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Articles and photos added during
February 2010
Regular weekly Friday website updates commenced on April 1, 2011.
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27 Edwards Street
Saturday, February 9, 1985
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Several occupants were rescued by Hamden firefighters in a two-alarm blaze that heavily damaged a three-family house at 27 Edwards Street. Extremely cold temperatures, high winds and icy conditions made fighting the blaze especially difficult. Five firefighters were injured.
Joe Ciscone has been taking fire photos for over thirty years. Now a 22-year veteran of the East Haven Fire Department, Joe was on the scene that day and he took some amazing photos. We are very grateful to Joe for allowing our website to post his photos, which are copyrighted © 2009 by Joe Ciscone.
A total of 17 photos of the Edwards Street fire, as well as 25 photos of the French-Italian fire a month earlier, all of which are available for purchase from Joe's website.
Posted 2/9/2010
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| © 1985 - The New Haven Register - B&W newspaper photos by Kirby Kennedy and John Mongillo, Jr. (newspaper photo courtesy of Jim Moore) |
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Five firefighters were injured while fighting this two-alarm blaze in a three family house at 27 Edwards Street. Several occupants were rescued, including a 23-year old woman who was trapped on the third floor.
According to The Hamden Chronicle, "Firefighters Wayne Lowry, Carl Backus and James Moore reached the third floor through the front staircase of the building and broke down the locked door behind which the woman, Donna Williams, was trapped."
The extreme cold and icy conditions made this an especially trecherous job for the 35 firefighters who were on the scene. News accounts stated that near zero temperatures and very high winds brought the wind chill to minus 35 degrees.
Several inch and three-quarter lines were stretched up the front and rear stairways for an interior attack that kept flames from the unburnt portions of the building. A master stream from the ladder pipe of Truck 2 successfully protected an adjacent building only a few feet from the fire building. Thirteen residents were relocated through the Red Cross.
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| ©1985 The Register Publishing Co. - February 10, 1985 edition of The New Haven Register |
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| Photo by Joe Ciscone - (c) 2009 Joe Ciscone |
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| Photo by Joe Ciscone - (c) 2009 Joe Ciscone |
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| Photo by Joe Ciscone - (c) 2009 Joe Ciscone |
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| Photo by Joe Ciscone - (c) 2009 Joe Ciscone |
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Unless otherwise noted, all photos on this webpage are © Copyright 2009 by Joe Ciscone.
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| Awards Ceremony - October 18, 1985 |
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During his tenure, Fire Chief John Tramontano held three ceremonies to honor department members. The 1st Awards Ceremony took place on October 18, 1985, at which time the crew members of Engine 2, Platoon 3 were awarded the department's Medal of Honor.
On February 9, 1985, Engine 2 was first to arrive at a working fire in a three family house at 27 Edwards Street. Alerted by neighbors that a woman was trapped on the third floor, the crew raced up two flights of a rear stairway. Firefighter Carl Backus (extreme right) broke down the door to the third floor apartment, which was well involved. The crew rescued a 23-year old pregnant woman. Three from Engine 2 were injured; one was hospitalized.
Pictured left to right: Lieut. Donald LaBanca, Ff. Jim Moore, Dep. Chief Walter Macdowall, Chief Tramontano, Firefighters Wayne Lowry and Carl Backus.
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| Firefighter Alfred Ramelli |
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| Firefighter Alfred Ramelli
(1921 - 1972)
The final presentation at the 1st Awards Ceremony was a very special one for all department members.
The Department's Medal of Honor was awarded posthumously to Firefighter Alfred Ramelli. Firefighter Ramelli was stricken on duty just before Christmas 1971 and died January 1, 1972.
Chief Tramontano presented the award to Firefighter Ramelli's son, Firefighter Raymond Ramelli.
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| It's that time of year . . . |
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| December 31, 2000 - On the very last day of the 20th Century, Firefighter Paul Turner digs out. We might be doing this again nine years later, too. (Photo by Bob Mordecai) |
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| February 8, 1967 - Lt. Bill Hines with Firefighters Gil Spencer and John Hoffman clearing the hydrant at Sanford and Dixwell. |
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| CLICK on the photo to read about Hamden's Civil Defense Fire Auxiliary. |
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| CLICK on the photo to read a Meriden Record-Journal article about Doug Yocher's 50+ years in the fire service. |
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| CLICK on the photo to read about Chief Raymond C. Spencer |
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| Butterworth's Giant Valley Farm - August 7, 1940 |
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| Mt. Carmel's 1930 Maxim 600 GPM at Butterworth's Farm in August 1940. (Photo courtesy of G. Donald Steele) |
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Butterworth's Giant Valley Farm, on Tuttle Avenue about a mile in from Whitney Avenue, has been the scene of three major fires: in August 1940, February 1955, and August 1998. A review of all three fires, including photos, news articles and TV news videos, is in the works.
Posted 2/13/10
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Ladder Training - June 1982
Photos by John Tramontano
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2010 Local 2687 Annual Dinner at Laurel View C.C.
February 27, 2010
Capt. Dennis Baker Honored at Annual Retirement Dinner
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| Retirees at Local 2687 Annual Dinner Honoring Capt. Dennis Baker (CLICK to read more and for more photos) |
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In Florida: Firefighters as Correctional Officers
Our thanks to Richie Maybury, who sent along an article published February 5, 2010 in the Daytona Beach News-Journal. Apparently a sign of the times, Volusia County, Florida officials are looking for ways to save money. And guess where they are looking? CLICK on the icon at left to read the article.
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CLICK on the Maltese cross at the left to view the memorial tribute to our friends and colleagues, all past career members of the Hamden Fire Department.
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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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This website is open to all visitors, except for the "Secure Pages," which are available to retirees only.
When you click on the "Secure Pages" page, you will be prompted to enter a user name and password. On the "User Name" line, type the name of the current month in all lower case letters.
The PASSWORD for "Secure Pages" is on the back page of the minutes that were mailed to all retirees on June 13th.
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Corrections and contributions to the website are welcome.
Scanned photos can be either in JPG or GIF format.
Please email Dave Johnson at HFDBadge102@aol.com
Your original photos are welcome, too. Just send them to:
Hamden Fire Retirees
P.O. Box 185605
Hamden, CT 06518-0605
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