|
|
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
|
2016
CLICK on any photo to enlarge
|
 |
| PLATOON 1 |
|
|
 |
| PLATOON 2 |
|
|
Lt. Daryl Osiecki, Ff. Larry Bowden, Ff. Tim Doyle,
Ff/Paramedic Zach Criscuolo and Ff/Paramedic Pete Lynch
| Lt. Rob Madigosky, Ff. Kevin Recca, Ff/Paramedic Mike Mordecai,
Ff. Casey Blake and Ff. Fernando Feliz
|
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
|
 |
| PLATOON 3 |
|
|
 |
| PLATOON 4 |
|
|
Lt. Mike Dowling, Ff. Shane Schaffer, Ff. Brett Rinehart,
Ff. Larry DeBurra and Ff/Paramedic Mike Colandrea
| Capt. Paul Kobbe, Ff/Paramedeic Brian Gilson, Ff. Zach Deutscher,
Ff/Paramedic Shane Schaffer and Ff/Paramedic Don Paczowski
|
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
|
 |
| c. 1911 - Members of the Humphrey Hook & Ladder Company pose with their apparatus. The HFRA thanks Joe Taylor for his generosity in permitting the reproduction of this photo on our website. |
|
|
 |
| 1925 - Humphrey Volunteer Co. 2 (Photo courtesy of the Hamden Historical Society) |
|
|
 |
| Station 2 opened January 1, 1913. This photo was taken after the delivery of the 1938 Seagrave Canopy Cab 600 g.p.m. pumper pictured here, but before the 1951 renovation to its present three-bay configuration. |
|
|
 |
| c. 1911 - This is the one and only known photo of the Humphrey's Hook & Ladder Truck. This photo is owned by Joe Taylor, who has amassed an outstanding collection of old Hamden photos, including numerous photos of various Hamden fire companies. The HFRA thanks Mr. Taylor for his generosity in permitting the reproduction of this photo on our website. |
|
|
 |
| Station 2 Status Board |
|
|
The original status board from Station 2 was once an ice cream parlor display sign. Each of the sliding slats that formerly displayed a flavor of ice cream was repainted with the name of a Hamden fire company.
When a fire company was out of service due to an alarm or maintenance, the man on watch simply pulled the slat out far enough to reveal the word "OUT." Simple as that.
Chan Brainard rescued this unique piece of Hamden Fire Department history when it was discarded following the 1951 renovation of Station 2, when a new electric light annunicator panel was installed.
|
Why a status board? Some newer Hamden firefighters may not know why. Check the Gamewell Boxes page.
|
 |
| 1958 - Platoon 1, Station 2 - Standing L-R: Dick Stacey, B/C Daniel Hume (Drillmaster), Dave Herrmann, Mickey Cantarella, Capt. James Strain. Kneeling: Joe McDermott, Sid Trower and Hugh McLean (Courtesy of Joe McDermott and Sid Trower) |
|
|
 |
| December 28, 1951 |
|
|
|
 |
| 1958 - Joe McDermott |
|
|
 |
| Rolling Hose - 1960s |
|
|
|
 |
| 1982 - Ff. Richie Greening (CLICK to enlarge) - Photo by Dave Strawhince |
|
|
 |
| 1982 - Ff. Ralph Dievert at Station 2, Platoon 4 (Photo by Dave Strawhince) |
|
|
 |
| c. 1960 - Ff. Stan Brown (Photo courtesy of Chan Brainard) |
|
|
Looking down the hallway toward the apparatus floor, you can barely see that the rear wheels of Truck 1 are resting atop two small ramps. The ramps raised the back end of the truck just enough so that the aerial ladder overhang was too high to whack someone on the head. Well, almost everyone was safe. But if you were taller than 6' 3" you had to be very careful.
|
 |
| c. 1959 - Stan Brown set his camera on a tripod, set it in timer mode, and snapped this photo of himself beside Engine 1, the 1938 Seagrave 600 GPM canopy cab on the ramp at Station 2 (Photo by Stan Brown, courtesy of Chan Brainard)) |
|
|
 |
| 1964 - [Old] 1st Platoon at Station 2 - L-R: Ffs. Warren Blake, Hugh McLean, Mickey Cantarella, Dep. Chief Joe Hromadka, Capt. Francis Leddy, Ff. Stan Brown, Lt. Joe McDermott, Ffs. Dave Herrmann, Ray Bantz, Jerold Bradbury, and Howie Hurlburt, Sr. CLICK to enlarge. (Photo courtesy of Joe McDermott) |
|
|
 |
| 1964 - Crews of Engine 3 and Rescue 1, photographed i.f.o. Station 2 (CLICK to enlarge) |
|
|
 |
| 1971 - Platoon 4, Station 2 (CLICK to enlarge) |
|
|
 |
| 1976 - Lt. Walt Macdowall (CLICK to enlarge photo) |
|
|
 |
| April 9, 1976 - Ronnie Altieri at the watch desk at Station 2 |
|
|
 |
| March 1976 - Station 2 shortly before Truck 1 was reassigned to Station 5 |
|
|
 |
| Bob Macauley and Ronnie Altieri at Station 2 |
|
|
 |
| "Wanna play Hearts?" - March 1985 - Chief John Tramontano, Eddy Doiron and Fred Knudsen in the kitchen at Station 2. |
|
|
 |
| 1980 - Station 2, 4th Platoon - CLICK to enlarge (Photo by Dave Strawhince) |
|
|
The website thanks retired Battalion Chief Dave Strawhince, who emailed several great group photos that he took (some, like this one, with a timer) during his first several years on the department.
The above photo was taken in front of Station 2 on a balmy spring day in 1980. L-R: Firefighters Dave Strawhince, Ralph Tomaselli, Ronnie Altieri, Howie Hurlburt, Jr., Ray Dobbs, Lieut. John Tramontano, Firefighters Bill Mulcahy and Harry Cubbellotti. Joe Mulligan, the ninth member of the 1980 Station 2 crew of Platoon 4, was off-duty that day.
Dave Strawhince began his career in 1978 as a recruit firefighter on the 4th Platoon, which he would eventually lead as its shift commander from the mid-2000s until his retirement in August 2010. Dave and his wife, Molly, are now living in Anthem, Arizona.
Posted 7/1/11
|
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
|
 |
| 1967 - Asst. Supt. of Alarms Richie Lostritto on the 1940 Case tractor, clearing the Shop parking lot behind Station 2. The following year Richie was promoted to Superintendent, replacing Supt. Clem Wetmore upon his retirement. |
|
|
 |
| 1981 - Platoon 1 at Station 2 (CLICK to enlarge) - L-R: Firefighters Tom Conway, Bill Coppola, Mike Murray (kneeling), Hugh McLean, Paul Petrillo (on running board), Gene Maturo, John Corbett, Bernie Early, and Jack Mordecai. The 1965 Mack was Engine 9, manned by Maturo and McLean when this photo was taken by Dave Strawhince. It was probably at the Shop for fuel. The front of the yellow Chevy appears to be the van that belonged to Lt. Walt Macdowall (not pictured), who was the Pl. 1 officer at Station 2 in those days. Bernie Early and Gene Maturo both retired in the late 1980s and died within four months of each other in 1997. Photo by Dave Strawhince (Posted 7/8/11) |
|
|
 |
| 1982 - Platoon 4 at Station 2 - L-R: Deputy Chief Francis Leddy, shift commander; Lt. Danny O'Connell, Firefighters Dave Strawhince, Gerry Dinneen, Harry Cubbellotti, Ralph Tomaselli, Ralph Dievert, Bob Surprise, and Richie Greening. Photo by Dave Strawhince (Posted 7/15/11) |
|
|
 |
| June 1982 - Ron Altieri (Photo by John Tramontano) |
|
|
 |
| October 1985 - Lt. Bob Viglione at Station 2 beside a brand new Engine 2 (Photo courtesy of John Tramontano) |
|
|
 |
| April 1985 - Note the "RESCUE 2" designation that replaced the "TRUCK 1" designation over the center bay in 1976, when Engine 2 was in the right hand bay. By the time this photo was taken nearly ten years later, Engine 2 was the '84 Pierce and would fit only in the left hand bay. |
|
|
| Adam West, Michael Keaton, Val Kilmer, George Clooney, Christian Bale, and . . . |
 |
| April 1988 - Mark "Batman" Barletta (Photo by Dave Johnson) |
|
|
|
Through the years the Hamden Fire Department has been blessed with a few individuals who have genuine expertise in certain areas that some people find difficult to deal with. Starting in the late 1980s, Mark "Batman" Barletta was the head of the department's official "Bat Relocation Team," which was often called upon to intervene in situations involving the flying rodents that many folks associate with bites, rabies and Bela Lugosi.
Some of us remember when we dealt with bats using a prolonged frigid spray from a CO2 extinguisher. Mark had the knowledge and experience to know how to properly rid a residence of these creatures without hurting them.
Mark went on to become Deputy Fire Marshal and then Fire Marshal. He is now the President of the Hamden Fire Retirees' Association.
|
April 1988 - L-R: Tom Mikolinski, Tony D'Agostino, Jim Dunlop, Lt. Clark Hurlburt, Richie Greening, and Harold Prescher
|
 |
| 1976 - The Night Shift is OVER! - Augie Williams giving his patented "Heyyyy!" Ronnie Altieri is already taking off in his '67 Olds ragtop. |
|
|
 |
| April 1988 - Mike DiStefano, Lt. Paul Wetmore, Jr., and Mark "Batman" Barletta next to Engine 1 on the ramp at Station 2 (CLICK to enlarge) |
|
|
|
