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| SEPTEMBER 2021
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Important updates will be posted immediately.
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Last update: Friday, September 24, 2021 - 1423 hrs
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2021 marks the 125th anniversary of the founding of
Hamden's first fire company, Highwood Pioneer Hose Co. No. 1.
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Brion Tierney Named Battalion Chief
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(September 24) - The Hamden Board of Fire Commissioners on Wednesday evening named 24-year department veteran Brion Tierney the 26th individual promoted to lead a platoon of officers and firefighters since control of the department's line operations by career officers was instituted nearly 80 years ago.
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In his remarks before a large group of Tierney's co-workers, retirees, other friends and family members in the Legislative Council chambers, Chief Gary Merwede noted, "At the beginning of this month, Captain Tierney completed 24 years of service on our department - nearly a quarter of a century of responding to the needs of the Hamden community, working his way through the ranks. and developing his leadership style in preparartion for this day." Chief Merwede added, "he is known for his quick wit and good nature, traits that have served him well in the stressful environment of first responders."
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B/C Tierney joined the department in September 1997, and earned promotions to lieutenant in 2004 and captain in 2009. As captain he was assigned to Platoon 4, where he will continue as shift commander, replacing recently retired B/C Gary Couture. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Southern Connecticut State University, numerous certifications through the Connecticut Fire Academy and National Fire Academy, he and continues to teach classes at the Fairfield Regional Fire School.
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9/24/2021
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60 Years Ago
September 25, 1961
Chief V. Paul Leddy Honored with Testimonial Dinner
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At the close of his first of more than 23 years leading the HFD, Chief V. Paul Leddy was honored sixty years ago this week for his service as both Hamden fire chief and Civil Defense director at a 350-person dinner at Cheshire's Waverly Inn.
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The guest list included numerous business, political, and area fire service luminaries, including many past and present career and volunteer members of the Hamden Fire Department. Hamden Second Selectman Thayer Jones had once served as an assistant fire chief before paid officers were appointed to manage the fire department in April 1942.
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Not a common practice these days, except for retirements, testimonials like this were at one time a way to congratulate and honor those active personnel who were either promoted to, or served in, important Town positions.
9/23/2021
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Nearly a decade earlier, the Waverly Inn was nearly destroyed in a suspicious fire on a bitter cold morning. The Hamden Fire Department was among several area departments that responded on Cheshire's call for mutual aid.
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70 Years Ago
September 19, 1951
Oil Tanker Overturns at Whitney and Todd
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| The New Haven Journal-Courier, Sept. 20, 1951 (Calvert photo) |
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| Whitney and Todd, September 19, 2021 - The house was razed several years ago to make way for a new building devoted to family medicine. |
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According to the article that accompanied the above left photo, "Two truck drivers narrowly escaped serious injury or death in an accident on Whitney Avenue at Todd Street at 7:30 Wednesday morning [September 19, 1951]. The heavy tractor-trailer oil carrier shown at left overturned after its driver made a sharp turn to avoid hitting the smaller dump truck, shown at right, as it made a left turn from Whitney Avenue into Todd Street. Hamden police say most of the 3,000 gallons of bunker oil in the trailer spilled over a 250-foot area at the accident scene."
This was long before the creation of the EPA and the terms "Haz-Mat" and "environmental remediation." One can only wonder how much of those 3,000 gallons ended up in nearby Eaton's Brook and Mill River, and downstream therefrom.
9/20/2021
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75 Years Ago
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An iconic Hamden institution was inaugurated 75 years ago last month when Volume 1, Number 1 of the The Hamden Chronicle, founded by brothers Marshall and Richard Harris, first rolled off the presses on Thursday, August 23, 1946.
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Richard Harris was the newspaper's editor and Rachel Hartley, noted local historian, was associate editor. Author of A History of Hamden, Mrs. Hartley was a significant contributor to each weekly edition.
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In the earliest issues of the newspaper, Mrs. Hartley contributed numerous articles about the Hamden Fire Department. The fifth issue, published September 20, 1946, featured two such articles. Check them out.
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| An 84-Hour Work Week? OUCH! |
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| Some of these are new to us! |
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The editor and associate editor of The Hamden Chronicle were no strangers to Hamden politics, although the newspaper wisely never aligned itself with either political party. Richard Harris, a Democrat, served as Hamden's fourth mayor (1980-81), and had declared from the onset that he would serve only one term. He succeeded Lucien DiMeo (1974-80) and was succeeded by Peter Villano (1981-85). For many years, Rachel Hartley, a Republican, served as Hamden's municpal historian and was Hamden 2nd Selectman from 1961 to 1965.
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| Ret. Superintendent of Alarms & Apparatus Richard Lostritto |
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| CLICK on the above for 9/11/21 HOME page |
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Happy birthday wishes to our most senior retiree, Richie Lostritto, on his 95th birthday earlier this month. One of the best ever!
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The recently re-introduced townwide mask mandate for ALL indoor public occupancies, not just municipal, made it necessary to find another venue outside Hamden. HFRA thanks to our own Rev. Ralph Purificato for the use of his church, Liberty Community Church, 540 Washington Avenue, in North Haven for this very important occasion to honor those of our brothers lost since October 2019. It was here that the first three meetings of this association took place twelve years ago. Thanks, Ralph!
Posted 9/8/2021
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Posterity Project '21
Platoon 4 - Station 4
A website celebration of today's future HFD retirees.
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NOTE: An asterisk (*) heading a caption denotes an image that can be enlarged by clicking on it.
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| Left to right: Lieut. Mike Dowling, Ff. Dave Beaton, B/C Tom Doherty (Ret.), Ff. Rob Phelan, Ff. Tom Paranzino, and Ff. Cal Brennan |
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An invitation brought our brother, B/C Tom Doherty (Ret.), and a fellow retiree to Station 4 earlier this week for a tour of the station where he was house captain from 1977 until his 1984 promotion to shift commander. Station 4 underwent a massive renovation starting 12 years ago this month. Tom said he hadn't visited the place since his retirement exactly 25 years ago last week. Check out the photos.
Posted 9/3/21
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| CLICK ON THIS PICTURE TO REGISTER 0NLINE |
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| LOCAL 2687'S GOLF TOURNAMENT IS SCHEDULED FOR FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 10TH!
CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO:
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| B/C Couture |
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Batt. Chief Gary Couture Has Retired After 34 Years' Service
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August 30 - Last Saturday, Platoon 4 hosted an informal reception at Station 3 to honor Batt. Chief Gary Couture on his final shift. Lots of family and on- & off-duty department members stopped by, along with retirees. In between the many shared stories, some good natured ribbing, and several photo sessions, Gary was presented with a wooden replica of a Thin Red Line Flag sporting his department start and end dates.
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Gary Couture was appointed on September 1, 1987, along with Bernie Amatrudo, Mike DiStefano, and Karry Paull (Castracane). The four started on September 21st. Capt. Bernie Amatrudo is still on the job, one of the last three active department members to have served during the Tramontano era. Castracane retired in 2010. DiStefano retired in 2008 and is now a Batt. Chief in The Villages, Florida.
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The members of the Hamden Fire Retirees Association thank Batt. Chief Couture for his 34 years of dedicated service in the HFD, and wish him a long, happy, and healthy retirement.
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CLICK HERE to view more photos and read what happened when Gary was appointed.
Posted 8/30/2021
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With the closing of the Highwood station expected to take place on October 1, 1951, the extensive renovations to the Humphrey fire station (No. 2) were progressing. This article from the September 6, 1951 edition of The Hamden Chronicle provides some interesting history of the Humphrey fire station. (Some of the dates are at variance with those provided in earlier sources, which are apt to be more accurate.) Enjoy.
Posted 8/30/2021
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| The Hamden Chronicle, Thursday, September 6, 1951 |
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Governor Lamont Directs Flags To Half-Staff in Honor of the Victims of the Attack in Afghanistan
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(HARTFORD, CT) – Governor Ned Lamont announced that – in accordance with a proclamation issued by President Joe Biden directing flags to be lowered throughout the country as a mark of respect for the U.S. service members and other victims killed in the terrorist attack today in Kabul, Afghanistan – U.S. and state flags in Connecticut will fly at half-staff beginning immediately until sunset on Monday, August 30, 2021.
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Accordingly, since no flag should fly higher than the U.S. flag, all other flags, including state, municipal, corporate, or otherwise, should also be lowered during this same duration of time.
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“My prayers go out to the family and friends of the military members whose lives were lost today in Afghanistan, as well as those who were injured,” Governor Lamont said. “They were doing everything they could to get Americans safely home and protect innocent civilians. Our service members are heroes.”
Posted 8/27/2021 - 1045 hrs.
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Governor Lamont Directs Flags To Half-Staff in Honor of Connecticut State Police Sergeant Brian Mohl
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Sept. 2 - (HARTFORD, CT) – Governor Ned Lamont today announced that he is directing U.S. and state flags in Connecticut lowered to half-staff in honor of Connecticut State Police Sergeant Brian Mohl, who died this morning while responding to severe flooding from the remnants of Hurricane Ida as the storm made its way through the state. Sergeant Mohl served with the Connecticut State Police for 26 years and was assigned to Troop L in Litchfield. Flags shall be lowered immediately and remain lowered until sunset on the date of interment, which has not yet been determined.
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The Office of the Governor will send out a notification when flags should be returned to full staff. Accordingly, since no flag should fly higher than the U.S. flag, all other flags, including state, municipal, corporate, or otherwise, should also be lowered during this same duration of time.
CLICK HERE to reads the Governor's complete proclamation.
FULL STAFF at sunset on Thursday, September 9th
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Revised 9/8/2021 - 1043
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| Non-members may subscribe to HFRA archived web pages.
For a recommended $10 annual donation, non-HFRA members may access all HFRA archives, except the "Members Only" pages.
Donations help to defray website expenses.
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| ** We Remember (2021 Ed.) |
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| ** Official Local 2687 Website |
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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 on September 11, 2001.
Always keep them, their families and the FDNY in your thoughts and prayers.
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