| Hamden Fire Retirees Association, Inc. |
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| CLICK here for daily flag status |
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FRIDAY, MAY 24, 2013
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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To all HFD retirees:
Once again, Local 2687 and Chief David Berardesca invite all HFD retirees who still have their dress blues to join the active HFD members in Hamden's Memorial Day Parade next Monday, May 27th. This year the Hamden Fire Department marching contingent will be leading the parade.
HFD personnel and retirees in their dress blues are asked to assemble on the sidewalk in front of the Hamden High School at 0900. The parade starts at 1000, and will proceed up Dixwell Avenue from the high school to Whitney Avenue.
Participation in Hamden's Memorial Day Parade has always been a tangible way for our firefighters to honor those who sacrificed their lives in the defense of our country. It is also a time to remember our deceased brothers who once marched with us.
The weather for Memorial Day is predicted to be excellent with temps in the 60s. Last year we had several retirees in the line of march and we expect to have even more this year.
The HFRA wishes everyone has a safe and meaningful Memorial Day!
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HAMDEN GUARDIAN SERVICES RETIREES MEETING NOTICE
A meeting of the Hamden Guardian Services Retirees Association LLC will take place at the Knights of Columbus Hall, 2630 Whitney Avenue, NEXT TUESDAY, May 28th at 7 p.m.
The Executive Board of the HGSRA will report on the status of the pension plan. It is very important that we remain informed on what the Town is (and isn't) doing regarding the pension funding.
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FIREFIGHTER RICHARD KENYON
1944 - 2013
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It is with deep regret that we report the passing of our brother retiree, Richard "Ricky" Kenyon, husband of Luciana Maio Kenyon. Ricky passed away unexpectedly on Thursday, May 16, 2013 in Florida, where he and his wife were residing. Rick was the father of Kimberly (Mark) Rapela and Nicole (Raymond) Phelan. Stepfather of John (Diana) Kusmit and Jeffrey (Amy) Kusmit. Loving grandfather of Lauren, Victoria, Brendan, Olivia, Tyler, Connor and Alexander. He also leaves behind his one sister Nancy Stanish.
Ricky served in the U.S. Army for four years. He joined the Hamden Fire Department in July 1969 and served until his retirement in April 1993. Ricky was a dedicated firefighter and was for many years a tireless negotiator for our three bargaining units, the Hamden Paid Firemen's Sick Benefit Association, the Hamden Firefighters Association and the Hamden Professional Firefighters Association, Local 2687, IAFF. In recent years, Ricky was a frequent contributor to the website, emailing links to online stories about labor issues concerning retirees.
Funeral services will be held today (Friday) at 11 AM at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church in Hamden. Our thoughts and prayers are with Ricky's wife Lucy and the rest of the Kenyon family.
Revised 5/24/13
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| December 1969 - Firefighters Bob Chadwick and Ricky Kenyon training on Welton Street (Photo by Ed Doiron, Sr.) |
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| CLICK to view Davenport Fire video |
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| Davenport Residence Fire
125 Putnam Avenue
Wednesday, May 25, 1988
The Hamden Fire Department faced its most potentially disastrous emergency twenty-five years ago when fire broke out at the Davenport Residence, an eight story apartment building for the elderly at 125 Putnam Avenue.
CLICK on top photo to view a ten minute video that was produced immediately afterward by the department's training division. Amateur and TV news video and the actual HFD radio transmissions helped to chronicle the extraordinary efforts put forth by Hamden firefighters, and those of the Bethany, Cheshire, New Haven, and North Haven departments, from the time of dispatch until the building was completely evacuated.
An effective incident command system, early calls for mutual aid, and the C-MED emergency medical disaster plan all dovetailed perfectly to avert what would have been a major tragedy.
CLICK on the lower photo to view several news stories that were provided by the WTNH-8 and WFSB-3 news departments. The video starts with a scene from the final episode of an iconic 1980s NBC television series that was being broadcast at the exact moment the Gamewell alarm was being transmitted from the scene. A few minutes later came the news bulletin during the 11 o'clock news on Channel 8.
Revised and re-posted 5/24/13
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| CLICKI to view Davenport news stories |
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| The Hartford Courant - Friday, May 27, 1988 |
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| Davenport Residence 25 Years Later |
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1958
The Advent of Hamden EMS - First HFD "Rescue" Placed in Service
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| The New Haven Evening Register, Monday, December 15, 1958 (Courtesy of Chan Brainard) |
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Modern EMS in Hamden probably began when the first of two International Travelal "station wagons" was placed in service at Station 2 in December 1958. Designated as "Rescue One," this unit was joined a year later by a new 1960 Travelal, "Rescue Two," which was stationed at Headquarters. Rescue One was transferred from Station 2 to Station 3 on Putnam Avenue in early 1961.
Capt. James Strain (standing) was promoted to Battalion Chief in 1961 to command "old" Platoon 3. With the 42-hour workweek in 1970, Chief Strain headed "new" Platoon 2. When Chief Strain retired in April 1973, Firefighter Joe McDermott, by then a captain, was promoted to replace Chief Strain as the shift commander of Platoon 2. Joe retired in 1991 and is a member of the HFRA.
Firefighter Mike "Mickey" Cantarella served on the Department from 1951 until 1969. Firefighter Dave Herrmann came on the job in 1949. He was promoted to lieutenant in 1970 and retired in 1979. Dave was among the scores of residents who were rescued during the 1988 Davenport Residence fire (see above article and videos). He was interviewed during a local news broadcast.
Posted 5/24/13
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Do you know where you are?
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| Joe Taylor provided this 1926 postcard photo of a Hamden scene. We have a fire department training photo taken near the same spot almost 40 years later. CLICK on the photo to find out where. |
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