| Hamden Fire Retirees Association, Inc. |
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FRIDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2012
Website is updated every Friday - Important interim updates will be posted when necessary
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| CLICK to go to HGSRA webpage |
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The members of the Hamden Fire Retirees Association, Inc. are honored to announce that, as of October 9, 2012, all twenty-four surviving widows of our deceased brothers have been officially inducted into this Association as Honorary Members:
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Mrs. Ronald (Diane) Altieri
Helyn Barbato (Alfred Ramelli)
Mrs. Lawrence (Mae) Bellemore
Mrs. Wayne (Janet) Butterworth
Mrs. Robert (Nancy) Callahan
Mrs. Edward (Joan) Charbonneau
Mrs. Frank (Mary) Critchett*
Mrs. Fiore (Florida) Cubbellotti
| Marie Edwards (Gregory Shammett)
Mrs. Salvatore (Caroline) Ferraro
Mrs. Richard (Kathleen) Greening
Mrs. Kenneth (Rita) Harrington
Mrs. Arthur (Noreen) Heriot
Mrs. William (Ernestine) Hines
Mrs. David (Eleanor) Howe
Mrs. Howard (Nancy) Hurlburt, Sr.
| Mrs. Frederick (Rita) Knudsen
Mary Lane (Joseph Shields)
Mrs. Raymond (Suzanne) Reilly
Mrs. Paul (Concetta) Reutenauer
Mrs. Vincent (Lucy Ann) Roth
Mrs. Richard (Bernice) Stacey
Mrs. Luke (Geraldine) Tobin
Mrs. Raymond (Corrine) Vreeland
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*Inducted November 2010
Posted 10/19/12
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| 1921 - 25th Anniversary of the Highwood Volunteer Fire Association (Photo courtesy of the Hamden Historical society) |
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The HFRA thanks Hamden Historical Society archivist Joe Pepe for locating an original copy of the 25th anniversary program, commemorating the December 10, 1896 organization of the Highwood Volunteer Fire Association, from which this photo was scanned. The members are seen gathered in front of the Highwood station at the corner of Dixwell Avenue and Morse Street. Their 1918 Stewart chemical truck was only three years old when this photo was taken. Co. 7 received the chemical truck in 1926 when it was replaced at the Highwood station by a new Maxim 500 gpm pumper. The Highwood station closed in October 1951 and was sold shortly thereafter. The building still stands today.
Posted 10/19/12
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| Stan Brown's 1967 photo of Station 2, courtesy of Chan Brainard, showing (L-R) the 1959 Maxim "cab-forward" (Engine 2), the 1958 Maxim 75' "Junior" Aerial (Ladder 1), and the 1938 Seagrave "canopy cab" (Engine 1). |
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| December 2001 - Ff. Kevin O'Hare, Capt. Don LaBanca and Ff. Ray Dobbs at Station 9, celebrating Ray's final shift after 32 years on the job. Kevin retired two years later. Don, now a battalion chief and the most senior department member, is presently in his 35th year on the job. (Photo by Bob Mordecai) |
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1965 - Testing Hose at Station 2
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| (Photo by Stan Brown) |
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Chan Brainard sent this 1965 photo by Stan Brown of the old 1st Platoon testing hose at Station 2. Those whose faces can be seen are (L-R) Ff. Dave Herrmann, Capt. Francis "Chalky" Leddy, Ff. Sid Trower, Ff. Howard Hurlburt, Sr., and Ff. John McKee.
Posted 10/12/12
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New Home for Hamden's First Tower 1
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| Jennings Township, Indiana Tower 1 - 1991 Pierce Lance 1500/350/100' (Photo by Frank Wegloski) |
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Firefighter Daryl Osiecki found these photos of Hamden's first Tower 1, by photographer Frank Wegloski, on the www.firenews.org website. Mr. Wegloski generously gave permission to the HFRA to post them on our website. The 1991 Pierce Lance 100' "quint" tower ladder was in service here until early last year. When Hamden's new Smeal Tower was delivered in March 2011, the Pierce was sold to the Jennings Township Fire Department of Austin, Indiana.
Looking as good as it did the day it was delivered, Tower 1 continues to serve the city of Austin, Indiana as an active piece of firefighting apparatus.
Posted 10/12/12
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| Jennings Township, Indiana Tower 1 - 1991 Pierce Lance 1500/350/100' (Photo by Frank Wegloski) |
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The sale of Hamden's 1991 Pierce Tower to Austin, Indiana was not the first time one of our trucks was purchased by another fire department. In 1963, Hamden's 1941 Diamond-T city service ladder truck was sold to New Milford's Water Witch Fire Co. for $2,200. The 22 year old truck had been stored at Station 5 since the delivery of Hamden's first aerial truck more than four years earlier. The truck resurfaced in Hamden just in time for the 1986 Hamden Bicentennial, although the snazzy rear fender skirts that accompanied its 1942 delivery were long gone. Does anyone know its present whereabouts?
Posted 10/12/12
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| Brand new in '42 - CLICK to enlarge |
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| Still looking good in '86 - CLICK to enlarge |
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October Meeting at the Elks
A record number of HFRA members attended the recent October meeting of the Association. Election of officers for 2013 took place.
Chairman Bob Maturo of the newly organized Hamden Guardian Services Retirees Assn. LLC spoke to the members regarding that association's goal of protecting the pensions and benefits of those Hamden police and fire department retirees who join the HGSRA.
In less than one month, more than half of the retirees of both departments have joined. For more information, CLICK on the HGSRA tab on the menu at the top of this page.
Posted 10/12/12
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| March 1973 - Don on his 1951 Seagrave pumper |
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G. Donald "Don" Steele
1919 - 2012
It is with deep regret that we announce the passing of G. Donald "Don" Steele, 93. A memorial service for Don was held last Tuesday at Elim Park in Cheshire.
Don was an active member of Co. 5 from the early 1960s until well into the 1980s, having served as its captain from 1967 to 1972. Don was also very active in other fire service organizations in Connecticut, including New Haven's Box 22 Associates and the New Haven County Fire Emergency Plan, of which he was secretary for many years.
An enthusiastic fan of the fire service, Don was also an experienced ham radio operator. Since it was established in June of three years ago, the HFRA website has featured many of Don's photos of the early days of the Hamden Fire Department.
Don attended the April 26, 2011 Co. 5 member reunion and the November 11, 2011 Centennial Celebration at the Elks, at which he was one of three World War II veterans presented with a quilt from Quilts of Honor. Our thoughts and prayers are with Don's family.
Posted 10/12/12
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1940
This photo was scanned from the 1940 Hamden Annual Town Report, which heralded the recent renovation to Station 4, then known as "Fire Headquarters." The bay doors were moved from the north side of the fire station to face Whitney Avenue.
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The pride of the department were these two nearly new pieces of apparatus. At left is the "Emergency Squad," built on a 1938 Diamond-T chassis. At right is Hamden's newest pumper, rated at 500 GPM, built on a 1939 Diamond-T chassis. Both pieces were manufactured by the Woods Engineering Service of Topsfield, Masssachuetts. These pieces remained in service in various capacities for several more decades. The 1938 squad was sold in 1971, and the pumper in 1977.
Posted 10/5/12
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9 a.m. Radio Test
Monday, July 13, 1981
Every morning at 9 a.m., the fire dispatcher conducted a radio test to all cars and apparatus. The test format, used since the 1960s, began with the dispatcher announcing, "This is KCG-711 Hamden, testing to all units at 9 a.m."
The first unit called was usually Car 30, the car assigned to the deputy chief (now B/C). On Mondays, the day of this test, volunteer and staff vehicles were included in the radio test. Volunteer apparatus were called at the start of the test, and staff vehicles at the end.
When the dispatcher called one of the radios, the firefighter on that unit's mike gave the unit's designation, followed by "OK on test." The fire dispatcher would acknowledge with, "10-4 [name of unit]" When the 10 codes were replaced by numeric signals in June 1984, the radio test response became simply, "[Name of unit] 99."
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The Hamden Fire Department employed various versions of the 10 Codes for radio messages from the 1950s until 1984. The 10 Codes list above was modified and enlarged in November 1981 with the advent of Central Communications. Following input from line personnel, Hamden's 10 Codes were replaced in June 1984, with the adoption of numeric signals, similar to those used for years by the New Haven Fire Department.
Posted 10/5/12
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| This photo of Firefighters Warren Blake and John McKee was taken by Firefighter Stan Brown around 1965. Stan was an amateur photographer, many of whose photos have been preserved by Chan Brainard. Chan recently donated many of his own photos and hundreds of HFD-related newspaper articles from 1955 through the 1990s. Lots of good stuff will be shared in the coming weeks and months! |
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May 1, 1981
This roster is an interesting snapshot of the department at a pivital stage.
Deputy Chief Training Officer Ken Harrington's 1980 retirement resulted in the first department promotion in over seven years. With Harrington's position vacant, Capt. Thomas Doherty acted as training officer when eight new recruits were hired in January 1981. But neither he nor the other two captains still on the job wished to apply for the permanent position. Civil Service re-wrote the specifications, allowing lieutenants with three or more years in grade to apply for the position.
Dep. Chief Harrington's vacancy as training officer was filled in April by Lt. John Tramontano. Ironically, seven years earlier, Tramontano had been the last man to receive a promotion - to lieutenant - the direct result of then-Capt. Harrington's promotion to training officer. Harrington's vacancy on Platoon 2 was filled by Lt. Burt Hillocks, whose vacancy on Platoon 4 was filled by Ff. John Tramontano.
The seven year drought of promotional opportunities affected dozens of firefighters hired in 1969-70, who were not on the job long enough to qualify for the previous lieutenant's exam, conducted in 1973. Some firefighters were on the job nearly twelve years before getting their first shot at a promotion in early 1981, when Civil Service finally authorized a promotional exam.
Posted 10/5/12
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| Old Recordings Preserve
Department Radio Transmissions
In the late 1970s and early 1980s, Hamden Firefighter Ed Doiron collected fire department news in the southern Connecticut area for Keith Victor, Hartford firefighter and publisher of The Alarm Room News (see Home [Archived] for April 27th webpage). To provide even more depth to the coverage in the event of a major fire, Ed had connected his scanner radio to a sound actuated tape recorder, which taped any area fire department radio transmission that broke squelch.
The website recently discovered several cassette tapes of these radio transmissions, including a major apartment fire on Dix Street in July 1981, which will be posted soon on YouTube.
In the course of collecting these radio transmissions, Ed also captured some of the more mundane activities of the department in that era, including the daily 9 a.m. radio test to all apparatus and the nightly 6:15 tone test to the four volunteer fire companies.
We begin with the tone test. Ed's cassette deck just happened to catch one of the original civilian fire dispatchers, Donna DePino, conducting the volunteer tone test on Sunday, July 12, 1981. For the benefit of those who have heard about "the Plectron" but never heard how it sounded, the recording can be heard on YouTube.
Posted 9/28/12
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This early 1960s photo, courtesy of Clark Hurlburt, shows Firefighters Tom Doherty and Dick Stacey along side "Pop" Murray & Son, preparing to load an accident victim into their ambulance. The location appears to be an overpass of the Wilbur Cross Parkway, possibly at Skiff Street. (Mongillo photo)
Posted 9/28/12
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| February 1, 1979
This platoon roster was based on the revised badge number list, but does not indicate station assignments. There were many changes since in the previous roster. With nearly 150 years of total service, veteran firefighters Wilbur Baker, Art Smith, Ray Carofano, Frank Cubbellotti, Larry Bellemore all retired. Firefighters Paul Sparapani, John Reilly, Guy White, and John Poe left to pursue other careers. Poe joined the West Haven Fire Department and is an active member in the HFRA by virture of his seven years' service in Hamden. (Anyone who has ever served as a career Hamden firefighter is welcome to join the HFRA.)
In 1978, eight new firefighters were appointed. Among them was Ff. Donald LaBanca. Now a battalion chief, Don is the only one listed on this roster who is still on the job.
Also in 1978, a shortage of paramedics led to the tranfers of paramedics Lt. Walt Macdowall and Ff. Charlie Esposito. Lt. Macdowall swapped shifts with Lt. Bill Hines and Ff. Esposito swapped shifts with Ff. Ron Altieri. Macdowall and Esposito, two of the department's original paramedics, went to Platoons 1 and 3, respectively. Lt. Bill Hines took Macdowall's place on Platoon 3. Sadly, Bill passed away only three months after this list was issued.
Posted 9/28/12
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| 45 years ago a Hamden Chronicle reporter snapped this previously posted photo of Hamden firefighters Bob Slater and Bill LaVelle assisting Supt. Clem Wetmore (far right), Assistant Supt. Richie Lostritto and future Assistant Paul Wetmore (descending beneath the street) while they stretched fire alarm cable underground somewhere on Dixwell Avenue. (Courtesy of Bob Slater) |
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ATTENTION ALL RETIRED
HAMDEN FIREFIGHTERS!
The Hamden Guardian Services Retirees Association, LLC (HGSRA), an organization formed recently by retired Hamden cops and firefighters to oversee and protect our pensions and benefits, is now a legal entity in the State of Connecticut. (NOTE: This is NOT the same association as the HFRA, Inc.).
We recently contacted every retired Hamden firefighter for whom we have an email address or home mailing address*. Information on the HGSRA was provided along with an application form. If you did not receive the notification and application form please contact this website right away (HFDBadge102@aol.com).
Well over one hundred fire and police retires have signed up for membership in the HGSRA thus far. They will soon receive notification from HGSRA secretary Dave Johnson on the membership fee and where to send it. (Membership fee remittances had to wait until the HGSRA became an LLC.)
The Hamden Fire Retirees Association, Inc. (HFRA), is pleased to provide a page for the Hamden Guardian Services Retirees Association, LLC on this website for informational purposes. See menu tab "HGSRA" Please be sure to check it frequently, particularly during the next few months.
A meeting for all new members of the Hamden Guardian Services Retirees Association, LLC will take place on Thursday, November 15th at 7 p.m. (location TBA). All members as of that date, or those retirees who plan to join at the meeting, are welcome. The Executive Board of the HGSRA will report on the status of the pension plan and on future HGSRA activities.
A specific meeting agenda and the location of the meeting - we are looking into several possible locations - will be posted on the HGSRA page of this website and sent to all HGSRA members as the meeting date nears.
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*Confidentiality regulations prevent the Town from disclosing addresses of retirees. Does anyone know how we may contact retiree Thomas Hart? We also have a California address for a Roger Sulllivan, but we're not sure he's our retiree. Mail delivered to old addresses is often discarded by those presently living there and not returned to the sender.
Posted 9/21/12
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Deadline for entering the
Local 2687 Golf Tournament
is NEXT Friday, September 28th.
Looking for more foursomes.
Contact info on the poster below.
(CLICK to enlarge).
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Next Meeting of the HFRA: Oct. 9th at 6 p.m. at the Elks.
Menu: Chicken Cutlet sandwich with LT, 2 sides homemade potato salad and coleslaw, brownies with dash of whipped cream - All for $6.00
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We caught fellow retirees Jimmy Moore and Charlie Cargan this week at Traditions Golf Course in Wallingford, following a tourney there in which it is rumored that Jimmy's "Magic Pen" played a role in a victory. (Hmmm - Not exactly sure what that meant.) Nice to see lots of other active and retired HFD folks there, too.
Don't forget - Active Hamden firefighters welcome all retirees to join in the Annual Local 2687 Golf Tournament, Friday October 5th at Laurel View. Entries must be in by NEXT Friday, September 28. See poster above for more info.
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Bassett's Getty Service Station
3050 Whitney Avenue
Wednesday, September 9, 1987
Mechanic touched off blaze that enguled service station,
then blamed department for "not doing more" to save building.
On Wednesday, September 9, 1987, a mechanic using a torch underneath an automobile ignited a gasoline fire in Bassett's Getty Service Station at 3050 Whitney Avenue. The building was fully involved within minutes. Miraclulously, no one was injured.
CLICK on the photo at right to view more previously unpublished photos of the incident, as well as news articles about criticism that was leveled against the department by a Council member, whose brother's torch caused the fire.
Posted 9/21/12
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| CLICK to see more photos and articles |
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BP Convenience Store
3050 Whitney Avenue
Thursday, September 20, 2012
The Hamden Fire Department DID save the building at 3050 Whitney Avenue, which was opened in 1948 (see article below).
Yup, it's still around! Instead of an automobile "service station," as it was in 1987, it is now a convenience store that also sells BP (British Petroleum) gasoline. Compare the 2012 prices to those in 1987!
Posted 9/21/12
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| Today - 3050 Whitney Avenue - CLICK to enlarge |
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Bossoli's Flying-A Service
3050 Whitney Avenue
Thursday, October 28, 1948
Future Hamden Firefighter Opens Service Station in the Same Building
Thirty-nine years before Bassett's Getty Service Station went up in smoke, Bill and Charles Bossoli of Mount Carmel opened a Tydol Flying-A service station in the same building.
In a video interview conducted in November of last year, Bill Bossoli admitted that their business enterprise was very short-lived because too many of their customers were also their friends, some looking for freebies and "good deals," which the good Bossoli Bros. were loath to deny.
Two years later, Bill Bossoli decided that he wanted more stable employement, in a field which he had enjoyed as a volunteer firefighter since 1938. On September 11, 1950, Bill joined seven other recruits who were sworn in as brand new Hamden firefighters. Bill, who is now a very sharp 93 years of age, left the department in 1956.
Posted 9/21/12
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| CLICK to enlarge (Hamden Historical Society) |
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| This mid-1950s postcard of Hamden's Memorial Town Hall was sent by Chan Brainard. The photographer was standing in front of Charlie Crook's drug store, where this and many other Hamden postcards could be bought for a nickel.
The gearheads among us are immediately drawn to the Shadow Gray and Coral 1955 Chevy Bel-Air in the foreground, as well as that pink over white 1955 Ford convertible on the opposite corner. Even the most discerning observer, though, might have a little trouble noticing the nose of the 1954 Maxim sitting in Headquarters at the far right (enlarge the photo).
Notice the HPD signal light sticking out from the upper righthand margin of the photo? When this orange light was flashing, the Centerville beat cop was supposed to use the PD "call box" on that corner to contact police HQ. As that signaling light flashed, it also caused static on the AM radio at fire headqaurters, which alerted any cop who might be taking a break at Station 4.
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More Trivia: Traffic is stopped in all directions. A pedestrian is crossing Whitney from the southwest corner because the traffic signal's amber "WALK" light is on. The "WALK" light was always at the bottom of the traffic signal, just below the green light and could be activated by a push button on any corner. The "HAMDEN" sign on the town hall was placed there for Hamden's 1936 sesquicentennial. It was gone by the early 1970s.
Posted 9/21/12
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The department roster of February 1, 1979 will be posted in next week's update.
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Hamden Then and Now
2600 Whitney Avenue
"Sun" Cleaners opened in 1948; became "Rainbow" Cleaners in the 1960.
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| 1948 - SUN Cleaners |
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| 2012 - RAINBOW Cleaners |
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Website visitors Charlie Lubowicki, Bob Slater and Joe Murray identified the 1948 photo on the left as the current Rainbow Cleaners at 2600 Whitney Avenue. The name of the original establishment was Sun Cleaners. The Verneris brothers acquired the Whitney Avenue site in 1960, when it became the northern branch of Rainbow Cleaners. Their other Rainbow Cleaners store was, and still is, located at 1540 Dixwell Avenue.
Posted 9/21/12
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The HOME page contains postings from the past FOUR weeks only.
All previous weekly updates, from April 1, 2011 on, may be viewed by going
to the menu tab "HOME (Archived)."
Articles about fires and other major incidents can be retrieved from the "Action!" tab.
Other articles may be retrieved by going to the "Past Articles" tab.
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| CLICK here to visit the official website of the Hamden Professional Firefighters, Local 2687, I.A.F.F. |
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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 eleven years ago on September 11, 2001.
Always keep them, their families and the FDNY in your thoughts and prayers.
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