| Hamden Fire Retirees Association, Inc. |
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FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 2012
Website is updated every Friday - Important interim updates will be posted when necessary
| Next Meeting: Oct. 9th at 6 p.m. at the Elks.
Menu: Chicken Cutlet sandwich with LT, 2 sides homemade potato salad and coleslaw, brownies with dash of whipped cream - All for $6.00
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| CLICK on photo to read Burt's obituary |
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Captain Burton C. Hillocks
It is with deep regret that we report the passing of brother fire retiree Burton C. Hillocks early Tuesday morning, September 4, 2012, in Vero Beach, Florida. He was 91. Burt's grandson, Franklin Wetmore, also of Vero Beach, reports that no funeral is planned.
Burt Hillocks was born on April 21, 1921 in Dundee, Scotland and came to the U.S. as a young boy. Burt served with distinction during World War II with the U.S. Army Air Corps 8th AF, where he flew on 30 missions in a B-17 in various E.T.O. campaigns, including Northern France, Rhineland, Ardennes and Central Europe.
Burt joined the Hamden Fire Department on September 11, 1950. He was promoted to lieutenant in 1966, and captain in 1974. Burt retired on February 18, 1981, and had resided in Florida most of the time since his retirement. Survivors include his son Bruce Hillocks of Meriden, CT; grandchildren Melissa Wetmore of Sebastian, FL and Franklin Wetmore of Vero Beach, FL.
The members of the Hamden Fire Retirees Association extend condolences to the Hillocks and Wetmore families.
Posted 9/4/12
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| The Grand March of the 1948 Annual Firemen's Ball - CLICK to enlarge |
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| CLICK here to see IDs |
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Earlier this week we received an email from Sally Hines Row, daughter of Lieutenant William Hines, who served on the department from 1946 until his passing in 1979. We are grateful to Sally for sending along several photos and news articles from our department's past. The photo above was taken at the 13th Annual Firemen's Ball, held Wednesday, November 24, 1948 at Hamden's Memorial Town Hall.
The Grand March, the traditional opening of formal balls in those days, was led by Chief and Mrs. Raymond C. Spencer, Firefighter and Mrs. Emil Strain (Ball Chairman), Capt. and Mrs. Albert Purce and Capt. and Mrs. Joseph Hromadka. Click on the inset photo at left to view the IDs of the Hamden fire personnel in attendance whom we could identify. (Additions and corrections welcome.)
The annual ball, held each year until 1973, was the principal fund raiser for Hamden firefighters. The 1948 ball raised $2,785.68 for the newly formed Hamden Paid Firemen's Sick Benefit Association.
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Below are Sally's dad and mom, Ff. Bill Hines and wife Ernestine (center), flanked by Ff. and Mrs. James Strain and Ff. Daniel and Mrs. Daniel Hume. More of Sally Hines Row's contributions to our history will be posted in the coming weeks. Thank you, Sally!
Posted 9/7/12
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| Firefighter and Mrs. James Strain, Firefighter and Mrs. Williams Hines and Firefighter and Mrs. Daniel Hume |
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| September 10, 1983 - Co. 7's Vic Mitchell, John Gustafson, young Danny Wetmore and Jim Wetmore (driving) aboard Co. 7's 1918 Brockway at the Engine 260 Muster. The truck is still going strong and now sports a newer set of solid rubber tires. The 41st annual Engine 260 Muster was held Saturday, September 8th, at Eisenhower Park in Milford. |
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VOLUNTEERS NEEDED!
You have wisdom to share. We have children who need it. Experience Corps is recruiting people age 55+ to tutor literacy with children in Hamden elementary schools 10+ hours a week during the school year. No teaching or tutoring experience is necessary and training is provided.
Volunteers also participate in fun community events. You must have a high school diploma or GED and be able to pass a background check and literacy screening. Small stipend with tuition help for children or grandchildren available.
For more information, please visit www.experiencecorps.org AARP Experience Corps - Greater New Haven is a program of the Agency on Aging of South Central Connecticut in partnership with United Way of Greater New Haven and Hamden Public Schools. This project is a proud member of the AmeriCorps National Service Network.
NOTE: The HFRA website welcomes the opportunity to advertise worthy programs that help members of our Hamden community.
Reposted 9/7/12
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| October 1, 1975
Three vacancies occured since the previous roster: Dep. Chief Training Officer Daniel Hume reitred after 32 years of service and was replaced by Capt. Kenneth Harrington. Lt. Burton Hillocks was promoted to fill Capt. Harrington's vacancy on Platoon 2, and Ff. John Tramontano was promoted to fill Lt. Hillocks' vacancy on Platoon 4.
Also retired during this period was veteran firefighter Mario "Bucky" Serafino, who joined the department as a substitute in 1937 and became fulltime in 1942. Bucky was stationed at Mt. Carmel for many years and was a life member of the New Haven County Fire Emergency Plan.
Five-year veteran Ff. Steve Hitchcock left the department in July 1975. Steve went on to a career with the Waterbury Fire Department, where he eventually served as a company officer and championed the improvement of firefighter safety and working conditions.
Note that the four fire dispatchers are labeled as such. However, under the bargaining unit contract, "Dispatcher" was never an officially recognized fire department position. The following year, under the federally subsidized Comprehensive Employment and Training Act (CETA), Mayor Lucien DiMeo authorized the hiring of civilian fire and police dispatchers to replace the uniformed personnel who had performed those duties for decades. Hamden's four fire dispatchers, all of them over 50 - two in their 60s - were reassigned back to engine companies.
Posted 9/7/12
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A Time to Say Bye: Jeanine and Fran Retire
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| Jeanine Aceto |
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| Fran and Ff./Paramedic Greg Pereira. Frannie's broken heel did not keep her from the festivites. She'll be good as new in about 8 weeks. |
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| Jeanine and Fran - Retired
With a total of 52 years of service as secretaries in the Hamden Fire Department, Jeanie Aceto and Francine Monaco said goodbye to many present and former department colleagues on the last day of August. Fran, who recently suffered a broken left heel, was not detered. Many active and retired Hamden firefighters stopped by the Government Center last Friday morning to wish Jeanine and Fran a long, happy and healthy retirement.
Fresh from high school in 1984, Jeanine started working in the office as part-time assistant to Rita Ryan, who took over for Letitia Flagge in 1978. Jeanine became full-timer shortly thereafter. Fran came on board in 1988 following Rita's retirement. The Executive Board voted unanimously to admit both ladies as Honorary Members in the Hamden Fire Retirees Association. The tributes on their honorary membership certificates say it all.
Posted 9/1/12
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| The tribute on the certificate says it all - CLICK to enlarge |
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In his comments at the start of the reception, Chief Berardesca showered well deserved praise on the two secretaries, hastening to note that their 52 years with the department represented their combined years of service. Emails were read from from several retirees, all praising their service and wishing them well in their retirements.
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| Chief Berardesca and Fran |
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| Former Chief Wetmore, Jeanine and Dep. Chief Surprise |
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| Dep. Chief Surprise and Chief Berardesca |
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| Local 2687 President, Kurt Vogt and former Chief Jim Leddy |
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| CLICK to see all the calendars |
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Those Old Shift Calendars
Finally Available Online - HERE!
For those active and retired department members who might want to know if they were on duty (or off duty) on a given date, we have assembled almost all of the Hamden Fire Department shift calendars issued since the advent of the 42-hour workweek. The 24-hour schedule that began on December 1, 2010 is properly depicted in the 2010, 2011 and 2012 calendars.
We also have all the shift schedules back to December 2, 1950, when the 56-hour workweek began (but they will come later).
If nothing else, these calendars are an excellent reference for anyone who just might want to know what day of the week fell on a specific date.
CLICK on the 1977 shift calendar to visit the calendar page. And if anyone has original 2007, 2008 or 2009 HFD shift calendars, we'd sure like to hear from you.
Posted 9/1/12
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| CLICK to enlarge |
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| October 6, 1973
This roster was printed in the program for Hamden Paid Firemen's Sick Benefit Association's 38th Annual Ball. Four new firefighter positions were added for the 1973-74 fiscal year. This roster shows the department at the new fully-manned figure of 116 line personnel, as well as displaying all staff personnel, including Secretary Letitia Flagge. The bottom four firefighters listed in each column were assigned to Stations 5 and 9. (Courtesy of Chan Brainard)
Two veteran chief officers retired since the 42-hour work week was inaugurated. Dep. Chief Joseph Hromadka retired in September 1972, and was replaced by Captain Paul Rosadina, who moved up to head Platoon 1. Lt. Thomas Doherty replaced Capt. Rosadina on Platoon 3, and Ff. Dick Stacey replaced Lt. Doherty. Dep. Chief Hromadka, who joined the department in 1937, was appointed to be one of the first two shift commanders when the Hamden Fire Department was reorganized under career officers in April 1942.
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Dep. Chief James Strain retired in 1973 after nearly 45 years in the fire service, 31 of which were served as a career department member. Dep. Chief Strain was replaced as shift commander of Platoon 2 by Capt. Joseph McDermott, who was replaced on Platoon 4 by Lt. John "Jackie" Laffin. Laffin's vacancy on Platoon 3 was filled by Ff. Walter Macdowall.
Posted 9/1/12
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We're Invited!
The website has received two invitations for all Hamden Fire Retirees. Our brothers at Local 2687 invite all retirees to join them at the annual Local 2687 Golf Tournament on Friday, October 5th at the Laurel View Country Club. Registration and breakfast at 8 a.m., shotgun start at 9 a.m. CLICK on the poster photo below for more information.
An invitation was also received this week from the Chief's Office, inviting all retirees to a special reception next Friday, August 31st, from 10 until noon, in the 3rd floor conference room at the Hamden Government Center. The Department is honoring a couple of special ladies we have known for many years - Jeanine Aceto and Francine Monaco, who are retiring at the end of this month. Together, Jeanie and Fran have served more than fifty years as secretaries in the Hamden Fire Department.
Posted 8/24/12
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42 School Street
Thursday, August 27, 1953
"Flames Flicker in Fireman's Father's Flat"
That was the headline in the following Thursday's edition of The Hamden Chronicle. The fire at 42 School Street did considerable damage to the apartment of Frank Cantarella, father of Hamden Firefighter Michael "Mickey" Cantarella. No injuries were reported and Ff. Cantarella was not on duty at the time. Volunteers from Mt. Carmel, several of whom would eventually become career department members, were playing ball in a nearby field and responded to the scene. (Photo articles courtesy of Chan Brainard)
Posted 8/24/12
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| Courtesy of Strain Family |
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| From the New Haven Evening Register, Friday, August 28, 1953 |
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| From The Hamden Chronicle, Thursday, September 3, 1953 - CLICK to enlarge |
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42 School Street was razed many years ago to expand the parking area across Whitney Avenue from Eli's. But its twin is still standing at number 36.
Numbers 36 and 42, along with number 32 (also gone), were believed to have been "company houses," owned by the Webb Shop (where the parkway now crosses Whitney Avenue), and occupied by the factory's employees.
Posted 8/24/12
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| 36 School Street (Vision Appraisal) |
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The First Roster of the 42-Hour Schedule Was Guarded Like the Manhattan Project
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October 6, 1970
Exact reproduction of original document
During the months and weeks leading up to the Department's transition to a 42-hour workweek, the contents of this roster was a closely guarded secret. Everyone on the department was going get an assignment letter, but no one, except the Chief and the Deputies, had any idea of the platoon where they'd be assigned. Rumors were flying.
Inevitably, a few guys would remain where they were already assigned, maybe even with the same officer. But the majority of personnel would be working at different stations and everyone would be working with different personnel from their previous assignments.
Men working on different platoons sometimes shared a part-time job on the outside. Guys sharing a part-time job were especially eager to know their new assignments. Being assigned to the same platoon would prevent them from sharing a part-time job on the outside. And in that era, most Hamden firefighters needed a second job in order to make ends meet.
The 42-hour workweek was a blessing to all line personnel, for the first time giving them nearly the same amount of free time as those working in the private sector. It also opened up an unprecedented number of promotional opportunities in all officer ranks below that of Chief. The new 4th Platoon would require one deputy chief, one captain, and two lieutenants, all of whom would come from the existing three platoons under Civil Service rules and testing. And those moving up into those new positions would create additional vacancies for another captain and two more lieutenants.
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Civil Service rules that were revised in 1967 dictated that all future deputy chiefs could be selected only from among the department's captains. Previously, captains and lieutenants were all eligible for that position. Effective October 6, 1970, Captain Francis "Chalky" Leddy became deputy chief of the new 4th Platoon. Following civil service tests that were conducted for captain and lieutenant, Lieutenants Kenneth Harrington and Joseph McDermott were promoted to captain; and Firefighters Fiore Cubbellotti, Thomas Doherty, David Herrmann and Gilbert Spencer were promoted to lieutenant.
IFSTA manuals sold like hotcakes once again in 1984, with the creation of four new lieutenant positions and numerous officer retirements in all ranks, which resulted in a new Chief, two promotions to deputy chief (renamed "Commander"), four promotions to captain, and eight promotions to lieutenant - all before the year was out. More on that in a few weeks.
Posted 8/24/12
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NOTICE
A few hundred military working dogs here at Camp Leatherneck are looking for adoption. Everything from Labradors (chocolate and black), German Sheppards, and various mixes of breeds.
Do you know of anybody that would want one (your parents, KP, etc..)? The military can get them to N.C. but it is on the individual to pick them up there. The dogs are already trained and incredibly well behaved and smart. They are not attack dogs. Most of them are bomb and drug sniffing dogs. There is no cost and they will be put to sleep if people don't adopt them.
If anyone is interested let me know and I can look into it for them. Thanks.
Lauren E. Perry
Assistant District Attorney, Trial Bureau 60
New York County District Attorney's Office
1 Hogan Place
New York, NY 10013
(212) 335-4283
Posted 8/24/12
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Building on last week's article about the coming of Sears to Hamden, which changed Hamden's commercial landscape forever, Gil Spencer provided this interesting photo of what was there before the Sears store was built. The Peters' Farm Market, at 2335 Dixwell Avenue, was located approximately where the Sears Automotive Service Center was built - opposite, and a little south of, the main entrance to the Hamden Mart.
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| (Courtesy of Gilbert Spencer) |
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58 Years Ago Hamden Changed Forever!
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Sears Provides Unique Fire Training Opportunities 40 Years Later
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| Sears Arrived in 1954 - Gone by 1994 |
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| The Hamden Chronicle, August 19, 1954 (Courtesy of the Hamden Historical Society) - CLICK to enlarge. |
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| 40 Years Later - Ready for demolition - SAD! |
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Until the mid-1950s, suburban folks in Connecticut had to go to the big city to patronize a prominent national department store. That all changed at 9 a.m. on Thursday, August 19, 1954, when the Sears Roebuck and Co. department store opened at 2301 Dixwell Avenue.
The new Hamden Sears replaced the New Haven store on lower Church Street and was the first national chain department store to be located in the bedroom community of a major Connecticut city. The Hamden Sears was also the precursor to the Hamden Plaza, the first suburban shopping plaza in Connecticut, which opened the following year.
By the 1959 opening of the Hamden Mart, the stretch of Dixwell Avenue between Skiff Street and the parkway overpass, once dominated by the Peters Farm and apple orchard, would thereafter be known as the "Magic Mile."
Hamden's Sears store lasted just under 40 years, closing on March 13, 1993, the same day the area was hit with a massive snow storm. In the year and a half that followed, the Hamden Fire Department was permitted to use the building for training purposes. We preserved many images from that time.
Posted 8/17/12
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| Saturday, October 8, 1994 - During a multi-company training session, Battalion Chief Tom Doherty and Ff. John Longo of Tower 1 posed on the roof next to one of Hamden's most recognized signs of the previous 40 years. |
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| October 18, 1994 - Only ten days later, the wrecking crew was moving right along. (Johnson photo) |
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CLICK ON THE PHOTO ABOVE FOR MORE.
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| Bill Hines (1950) |
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Bill Hines
Bob Slater wrote to remind us that our own Bill Hines worked part time in the Customer Pick-up Department at the Hamden Sears store when he wasn't working days on the department. Bill's widow, Ernestine, told Bob that she thought he worked there from about 1957 until the late 1960s. Bob was part of Bill's crew when he was a lieutenant at old Station 3 on the 56-hour shift. Bob recalled that Bill knew just about all the part numbers of the various Sears appliances.
Lt. Bill Hines, like almost everyone else on the department, worked a part time job to help make ends meet, when even a lieutenant's annual pay was in the mid-four figures. Did any other Hamden firemen work at Sears?
Posted 8/18/12
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Dolores Fortuna Experienced an Epic Hamden Event in the Sears Building
For a couple of years in the late 1980s, Dolores Fortuna worked in the Sears accounting department, up on the second floor in the front of the building. Dolores is the wife of Tom Fortuna, who, many of us will recall, served as Hamden's 2nd District Councilman for several years in the 1990s.
The Sears building played a significant role in Dolores' memorable "snapshot" moment of an event that was also experienced by tens of thousands of us other Hamdenites one summer afternoon in 1989. Click on her photo for, as Paul Harvey used to say, "the rest of the story."
Posted 8/18/12
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| CLICK for the rest of the story |
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| c. mid-1980s - At an unidentified department event in the Memorial Town Hall auditorium, Fire Commission Chairman Robert LaTorraca, at the podium, is flanked by Assistant Fire Chief Walter T. Macdowall. (Photo courtesy of Jeanine "J-9" Aceto) |
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ALWAYS ENGINE 3
This is a previously unpublished photo of the fairly new 1973 Maxim Telesqurt at Station 3. This pumper underwent an extensive renovation in 1985 and remained in service until the late 1990s.
Like the 1928 Maxim 750 GPM pumper, which served as Engine 3 from 1928 until 1951, the 1973 Telesqurt was always designated as Engine 3, and never assigned to another company.
The 1973 Maxim is presently privately owned and is stored in North Haven. (Photo courtesy of Chan Brainard)
Posted 8/17/12
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| CLICK to enlarge |
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November 18, 1961
This roster was printed in the program for 26th Annual Ball, held on November 18, 1961.
This is the earliest roster listing V. Paul Leddy as Chief of the Department. Chief Leddy had been appointed the year before to replace Chief Spencer, and would serve until his retirement in April 1984.
Chief Leddy's former battalion chief's slot was filled by Capt. James Strain, Strain's captain's slot was filled by Lt. Paul Rosadina, and Rosadina's lieutenant's position was filled by Ff. George Reutenauer.
Shortly after his appointment, Chief Leddy requested that the title "Battalion Chief," held by the three shift commanders and the training officer since the rank was created in 1954, be renamed to the more appropriate designation of "Deputy Chief."
In addition to "the Deputy," as we used to call them, each platoon was staffed by one captain, one lieutenant and 18 firefighters. In December 1963, Firefighters Daniel O'Connell, Kenneth Harrington and Joseph McDermott were promoted to fill one new lieutenant's slot that was added to each platoon. (Courtesy of Chan Brainard)
Posted 8/17/12
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| Raymond Reilly - May 1981 |
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| Remembering Capt. Ray Reilly
(1943 - 1987)
Twenty-five years ago this week, we were stunned and saddened by the sudden passing of Capt. Raymond Reilly on August 12, 1987.
Ray joined the department in February 1971, was promoted to lieutenant in June 1981, and captain in October 1984. Ray was the Department's first four-year college graduate with a degree in Fire Science. An original member of the Mountain Rescue Team, Ray was a fine firefighter.
At the time of his passing, Capt. Reilly was assigned to Station 3 on Platoon 3 and was in charge of the department's SCBAs. He was survived by his wife, Suzanne, and sons Tom, Michael and Paul.
Posted 8/10/12
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| June 1978 - Ray doing the Friday thing with the Locke mower at 3s - CLICK to enlarge |
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Like many of his Platoon 3 colleagues, Ray was also a bit of a prankster, as can been seen in this 1978 below of Guy White cutting his 40th birthday cake at 3s.
While still a firefighter, Ray was half of a duo that installed a strip of lavender "dingle balls" along the top of the rear window of Dep. Chief Harrington's red 1968 Chrysler staff car. Chief Harrington rode around in his low-rider wannabe for two days, oblivious to the unauthorized accessories, until they were discovered and ordered removed by Chief Leddy. Such were the good times we all enjoyed with Ray.
Posted 8/10/12
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| D/C George Reutenauer, Lt. Frank Eitler, Ray, Guy White, Jeff Stoehr and Dan Murphy - CLICK to enlarge |
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| Great late 1960s aerial view of Whitneyville, taken from over the New Haven Country Club. The old footbridge that spanned Lake Whitney had been closed to pedestrian traffic for deacdes. It was removed in 1975. The arrow points to Station 3 on Putnam Avenue, which was still open until September 1970. (From a postcard) |
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| August 10, 2002 - Ten Years Ago Today! - Great previously published website photo taken by Bob Mordecai in front of Walmart, where Ffs. Tim O'flynn and Augie Williams posed with a happy Walmart employee during that year's annual Local 2687 MDA drive. |
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| CLICK to enlarge |
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November 19, 1960
This roster was printed in the program for the Hamden Paid Firemen's Sick Benefit Association's 25th Annual Firemen's Ball.
November 19, 1960 was actually V. Paul Leddy's first day as Hamden's new fire chief. The program undoubtedly had been printed a while earlier because Raymond C. Spencer was still listed as chief, even though he had actually retired the day before.
Note that the shift commanders were still called "Battalion Chief" - that would change the following year - and there were only two company officers per platoon, one captain and one lieutenant.
Note also that this roster includes Mrs. Theodore (Letittia) Flagge, who served as secretary to the Chief and the Marshal until her retirement in 1978. Still going strong at 99, Mrs. Flagge is an Honorary member of the HFRA. (Courtesy of Chan Brainard)
Posted 8/10/12
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The HOME page contains postings from the past FOUR weeks only.
All previous weekly updates, from April 1, 2011 on, may be viewed by going
to the menu tab "HOME (Archived)."
Articles about fires and other major incidents can be retrieved from the "Action!" tab.
Other articles may be retrieved by going to the "Past Articles" tab.
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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 eleven years ago on September 11, 2001.
Always keep them, their families and the FDNY in your thoughts and prayers.
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