We are in the process of archiving all weekly updates by the month. All of the weekly updates for this month are on this page.
Just scroll down to locate the desired update.
July 2021
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| Hamden Fire Retirees' Association |
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FRIDAY, JULY 1, 2011
Website is updated every Friday - Important interim updates will be posted when necessary
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HFRA “SUMMER” MEETING
NEXT Tuesday, July 12th - Hamden Elks Lodge, 175 School St.
5:30 p.m. – Meal follows brief meeting
MENU
Pull pork sandwiches/subs and french fries - $6.00
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| 1980 - Station 2, 4th Platoon - CLICK to enlarge (Photo by Dave Strawhince) |
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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 last August. Dave and his wife, Molly, are now living in Anthem, Arizona, where Dave reported that it was 110 degrees last week.
More of Dave's photos will be posted during the coming weeks.
Posted 7/1/11
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| 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) |
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| Hamden Fire Retirees' Association |
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FRIDAY, JULY 8, 2011
Website is updated every Friday - Important interim updates will be posted when necessary
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Platoon 1, Station 2 - Thirty Years Ago
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| Photo by Dave Strawhince - CLICK to enlarge. |
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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
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Fire Marshal School Grads - Twenty-Six Years Ago
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| 1985 - L-R: Firefighter Michael Ambrisco, Fire Marshal Bob "Bubby" O'Donnell, Chief John Tramontano, Dep. Fire Marshal Bob Westervelt, and Lt. Dave Strawhince. |
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In this 1985 photo, Lt. Dave Strawhince and Ff. Mike Ambriscoe had just completed the very lengthy fire marshal certification training program conducted by the State of Connecticut, in preparation for working part-time in the Marshal's office as fire inspectors. Eventually, their ranks would be increased by the addition of Firefighters Jim Hagerty and Mark Barletta. Barletta, now the HFRA president, would go on to become Hamden's fourth uniformed fire marshal following the retirement of Westervelt. Unfortunately, the four part-time Inspectors' positions disappeared due to "fiscal considerations" after a relatively short run.
Photo by Dave Strawhince
Posted 7/8/11
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| Hamden Fire Retirees' Association |
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FRIDAY, JULY 15, 2011
Website is updated every Friday - Important interim updates will be posted when necessary
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HFRA “SUMMER” MEETING
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Our 11th meeting was held at the Hamden Elks Lodge, with 24 members attending. CLICK on the photo to view more photos. Minutes of the meeting are posted on the For Members pages.
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| CLICK to view more photos. |
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1982 - Platoon 4 - Station 2
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| 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. |
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| CLICK to enlarge |
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| CLICK to enlarge |
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These photos of Engine 6 were taken on November 28, 1953 by Chan Brainard at a barn fire on State Street. The pumper is parked on the east side, almost opposite Ridge Road. In the photo on the left, the white building is 1959 State, a private residence. The darker building, 1953 State, was St. Stephen's Church, long before the new church was built on Ridge Road.
The photo on the right was taken at the same time but from a different POV. Notice the same white markings on the larger utility pole in both pix. The Hamden branch of the Connecticut Dept. of Motor Vehicles stands there today.
Engine 6 was the 1930 Maxim 600 GPM pumper from August 1952, when it was transferred from Station 5, until October 1954, when it was replaced by the 1939 Diamond-T that had been Engine 4 since new.
Photos by Chan Brainard
Posted 7/15/11
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| Hamden Fire Retirees' Association |
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FRIDAY, JULY 22, 2011
Website is updated every Friday - Important interim updates will be posted when necessary
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| March 5, 1962 |
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The year after the Deputy Chiefs (shift commanders) received a brand new 1961 Ford sedan, Chief V. Paul Leddy was issued a brand new white 1962 Rambler sedan, purchased from Goodman Motors for $2,971.50. The new car replace the 1956 Pontiac that was originally issued to former chief, Raymond C. Spencer. This was when the department was still in it's short-lived "white" period, which lasted from 1958 until 1965. Department records indicate that this car was junked by 1971.
Pictured (L-R) are Chief Leddy, Fire Commission President Elton Wetmore, and Stewart Goodman, of Goodman Motors in Hamden, which continued to sell American Motors autos until the 1970s.
Posted 7/22/11
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| Car 40 - 1962 Rambler - A better photo |
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| Hamden Fire Retirees' Association |
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FRIDAY, JULY 29, 2011
Website is updated every Friday - Important interim updates will be posted when necessary
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Rhode Island Firefighters' Pensions in Jeopardy
Appalling Result of Underfunded Pension Plan by Municipality
CLICK on Photo for Story and Video
HFRA thanks to Rick Kenyon
Posted 7/23/11
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CLICK HERE to view a July 24, 2011 FOX News interview with state-appointed receiver, Robert Flanders, who acknowledges that the fire and police unions are NOT at fault for Central Falls' financial crisis.
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| Station 4 - 1985 |
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Platoon 4, Station 4 - (L-R): Firefighters Bob Surprise, George Patten, Don Buechele, John Longo and Lt. Dave Strawhince. The 1000 GPM Pierce Dash pumper was only a few months old. It was recently sold for scrap.
Photo courtesy of Dave Strawhince
Posted 7/29/11
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