| Hamden Fire Retirees' Association |
This just in: The Local 2687 Annual Dinner invitations to retirees will be going out this week. The dinner will be held Saturday, March 24th, from 7-midnight, at the Laurel View C.C.
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DAILY FLAG STATUS
CLICK here!
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FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2012
Website is updated every Friday - Important interim updates will be posted when necessary
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CLICK on the Members Only page in the above menu to access the January 10th meeting minutes
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From the February 9, 1964 Edition of The New Haven Register
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| © 1964 New Haven Register (Article courtesy of Gil Spencer) |
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| Capt. Paul Rosadina and Firefighter Harry Cubbellotti are seen here doing home fire inspections in early 1964. The white 1959 Maxim pumper was Engine 2 at the time.
Paul Rosadina came on the job in October 1946, was promoted to lieutenant in 1956 and captain in 1961. In 1972, he was promoted to Deputy Chief (shift commander) following the retirement of Joe Hromadka. He retired to Virginia in 1985, and passed away in 2003.
Harry Cubbellotti, who is a member of HFRA, joined the department in December 1957 and retired in July 1993. He currently lives in Hamden.
Posted 2/3/12
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| August 11, 2002 - Firefighters Augie Williams, Roberta Angiletta, Harold Mangler, Joe Anderson, Lt. Sam DeBurra and B/C John Spencer. Engine 4 in the background is the new 2001 Marion HME. The older gentleman by Engine 4 is not identified. (Photo by Bob Mordecai) |
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This photo, previously published on the website, shows Supt. of Alarms & Apparatus Clem Wetmore with Chief Raymond C. Spencer's 1951 Pontiac Chieftain Deluxe "Eight" two-door sedan at the Repair Shop in back of Station 2. This car listed for $2,026 without an AM radio and heater. The four-speed hydromatic transmission added $159 to the price.
Pontiac and Packard were the last American cars to offer "straight-8" engines (eight cylinders in a row). Straight-8 engine production for both makes ended with the 1954 models. Straight-8s ran very smoothly, but lacked the torque of V8s. Hamden police also drove Pontiac Eights in the early 1950s.
Chief Spencer's '51 Pontiac was eventually traded in for a brand new 1956 Pontiac with a V8 engine.
Posted 2/3/12
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| CLICK photo to read all about this fire! |
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| Sam Mednicow's Used Cars2230 State Street, corner of London DriveMonday, January 25, 1971
Legendary
local used car salesman, Sam Mednicow, was slightly injured when the
space heater in the office of his used car dealership exploded on Monday,
January 25, 1971. Several cars in his inventory were destroyed along
with the office. Platoon 2, under the direction of Deputy Chief James
Strain, responded with Engines 3 and 4, Ladder 2 and Rescue 1. The
ladder pipe of the new ladder truck was put into action successfully
despite the notoriously narrow mains on State Street at that time.
Posted 1/27/12
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| May 1, 1970 - (L-R) Councilman Ray Chase, Sr. joins Councilman Tom Pagnam, Mayor Bill Adams and Councilman Dick Macaboy, as the first foursome to tee off at Laurel View Country Club. (Photo courtesy of Tim Pagnam) |
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| Councilman Ray Chase, Sr. (1923-2012) |
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Former Hamden Councilman Raymond Chase, Sr., father of HFRA member Ray Chase, passed away on January 21st.
Mr. Chase served as 1st District Councilman on the Hamden Legislative Council from 1968 to 1972, when he was an ardent proponent of many fire department improvements. Two new fire stations were built during his two terms on the Council. An avid golfer (see historic photo at left), Mr. Chase also served as Chairman of the Council's Public Works Committee.
The funeral for Mr. Chase was Thursday. The members of the HFRA extend our condolences to our brother Ray and the entire Chase family.
Posted 1/27/12
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These photos were obtained through the efforts of Bob Mordecai. Much appreciated!
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Church in factory photo was a case of mistaken identity!
Over the years, almost everyone who has commented on the 1938 Emergency Squad photo below thought that it was taken in front of Hamden's Whitneyville Congregational Church, including the website editor. But a recent revelation (no pun intended) confirmed (sorry!) that the church in the background was in Topsfield, Massachusetts, up the street from where the truck was manufactured.
The brass at the Wood Engineering Co. undoubtedly wanted a dignified backdrop for their handiwork before sending it off to Hamden, where it would serve more than 20 years as the "Squad," and another ten with Volunteer Co. 9. It was sold to a private buyer in 1971. Its present location is unknown.
Posted 1/27/12
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| February 27, 1938 - Hamden's brand new 1938 Diamond-T "Emergency Squad" pictured in front of the Topsfield (Massacusetts) Congregational Church, which still stands, just up Main Street from where the Wood Engineering Co. was located until the early 1960s. |
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From Editor Francis J. "Bud" O'Connor's weekly column, "The Melting Pot," in the December 30, 1952 issue of The Hamden Chronicle, we learn the truth!
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| Today - Topsfield Congregational Church (image taken from Google Earth) |
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| 1976 photo of the Whitneyville Congregational Church (photo by John Frohlich) |
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| Fire Marshal-Designate Dennis Harrison |
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| May 1982 - Fire Marshal Bob "Bubby" O'Donnell (Tramontano photo) |
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From the Local 2687 website, we have learned of the promotion of Captain Dennis Harrison as Hamden's sixth Fire Marshal. The
swearing-in ceremony is tentatively scheduled
for Tuesday, January 31st. The time and location will be posted when
known. Dennis has been on the Department since February 1987.
| Following WWII, Robert "Bubby" O'Donnell joined the
Department in January 1947. Bob was promoted in lieutenant in 1956, and
captain the following year when Capt. Dan Hume became the Department's
first training officer. When Hamden's first uniformed fire marshal, Al
Purce, retired in 1968, Bob got the job. Always a cheerful guy armed
with plenty of funny stories, "Bubby" loved listening to his 1940s music
station.
Posted 1/20/12
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| The Hamden Chronicle, February 19, 1953 |
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| February 1953 - Hamden's 1938 Seagrave "canopy-cab" was the fifth piece of apparatus to have a two-way radio installed. (Brainard photo) |
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| There's an interesting tale behind this set of locally produced cutlery - CLICK to see why. |
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The Odyssey of Truck 1
Six Fire Stations!
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It is customary in many fire departments, including Hamden's, to reassign older apparatus to less active stations when new apparatus is delivered. Some Hamden pumpers, like the 1965 Mack, have been assigned to as many as five different stations during their active service. But Hamden's Truck 1 was the only Hamden engine or truck company to be located at six different locations during its years of active service.
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| 1908 - Hamden's First Truck Company |
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Hamden's first truck company got started in Highwood in 1908, when the Highwood Volunteer Fire Association built a hand drawn wagon containing various hand ladders. It was housed first in the old New Lebanon Mission Hall, which was located on the north side of Morse Street, not too far from Dixwell. In 1909, the Highwood volunteers built their permanent quarters at the corner of Dixwell and Morse, where Ladder Co. 1 found its second home.
The old-timers often told stories that, all these years later, seem to challenge plausibility. When Highwood's assistance was needed further up Dixwell Avenue, so the story goes, the Highwood volunteers would hitch their ladder truck to a next trolley car heading north on Dixwell. One wonders if trolley passengers were permitted to get on or off while the firefighters responded. In any event, the Highwood truckmen could go no further than Benham Street, where the Dixwell Avenue trolley line ended.
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| 1926 Maxim City Service Truck |
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There is no record of just how long Highwood's hand drawn truck remained in service. But in March of 1926, Ladder Co. 1 became motorized when Highwood acquired a new Maxim city service ladder, along with a new Maxim 500 g.p.m. pumper, costing the Town a total of $12,500.
On Wednesday, March 19, 1941, Hamden's only ladder company, now called the "Hook & Ladder," responded to a reported oil burner fire at the home of Mr. Peters at 2316 Dixwell Avenue (approximately where the Firestone store is today). Just past Dixwell and Mather, Hamden's 1926 ladder truck collided with a trolley car and flipped on its side. Miraculously, the only firefighter on board, driver David F. Howe, was unhurt. But at the tender age of fifteeen years, Hamden's only ladder truck was totaled. For nearly a year Hamden did not have a truck company.
From surviving records, it is not clear whether New Haven was on call for Hamden should a truck company be needed. But six months after losing its only ladder truck - and five months before acquiring a new one - Hamden experienced a major structure fire at 840 Prospect Street, the last house before the New Haven city line. The fire caused $25,000 in damages to the home of the Gratenstein family, a sizable loss for a house fire 70 years ago. If called, it is likely that either New Haven's Truck 4 from Dixwell Station or Truck 6 from Edwards Street would have responded.
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| 1942 at Highwood Station |
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In February of 1942, Hamden's brand new two-tone 1941 Diamond-T city service ladder truck was delivered. A ladder truck was back in service at the Highwood station!
When you drive past the old Highwood station today, you wonder how that ladder truck, and the 1942 Diamond-T pumper that was Engine 1, ever could have fit into that place. Somehow, they did.
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| 1957 at Station 2 |
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The Highwood station closed on October 1, 1951. The "Hook & Ladder" and its stablemate, Engine 1, joined Engine 2 at the newly-renovated Humphrey fire station at 71 Circular Avenue. Hamden's first ladder truck company, the "Hook & Ladder," "Ladder 1," or "Truck 1," was at its third location, and would remain there for nearly another quarter century.
When the ladder company moved into the new three-bay Humphrey station, it occupied the northernmost bay. Eventually an officer's room was built behind the north bay and the truck was moved to the center bay. But the designation over the north bay door still read "Truck Co. No. 1."
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| 1976 - Station 2 - Eng. 1, Truck 1, Eng. 2 |
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When the 1958 Maxim 75' "Junior" aerial ladder truck was delivered in late 1958, it was placed in service at Station 2 as "Ladder 1," replacing the 1941 Diamond-T ladder truck, which went in reserve at Station 5 until it was sold to New Milford in 1963.
When radios were installed in Hamden fire apparatus, the fire department shared the same frequency with the police and public works. The radio designations for the fire units were between numbers 30 and 59. Engine 1 was "Engine 31," Engine 2 was "Engine 32," and so forth. The Chief was "Car 40," the Marshal "Car 41" - and the truck company, Ladder 1, was "Ladder 42."
Hamden's second truck company, the 1970 Maxim 100' aerial, was placed in service as "Ladder 2" at the brand new Station 3 in 1970. And even though the fire department had acquired its own radio frequency many years earlier, the new Ladder 2 became "Ladder 43" on the radio.
Despite the fact that the "Truck Co. No. 1" label had adorned the front of Station 2 since the early 1950s, the truck company stationed there was still called "Ladder 1" Over the years, many department members had argued that the proper term for a ladder truck was, in fact, "truck." Finally, on July 1, 1974, the radio designations for all apparatus changed. Ladder 1 (or Ladder 42) became Truck 1, and Ladder 2 (or Ladder 43) became Truck 2.
When the new Rescue 2 was placed in service at Station 2 on April 9, 1976, Truck 1 was transferred with two firefighters to its fourth location at Station 5.
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| 4/9/76 - Ff. Braun pulls Truck 1 out of Sta. 2 for the last time . . . |
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| . . . and up Circular Avenue toward Mt. Carmel. |
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For the next eight years, four firefighters were assigned to Station 5, manning Engine 5 and Truck 1.
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In late 1984, a department reorganization resulted in a third lieutenant for each platoon, and an officer was assigned to Station 9 for the first time.
On November 3, 1984, Truck 1, with its two personnel, was transferred to its fifth location at Station 9. An officer and three firefighters were now assigned to Station 9, manning Engine 9 and Truck 1. Station 5 went back to being a "two-man" house.
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11/3/84 - Firefighter Braun pulls Truck 1 out of Station 5 for the last time . . .
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. . . and up Whitney Avenue toward West Woods.
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By coincidence, Firefighter Ernie
Braun was Truck 1's driver for both moves: from Station 2 to Station 5
on April 9, 1976, and again from Station 5 to Station 9 on November 3,
1984.
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Ff. Braun and Truck 1 arrive at Station 9.
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| Ff. Braun backs in Truck 1 at Station 9 the first time. |
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| Station 9 crew on November 3, 1984 (CLICK to enlarge) |
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| TAC 1 at Station 3 |
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The Station 9 four-man-house experiment was fairly short-lived. In late 1985, the department underwent another reorganization when a fourth lieutenant's position was added to each platoon.
On December 1, 1985, one firefighter on each platoon was transferred from Station 9 to Station 3, leaving an officer and two firefighters on Engine 9. The 1958 Maxim 75' aerial truck was removed from service. Remaining quartered at Station 9 as a reserve ladder truck, it was designated as "Truck 2."
The 1970 Maxim 100' aerial ladder truck at Station 3, now designated as "Truck 1," became a two-piece truck company, running with TAC 1. Now Hamden's Truck 1 was officially assigned to Station 3, that company's sixth location!
TAC 1, short for "Tactical Unit 1," was the 1975 Ford reserve rescue unit, previously designated as "Rescue 3." It contained a cascade air system for refilling air tanks, the Hurst tool, air bags, spare tanks and other specialized equipment. An officer and three firefighters were assigned to this new two-piece truck company.
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For the next five years whenever the 1970 Maxim was out of service due to repairs, the 1958 Maxim was moved to Station 3 to once again act as Truck 1.
The '58 Maxim aerial ladder truck did have one last run out of Station 9, however. On May 25, 1988, Engine 9 was dispatched to the Davenport Residence on a third alarm. Station 9's officer that night, Lt. Bob Mordecai, ordered one of his riders, Ff. John O'Hare, to follow Engine 9 to the scene with the '58 Maxim aerial ladder truck.
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| 1958 Maxim 75' Aerial Ladder Truck (1958-1990) |
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| 1970 Maxim 100' Aerial Ladder Truck (1970-1990) |
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The 1958 and 1970 Maxim aerial ladder trucks were both removed from service by early 1990 and eventually sold at auction to the same private buyer.
In February 1990, the East Haven Fire Department lent Hamden its spare 1968 Seagrave 100' aerial ladder truck, while Hamden awaited the delivery of a new Truck 1, a Pierce 105' rear-mount aerial ladder truck, which arrived in late August of that year.
Posted 1/13/12
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| 1973 - Lt. Gil Spencer |
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Three Station 9 "Firsts"
In December 1968, then-Firefighter Gilbert Spencer was the first career firefighter on "old" Platoon 2 to be assigned to the brand new Station 9 - then a one-man station. By 1973, Spencer, now a lieutenant, was assigned to Station 4 on "new" Platoon 2. In those days, the Station 4 officer was also in charge of the Station 5 and Station 9 firefighters on his platoon.
One day in May 1973, Lt. Spencer and Firefighter/EMT Walt Macdowall drove to Station 9 in Rescue 1. Spencer now recalls that their trip to Station 9 was for some sort of task, perhaps hose testing, that would keep them both up there for several hours.
Shortly after arriving at Station 9, Firefighter Macdowall was called back to Headquarters for an interview with the Fire Commission for the position of lieutenant. During Macdowall's absence, Lt. Spencer was ordered to put his gear on Engine 9, thus - albeit briefly - making him the first career officer on Engine 9. (And, yes, Macdowall was promoted to lieutenant.)
Completing a hat trick of Station 9 "firsts," in November 1984, Capt. Gilbert Spencer became Station 9's first house captain.
The first officers assigned to Station 9 were Lt. Dick Stacey (Pl. 1), Lt. Dan O'Connell (Pl. 2), Lt. Bob Chadwick (Pl. 3), and Capt. Gil Spencer (Pl. 4). Two years later, Spencer was promoted to Commander (now Battalion Chief).
Posted 1/13/12
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| June 1982 - Ffs. Dennis Cosgrove and Bob Viglione, with Lieut. Bill Coppola, sprucing up Engine 4 at the start of the day. (Photo by John Tramontano) |
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| August 21, 1993 - Station 4 - Capt. Dave Johnson, Ff. Jim Dunlop, Cmdr. Bill Coppola, Ff. Bob Anthony, Ff. Rich "Rambo" Maybury and Ff. Ron Desroches. |
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| "Blackie" was the last mascot at Station 4. This photo is from a November 1957 issue of "The Suburban Spokeman," a regional weekly newspaper that briefly took the place of "The Hamden Chronicle" for a few months in late '57 and early '58. (Article courtesy of Chan Brainard) CLICK for more on HFD mascots. |
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| Firefighter Stan Brown sometime in the early 1960s |
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| We Remember
Sunday,
January 1, 2012, marked the 40th anniversary of the passing of Hamden firefighter Alfred Ramelli, who was stricken while on duty a week earlier on Christmas Eve. Firefighter Ramelli was a 23-year veteran of the Department. His son, Ray, joined the Hamden Fire Department in January 1970 and served for 30 years.
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| This 1970 photo by Cal Stoner shows the brand new Station 3 with apparatus in place. L-R: Engine 3 (1968 Maxim S-model), Truck 2 (1970 Maxim 100' aerial), and Rescue 1 (1959 International Travel-al). Behind Rescue 1 is Engine 6 (1954 Maxim). The Deputy Chief's car, Car 30, ran out of the rear overhead door behind Engine 3. That would change in November 1971, when the two International rescues were taken out of service. A new Rescue 1 was put in service at Station 4 and Car 30 took over the spot in front of Engine 6. |
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| THOSE WERE THE DAYS! The photographer was in "alarm readiness" in the dayroom at Station 3 when snapping this 1978 photo. Notice the ancient cable TV controller atop the equally ancient console TV set. (CLICK to enlarge) |
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| Memorial Day 1978 - Some schmoozing after the parade. Lt. John Tramontano and Dep. Chief George Reutenauer at left, and Ff. Howie Hurlburt, Jr. and a guy who looks like it might be Ff. Ralph Dievert at right. (CLICK to enlarge) |
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December 1968 - Lostritto Promoted to Supt.
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| December 1968 - Asst. Superintendent Richie Lostritto was promoted to Superintendent of Alarms & Apparatus. He replaced HFD's first Superintendent, Clem Wetmore, who retired that month after more than 30 years of service. Richie retired on the last day of 1985 after 35 years on the department. (©1968 - The New Haven Register) |
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| Sam Jones |
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| Man of the Year
Website
congratulations go out to HFRA member Sam Jones, who was named Omega
Man of the Year by the Iota Alpha chapter of the Omega Psi Phi
Fraternity. Sam served on the department from 1961 until his retirement
in 1990.The honor was extended on
Saturday, November 12th on the campus of Sam's alma mater, the
University of Tennessee at Knoxville. Congratulations, Sam!
Posted 12/16/11
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| May 1979 - Driving Truck 2 |
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30 Years!
Website congratulations go out to HFRA member Bob Slater, who has just celebrated 30 years at Disney in Florida. Bob retired from the department in 1981 and headed south with his wife Karen to accept a position in Security at Disney World.
Many HFRA members have enjoyed Bob and Karen's hospitality when visiting in Florida. Congratulations, Bob!Posted 12/16/11
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| Dec. 2011 - 30th Anniversary at Disney |
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Fifty years ago this week, on December 11, 1961, The Hamden Board of Fire Commissioners appointed three new firefighters: George Patten, William LaVelle and Paul Wetmore, Sr. All three started on the job January 2, 1962. Patten served for many years as a negotiator for the Hamden Paid Firemen's Sick Benefit Assn. and Local 2687, IAFF. He retired in 1995 and passed away in March 2003. LaVelle left the department in 1968 to go into business. Wetmore went on to serve as Chief of the Department from 1993 until his retirement in 1996.
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70 Years Ago!
U.S. Attacked
Hamden Fire Department Prepares for the Worst
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| The New Haven Sunday Register "EXTRA" published the evening of Sunday December 7, 1941. CLICK to enlarge |
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| WWII War Bond Poster (Image courtesy of Chick Manware) |
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Seventy years ago, on Sunday, December 7, 1941, the Japanese surprise attack on Pearl Harbor triggered America's entry into World War II. In his address to Congress the following day, President Franklin Roosevelt asserted that we would "gain the inevitable triumph." Three years and eight months later we did.
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| Norman Rockwell's iconic "Freedom From Fear," one of the Four Freedoms that he illustrated during WWII |
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country was unified after Pearl Harbor. In the first few days, tens of
thousands of young men swarmed local recruiting stations to join in the
fight. From the beginning until V-J day, Americans were focused on
supporting our men in the armed forces and defending the U.S. homeland
against a Juggernaut of vicious and determined enemies.
Still
under the leadership of volunteer officers at the time of the attack,
Hamden's paid and volunteer firefighters began preparing for the worst, with training sessions on air raids and bombings. The Red Cross
provided first-aid courses. A call went out among the Hamden citizenry for "auxiliary firemen" to supplement the volunteer and paid manpower in the event of an air raid.
Well
into 1942, some Hamden volunteer
fire companies manned their stations each night, making them immediately available to the paid forces in the event of an emergency. An excerpt from from Mt. Carmel's meeting minutes of March 12, 1942: "All
volunteers for night services at the firehouse are to give their names
to [volunteer] Capt. [Francis] Leddy, who will arrange groups of four
with a given Lieut in charge of his shift."
The Hamden
Fire Department was reorganized in April 1942. The Board of Fire
Commissioners conducted examinations to determine the department's first
full-time officers. Raymond C. Spencer was appointed as Hamden's first
paid fire chief. The department's first paid line officers, Capt.
Joseph Hromadka, Capt. Al Purce, Lieut. Everett Doherty and Lieut.
Roland Ruwet, were promoted from the ranks of the paid firefighters. Line personnel now numbered two officers and ten firefighters on each of two platoons.
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| 1942 (CLICK to enlarge) - Front Row: Daniel Hume, Joseph Marchitto and Frank Nolan / Middle Row: Clement Wetmore, Albert Moeller, Capt. Joseph Hromadka, Lieut. Everett Doherty and George Thatcher / Back Row: Stewart Keeler, James Strain and Arthur Norman |
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| 1942 (CLICK to enlarge) - Front Row: Julius Norman, Clem Kammerer, Joseph Dukat and Walter Thomas / Middle Row: David Howe, Sr., and Ralph Rosson / Back Row: Capt. Albert Purce, Emil Strain, Robert Reutenauer and Lieut. Roland Ruwet |
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(Not pictured:
Mario “Bucky” Serafino, Ed Kromer and V. Paul Leddy. Leddy had joined
the department five weeks before Pearl Harbor and was on leave from the department for service
in the armed forces.)
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| 1941 Diamond-T Ladder Truck |
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Most
Hamdenites today are probably not aware that Winchester's powder farm
on Putnam Avenue made Hamden a potential military target. Given the
limitations of enemy aircraft at the time, however, sabotage was a far
more plausible threat than an enemy air raid. Nonetheless, the
potential existed and some Hamden residents near the powder farm feared
enemy incendiary bomb attacks.
The
war put many orders for new fire apparatus on hold, with essential wartime priorities going to larger communities and the military. But Hamden had
placed its orders for a new ladder truck and pumper with the Woods
Engineering Service of Topsfield, Massachusetts well before December
7th.
The new apparatus was delivered in early 1942.
On February 11, a new 1941 Diamond-T city service ladder truck was placed in
service at the
Highwood station, replacing the 1926 Maxim ladder truck that was
demolished when hit by a trolley car the previous year. Two months
later, a new Diamond-T
600 g.p.m. pumper was placed in service as Engine 1 at the
Highwood station. The
1926 Maxim 500 g.p.m. pumper that had been Engine 1 since new was
transferred to the Merritt Street station to replace Co. 6's 1924 Stutz
350 g.p.m. pumper.
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Later in 1942, Hamden acquired some unique additions to the department's firefighting inventory. Maxim manufactured something called a "Blitz Buggy," a gasoline powered 500 g.p.m. pump mounted on a trailer, that could be either hand drawn or pulled by a motor vehicle. The Hamden Fire Department purchased two of these Maxim blitz buggies through the O.B. Maxwell Co. for $1,662 each.
Hamden's 1942 Town Report listed the blitz buggies as "Defense Equipment." Thus began a unique era in the history of the Hamden Fire Department. According to one newspaper article, one of the blitz buggies was "stationed in a garage in Spring Glen . . . under the direction of Calvin Shepard, captain of the newly-formed Spring Glen fire fighting unit." The other blitz buggy was assigned to "the Pine Rock section . . . under the supervision of Fire Marshal Charles P. Loller."
A November 1942 description of the Department written by Firefighter Al Molleur stated, "The Town has over 150 trained auxiliary firemen, and for emergency two Maxim 500-gallon Blitz Buggies have been purchased, one stationed at Spring Glen and one at Wilmont." The Maxim blitz buggies, and the two auxiliary fire defense companies to which they were assigned,
helped reinforce the firefighting capabilities of the Hamden Fire
Department during the war. "The Department is very proud of its auxiliary firemen," wrote Molleur, "as these men will be of great service to the town in the case of an emergency."
The Spring Glen and Pine Rock area auxiliary fire companies eventually disbanded and the blitz buggies were moved to the Whitneyville and Mt. Carmel stations. Both units were still listed on a department inventory dated February 5, 1952. An added notation to that same inventory indicated that the blitz buggy housed at Whitneyville was traded in to the O.B. Maxwell Co. on July 16, 1952 as a partial payment on the 1952 Maxim 750 pumper. It is not known for certain what happened to the blitz buggy at Mt. Carmel, but it is believed to have been purchased by a local farm.
In Hamden's Annual Report for 1944, Chief Spencer reported, "The Fire Department has operated very efficiently the past year despite the shortage of manpower, due to five members being in the armed forces." Those career department members on leave to serve during WWII were Joseph Hromadka, Stuart Keeler, V. Paul Leddy, James Strain and Emil Strain.
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With
the reduction in the workweek from 84 to 67.1 hours in 1948, then down to 56 hours in 1951, the number of Hamden's career personnel grew
significantly. In all, a total of 50 World War II veterans would
be hired as career members of the Hamden Fire Department. One veteran who joined the department after the war, William Hines, was stationed at Schofield Barracks adjacent to Hickam Field on that December day in 1941.
DGJ
Posted 12/7/11
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| CLICK here to view the list |
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| Hamden Chronicle - November 29, 1946 |
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65 Years Ago!
Some of us worked with the guys who took this 1946 exam to become Hamden firefighters.
Appointed from this list were Bob "Bubby" O'Donnell, Vinnie Roth, Ray Carofano and Sid Trower. All of these men served at least 30 years on the job. O'Donnell, Hamden's second uniformed fire marshal, put in 40!
Look what the starting pay was - and for an 84-hour workweek! Six 10-hour days, followed by one long (24-hour) day, followed by six 14-hour nights, followed by a single 24-hour day off. Then the cycle began anew.Posted 12/2/11
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| c. 1965 - The context of this group photo is not known, but pictured here in uniform (L-R) are Marshal Al Purce and Chief V. Paul Leddy with four other gentleman at Visel's service station, corner of Day Spring Street and Whitney Avenue. Check out the gasoline prices! (Mongillo photo) Does anyone know the story behind this photo? |
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| May 1982 - Rescue 1 with Firefighter/Paramedics Bob Surprise and Howie Hurlburt, Jr. |
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When retired Fire Chief Tramontano was the department's training officer (1981-84), he played a key role in spreading the news about the Hamden Fire Department. On his own dime and with his own camera, Tramontano shot hundreds of slides of Hamden firefighters in the performance of their duties, which he then organized into slideshows for presentation in Hamden's schools, service clubs and fraternal organizations.
Shortly after the HFRA was organized two years ago, Chief Tramontano donated his collection of slides to our archives. Here are three slides shot by then-Deputy Chief Tramontano in the spring of 1982. Firefighter/Paramedics Bob Surprise and Howie Hurlburt, Jr. are shown with Rescue 1, to which they were assigned on Platoon 4.
Posted 11/4/11
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| L-R: Ff. Henry Puciato, Lt. Bob Mordecai and Ff. Ron Desroches were recognized for saving the life of a woman during a fire in a Mix Avenue apartment in November of 1997. Desroches, now a captain, is still on the job. |
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Remembering a Great Photographer and Newsman
John Mongillo, Jr.
(1947 - 2011)
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| John Mongillo, Jr - HHS '65 |
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| Just one of many HFD action images captured by John Mongillo, Jr., who discovered this blaze at Reilly's Restaurant on Christmas morning 1964. CLICK on this photo to view more Mongillo photos. |
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Noted photographer and Hamden native, John Mongillo, Jr., passed away this past week.
Some of the most memorable Hamden Fire Department photos of the past 50 years were
shot by John, who started out as an assistant to his father, the late
John Mongillo, Sr.
The HFRA extends condolences to the Mongillo family.
Posted 10/21/11
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In addition to being a veteran photographer, John Mongillo, Jr. was also a reporter for The New Haven Register. John was one of several reporters who covered a devastating apartment building explosion thirty-four years ago this week in Whitneyville. Check it out below.
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Apartment Explosion
1181 Whitney Avenue
Tuesday, October 18, 1977
Off-duty Hamden firefighter Ralph Tomaselli was working his part-time job at Stone's Sunoco station at Whitney and Auger when a gas-fed explosion destroyed an
apartment building right across the street at 1181 Whitney Avenue. Ralph, along with fellow employee Wolfram Kaminskas
and by-stander Gary Jones, immediately rushed into the burning debris in an attempt to rescue two elderly victims. CLICK on The New Haven Register article below for the story. Posted 10/21/11
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| CLICK to enlarge for easier reading. |
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Firefighter Ralph Tomaselli and Civilians Recognized for Heroic Efforts Following Blast
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| Annual Dinner at the Hamden Elks' Lodge, April 6, 1978 - Hamden Firefighters' Association president Bob Slater presents the 1978 Alfred Ramelli Award to Firefighter Ralph Tomaselli. L-R: Craig Reynolds, Rev. Owen Sanderson, Pres. Slater, Wolfram Kominskas, Ff. Tomaselli, and Bob Stone. On October 18, 1977, Ff. Tomaselli, who was off duty, and the civilians pictured here were at the scene within seconds to search for and assist victims following an apartment building explosion at 1181 Whitney Avenue. |
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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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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 ten years ago on September 11, 2001.
Always keep them, their families and the FDNY in your thoughts and prayers.
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