Hamden Fire Retirees Association, Inc.

Staying Connected · Preserving Our Past

Home

COVID INFO

About Us

Hamden Local 2687

Hamden Historical Society

Hamden C.E.R.T.

C.E.R.T.

Calendars

Civil Defense

CT Apparatus Database

Hamden Then & Now

H.G.S.R.A.

Mountain Rescue Team

Off Duty Time

Parades

Public Education

Rosters

Sparking Out

Special Events

Training

Videos

We Remember

Web Links

1995 World Games

ALL PAST UPDATES

ALUMNI

APPARATUS

ARCHIVED ARTICLES

COMMUNICATIONS / DISPATCH

FIRE STATIONS

FIREFIGHTING

HFRA PHOTOS

HISTORICAL NOTES

MEMBERS ONLY

← DECEMBER 29th UPDATE


JANUARY 12th UPDATE →


Hamden Fire Retirees Association, Inc.
CLICK here for daily flag status
 
FRIDAY, JANUARY 5, 2018
 
Website is updated every Friday - Important interim updates will be posted when necessary
 
Next regular update is Friday, January 12th.

CLICK to monitor HFD radio
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Hamden Fire Department Encourages Residents to “Adopt a Hydrant”

HAMDEN – The Hamden Fire Department encourages residents to “Adopt a fire hydrant”. When fire hydrants are covered by plowed snow, our Firefighters do their best to clear them as quickly as possible. With over 1000 fire hydrants in the Town of Hamden and an annual call volume of over 10,000 calls, the task of clearing fire hydrants is sometimes extended and of course time consuming. The department asks that residents, who are physically able, to assist your Firefighters in clearing fire hydrants close to your home or business.
Posted 1/3/18

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________

35 YEARS AGO!
Treadwell Office Park
295 Treadwell Street
Tuesday, January 4, 1983

Late on a bitter cold Tuesday afternoon, the personnel of Platoon 4 were looking forward to heading home after completing the first day of their three-day truck.  At five o'clock it was already pitch dark when the bell hit for a reported structure fire at 295 Treadwell Street, the Treadwell Industrial Park.
 
Engine 2, Engine 1, Truck 2, Rescue 2 and Car 30 were on the first alarm.  Lt. Dan O'Connell arrived on Engine 2 and gave a signal "10-8" for a working fire.  Fire in the 20,000-square foot building at the western end of the complex had gotten into the void between the ceiling of the second floor and the roof and began spreading laterally across the width of the building. 
 
Deputy Chief Francis "Chalky" Leddy arrived shortly thereafter in Car 30 and called for a second alarm, which brought Engine 3, Engine 4, Truck 1, and Rescue 1.
 
Contrary to the last paragraph in the news article below, all of the department's running assignments provided for a third alarm, which was called when Chief V. Paul Leddy arrived on scene, bringing Engines 5 and 9 to the scene along with volunteer Cos. 8 and 7.  Cheshire responded on a mutual aid request to provide additional Scott bottles and other support.
 
Attempts to confine and compartmentalize the fire proved to be a nightmare.  Adding to firefighters' difficulties was a frozen yard hydrant inside the complex.  Although the Chief considered the building "a total loss," only the top floor was destroyed.  On a Sunday morning eight years later, fire did considerable damage to another building on the opposite side of the complex.
Posted 1/5/2018

New Haven Journal-Courier, Wednesday, January 5, 1983 (CLICK TO READ ARTICLE)
Tuesday, January 4, 1983
 
Two news accounts of the January 4, 1983 general alarm fire at the Treadwell Office Park.  Interviews with Chief V. Paul Leddy and several occupants.  See quick glimpses of pump operator Paul Frodel and Art Heriot.
 
Click on the photo at right to watch the YouTube video.
 
Originally posted 8/6/09

CLICK photo to view video
New Haven Journal-Courier, Wednesday, January 5, 1983
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________

It's That Time of Year
 
January 5, 2018 - The day after a major blizzard struck the northeast, HFRA president Bobby Mordecai spotted Firefighter/Paramedics Matt Kellick and Scott Blake of Rescue 1 shoveling out this hydrant across from Whitney Donut.  All other Platoon personnel were out doing the same thing, an important part of the job that brings back some mixed memories for all of us.  Nice work guys.  Thank you!

Rescue 1 Guys Shoveling Out on Whitney Avenue
Firefighter/Paramedics Matt Kellick and Scott Blake
Photo by Bob Mordecai
Hydrant shoveling must give way to responses, of course.  Shortly after snapping the photos of Ffs. Kellick and Blake shoveling out hydrants in the Norwood area, Bob came upon Engine 5 on this medical call near the corner of Whitney and Shepard Avenues.
Posted 1/5/2018

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________

60 Years Ago
17-year old lucky to be alive
 
Like so many other cars and trucks before and since, the early 1950's Oldsmobile in this news photo somehow ended up in Lake Whitney on Monday, January 5, 1958.  Its youthful driver, lucky get out alive, suffered only minor injuries.  The photo caption tells the story, the rest can be read between the lines.
Posted 1/5/2018

New Haven Evening Register, Tuesday, January 6, 1958 (Courtesy of Chan Brainard)
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________

30 Years Ago
January 6, 1988
Youngest Hamden Firefighter "Baptized" by Fire
 
Firefighter-Paramedic John Spencer, assigned to Rescue 2 on Platoon 1, sustained second degrees burns to his face during a valiant attempt by first due firefighters to rescue a 14-year old youth believed to be trapped on the second floor of a Bradley Avenue house in January 1988.  It turned out that the youth was actually at school.
 
Firefighter Spencer, now Battalion Chief Spencer, at the time was the youngest member of the department, having been appointed a year earlier.  Spencer's helmet is graphic evidence of the intense heat to which he was exposed.
 
Originally posted 1/2/2015

The New Haven Register, January 7, 1988
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________

70 Years Ago

These five started on the job 70 years ago last Tuesday. Each served at least 30 years.
Five new firefighters began their recruit training with department drillmaster Lieut. Roland Ruwet seventy years ago this week on January 2, 1948.  Recruit Firefighters Frank Eitler, Russ Norman, Daniel O'Connell, David Howe, and Howard Hurlburt Sr., all veterans of World War II,  had been appointed the month before.  The appointments allowed the department to go from an 84-hour workweek to a 67.1-hour workweek.
 
Most of us worked with these guys at one time or another.  All five served at least thirty years on the job.  The last one to retire, Lieut. Danny O'Connell, worked until the end of 1986.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Jesswig Drive - Then and Now

Firefighter Dan O'Connell in the front seat of the Squad (CLICK TO ENLARGE)
The Squad is shown parked in front of 61 Jesswig Drive in this December 22, 1951 photo taken by Chan Brainard.  Firefighter Daniel O'Connell, sitting in the front seat, is talking to an unidentified civilian, probably the home owner.  O'Connell, who came on the job 70 years ago this week, was promoted to lieutenant in late 1963 with Firefighters Joe McDermott and Ken Harrington, when the department added a second lieutenant on each of the three platoons.  Dan O'Connell retired at the end of 1986.  He died in November 1990.
 
The exact nature of the call is not known, but the Squad, which was stationed at Headquarters (now Station 4), responded on almost all calls in those days.  61 Jesswig is located on a ninety-degree bend.  The house in the background is #60 Jesswig.
Posted 1/5/2018

January 5, 2018 - Same location on Jesswig Drive
December 22, 1951 - The Squad parked in front of 61 Jesswig Drive (CLICK TO ENLARGE)
61 Jesswig Drive today, the background of the above photo. A tree has been added.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________

HFRA Winter Meeting
Thursday, January 18th at 9 a.m.
Hamden Elks' Lodge, 175 School Street
 
Meeting Agenda
Treasurer's Annual Report for 2017
Report on Non-Profit Status
Report on Old School House
Anything for the Good of the Association
 
Menu
FREE Continental Breakfast (details next week)
 
All active, former and retired HFD welcome!

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Hamden Firefighting
128 pages - 214 photos
 
 Now on sale  
 
HFRA price in USA is only $19.00
plus USPS media mail rate
 
Barnes & Noble, Amazon or directly from the HFRA
-   -   USE PAYPAL LINK BELOW   -   -
 
All profits from sales on this website will benefit the HFRA.
All royalties will be shared equally by the HFRA
and the Hamden Historical Society.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________


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.


__________________________________________________________________________________________________________

← DECEMBER 29th UPDATE


JANUARY 12th UPDATE →


COPYRIGHT NOTICE

Unless otherwise cited or in the Public Domain,
all material on this website, including all original photos, essays, articles and commentary published herein, are Copyright © 2009-2021 by the Hamden Fire Retirees Association, Inc., and may not be copied or republished in whole or in part without prior written permission of the Hamden Fire Retirees Association, Inc.

Official website of the Hamden Fire Retirees Association, Inc.

Website powered by Network Solutions®