Tradition 5 Golf Tournament
in Wallingford
Thursday, September 22nd
"Shotgun" starting at 9 a.m.
$75 (Golf, Hot Dogs, Burgers, BEER, etc.)
Contact Jim Moore - 203-248-4268
| Next HFRA Meeting - Tues., Oct. 11th at noon
Menu: Brian and Robin's B&R Burger
3/4 lb. of onion seasoned beef w/cheddar cheese,
barbeque sauce, bacon and an onion ring -
French fries and cole slaw
$6.00
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| Hamden Fire Retirees' Association |
September 5, 1951 - Firehouse Becomes Schoolhouse
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| July 26, 1951 - The Hamden Chronicle |
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| 1951 - Station 5 was an annex of the neighboring Mt. Carmel School |
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Station 5 4th Graders Surprised During CD Drill
Was It Early Sex-Ed?
Through the years, a few Hamden fire stations have served as temporary school rooms and even places of worship when the need arose. For several weeks in 1944, the Humphrey station became a temporary schoolhouse after a disastrous mid-winter fire at Church Street School. A quarter of a century earlier, religious services were held in the Humphrey station meeting rooms after fire destroyed the Hamden Plains Methodist Church.
By 1951, Hamden's postwar population expansion was felt most heavily in Mt. Carmel, where the school population had exceeded the capacity of the Mt. Carmel School on Woodruff Street. As a result, some classes were held upstairs in Station 5 during the 1951-52 school year.
When school was in session, the paid men and volunteers at Mt. Carmel were relegated to the firehouse basement. And, of course, the basement decor echoed that of the two upstairs bedrooms, which were off-limits to the students.
Bill Farrell, who still lives in Mt. Carmel, was a fourth grader at Station 5 that year. Bill recently recalled when he and his young classmates got an unexpected lesson from Station 5 paid men during an unscheduled civil defense drill.
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As the drill got underway, 4th grade teacher Miss
Margaret Fitzgerald carefully shepherded her 10-year old students from
the second floor of the firehouse to the safety of the basement. The
paid men were unaware of the drill and were definitely not
expecting guests.
When Miss Fitzgerald and her kiddies arrived safely
in the basement, they got an eyeful: Impressive displays of trophies, banners and other fire company memorabilia lined the walls. But the most memorable display, according to Bill Farrell, were the numerous photos of young ladies in various states of (un)dress.
Whoops! (A memo from the Chief followed, no doubt.)
Posted 9/9/11
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| Miss Margaret Fitzgerald taught fourth grade at Station 5 during the 1951-52 school year (your web editor had her for third grade four years later). Former Station 5 career firefighter, Bill Bossoli, fondly remembered Miss Fitzgerald as a very nice lady. Indeed, she was. A Hamden native, Miss Fitzgerald taught at Mt. Carmel School until 1958, when she joined the faculty of the new Sleeping Giant Junior High School as an Art teacher. She retired in the 1970s.
The Station 5 schoolhouse experiment lasted only the one school year. Starting in 1952, Mt. Carmel School went on double sessions for all grades except 7 and 8. Normal class times returned in October 1954, when a new addition to the school opened. DGJ
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| 1951 Maxim on the scene in 1954 (Photo by Chan Brainard) |
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Company 4 - Headquarters - Station 4
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| c. 1907-24 |
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| 1924-2009 |
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Until two years ago, fire department apparatus had been stationed on Whitney Avenue in Centerville since Company 4 was organized in 1907. From 1908 until 1924, Company 4 was quartered in a two-and-a-half story wood frame building on the north side of the old town hall.
When the Memorial Town Hall was built in 1924, a new fire station was incorporated into the northeast corner of the building. Company 4 was provided with a meeting room in the new building, which their members continued to use until the last member passed away in the 1990s.
The fire station at Memorial Town Hall was officially "Fire Headquarters" until the chief's office was relocated to the old Centerville School (now Miller Library) in 1974, at which time the town hall fire station became "Station 4." The chief's office returned to the town hall in the late 1970s, occupying two different basement areas until 1989. But Station 4 remained "Station 4."
In an article published in The New Haven Register on March 14, 1966, Chief V. Paul Leddy noted that the town hall fire station, "is too old and too small to accommodate the proper apparatus, offices and living quarters." The same month, a Hamden Chronicle editorial referred to the station as "inadequate and poorly located," a opinion shared by many in the department in the four-plus decades since.
Today, a multi-million dollar addition to Memorial Town Hall is in progress. The project includes a renovation of the fire station - the first since 1940. When the job is done, it will be interesting to see how Chief Leddy's concerns of 45 years ago have been addressed.
Since September 22, 2009, Station 4 apparatus have been temporarily reassigned to other quarters. The Squad (formerly Engine 4) is at Station 3 and Rescue 1 is assigned to Station 5. Original estimates for the completion of the renovation of Station 4 were eighteen to 24 months. Station 4 is now expected to reopen sometime after January 2012. We'll keep you posted.
Posted 9/2/11
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| 1967 - Asst. Supt. of Alarms Richie Lostritto on the 1940 Case tractor, clearing the Shop parking lot behind Station 2. The following year Richie was promoted to Superintendent, replacing Supt. Clem Wetmore upon his retirement. |
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| Date unknown, but probably after 1973. Nice b&w photo of one of the two 1968 Maxim S models parked in front of the bay marked "Engine 1," which actually was the bay for Engine 2, as it was (is) somewhat wider than the other two bays at Station 2. |
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| Tim O'Flynn and Charlie Cargan during the July 1995 World Games at the Hamden Lanes. (Photo by Shirley Mangler) |
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| Great shot of Chief Paul Wetmore, Sr. during the 1995 Games. (Photo by Shirley Mangler) |
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| Newest HFRA Honorary Member, Mrs. Letitia Flagge, flanked by former Chief Jim Leddy and former Marshal Mark Barletta |
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| Honorary Member Letitia Flagge
Until the late 1970s, those of us who had occasion to visit the Chief's Office will always remember Letitia Flagge, a cheerful and dedicated lady who, starting in the 1950s, served as receptionist and secretary for Chief R.C. Spencer and Marshal Al Purce, and later for Chief V. Paul Leddy and Marshal Bob O'Donnell. At our July 12th meeting, the members were very pleased to elect Letitia Flagge to Honorary Membership in the Hamden Fire Retirees' Association.
HFRA President Mark Barletta and former Chief Jim Leddy recently visited Mrs. Flagge at her home. "I think of the firemen all the time," said Mrs. Flagge after being presented with her Honorary Member certificate. "You were all wonderful guys to work with. This is one of the most wonderful things that could happen."
Mrs. Flagge retired in 1978. Now 98, still lives in her Centerville home and attends weekly Mass at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church.
Posted 8/19/11
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Hamden's Bicentennial Parade
Sunday, May 11, 1986
In May 1986, Storer Cable TV videotaped Hamden's Bicentennial Parade, which was broadcast on the company's local access station. A four minute excerpt of the video, featuring the Hamden Fire Department marching unit and apparatus, is now on YouTube. Also included are the Mix District Volunteer Fire Co. marching unit and its vintage fire apparatus.
Click on the photo to watch the video.
Posted 8/19/11
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| CLICK on photo to view video |
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| c. 1954 - The Squad is shown at a brush fire. The firefighter with his back to the camera may be then-Capt. V. Paul Leddy, who would have responded on the Squad from HQ. Photo courtesy of Chan Brainard. |
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CLICK HERE to read a July 29, 2011 New Haven Register article about how Hamden's bond rating has been lowered because of its failure to properly fund the pension plans.
Posted 7/29/11
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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.
Posted 7/24/11
This YouTube video posted by us has already topped 7,500 hits in only 5 days.
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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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| CLICK here to visit the official website of the Hamden Professional Firefighters, Local 2687, I.A.F.F. |
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