The monthly meeting of Local 1339 is scheduled for Thursday September 12, 2002 1900 hours at Station 2. The Executive
Board will meet Tuesday September 3, 2002 1800 hours at the Union Office.
Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro will visit Engine 11 on Tuesday August 27, 2002 8:30AM. Congresswoman DeLauro has always been a
strong supporter of firefighter issues and has continually shown her support with votes in congress. She will be speaking about
firefighter issues, including retirees' benefits. Members and retirees and their families are invited to show their support for
someone who has supported us.
The Waterbury Fire Department Local 1339 Annual Awards Ceremony will be held Wednesday September 25, 2002 6:30-10:30
at the Ponte Club in Waterbury. $25 per person includes buffet. CASH Bar. Reserve your seats by September 19 by contacting
Jim SantaLucia @ R9-B or Frank Walsh T3-D or Tony Leca R9-A.
8/23/02 Line of Duty Death - Ellerbe, NC
Our condolences to the Moore family and Ellerbe Rescue Inc. and the Ellerbe Fire Department of North Carolina. Chief John
Moore, 42, died Monday August 19, 2002. John was off-duty assisting police at a single car motor vehicle accident on
Highway 220 during a rainstorm. While John was assisting the accident victim, a tractor-trailer struck a car and careened
into the first crash vehicle which hit the driver of that vehicle and John. He was transported to Richmond Memorial Hospital
in Rockingham where he was pronounced dead.
For more news, information, and photos, please visit the
John Moore Memorial in the
Fallen Brothers Section.
8/22/02 Photo Gallery Updates
Lt. Jim Burns Waterbury FD was off duty but able to get some photos of a structure fire on Sunday August 18, 2002. The fire
was contained to the third floor but FireFighter Chris Wilson had his ears burned. I added 5 photos to the
Jim Burns
photo gallery.
Bob Lyman of the Tolland, Connecticut's Rescue Squad send me 3 photos of their new KME Rescue Vehicle. Please visit the
Bob Lyman
photo gallery.
Paul Reed, a retired Federal FireFighter from Virginia, sent me 4 photos of federal fire apparatus from Fort Dix and West Point.
Please visit the
Paul Reed
photo gallery.
8/21/02 Line of Duty Death - North Hampton, PA
Our condolences to the Goodrich family and the North Hampton Volunteer Fire Department of Pennsylvania. Assistant Chief
William Goodrich Jr., 56, a 39 year veteran of the North Hampton Volunteer Fire Department died Saturday August 17, 2002.
William was incident command at a residential structure fire when he collapsed from an apparent heart attack. He was
transported to North Hills Passavant Hospital where he was pronounced dead.
For more news, information, and photos, please visit the
William Goodrich Jr. Memorial in the
Fallen Brothers Section.
8/19/02 9-11 Memorial Bracelets and Necklace
I received a package from Athra Trading Inc. of Fifth Avenue, New York, NY. After 9-11 they decided, together with the
auspices of Mayor Rudy Giuliani to design and create a set of mementos to perpetuate American women and men's gratitude
for the sacrifices of our firemen.
They have created in sterling silver, a firemen's helmet bracelet, a helmet and enameled
flag bracelet, and a helmet neck pendant on a leather cord or silver chain.
They would like to expand their distribution beyond the New York area and asked me to post a link. $5.00 of each item
purchased is donated to the Uniformed Firemen's Association's Widows and Childrens Fund as designated by Mayor Rudy
Giuliani. These items can be purchased online at the
New York City Fire Museum.
8/18/02 Photo Gallery Update
Well, so many people have asked for this I just have to put it up. Retired FireFighter Joe got his hand caught in the cookie jar
a week ago and we had to go extricate him. I shall say no more. The photo was added to the...
FireHouse Funnies
photo gallery.
Al Valerioti of the Waterbury FD sent me some photos of our Local 1339 delegates. There is a photo of an IAFF Memorial Wall
with Brian Sweeney's name on it, and another with Jaime Quinones'. There are 4 photos in the
Al Valerioti
photo gallery. Al tells me he is also sending a photo of the guys in the Carolina's who helped John Izzi after his accident. I will
post it as soon as I get it.
8/17/02 Line of Duty Death - Wichita West, TX
Our condolences to the Wiems family and the Wichita West Volunteer Fire Department of Texas. FireFighter/Paramedic Travis
Wiems, 28, a veteran of the Wichita West Volunteer Fire Department died Monday August 12, 2002. Travis was fighting a
grassfire from an apparatus mounted cage on Seymour Highway about nine miles west of Wichita Falls. While the brush truck
was making a u-turn for a better position on the fire, a pickup truck driving through the heavy smoke struck their vehicle
and Travis fell in front of the apparatus and was killed instantly when he was run over.
For more news, information, and photos, please visit the
Travis Wiems Memorial in the
Fallen Brothers Section.
8/15/02 Line of Duty Death - Clute, TX
Our condolences to the Dunn family and the Clute Volunteer Fire Department of Texas. Captain Roger Dunn, 48, a 16 year
veteran of the Clute Volunteer Fire Department died Monday August 12, 2002. Roger collapsed at the scene of a
multi-department residential structure fire in Freeport. He was rushed to Brazosport Memorial Hospital, where he was
pronounced dead. The cause of his death is still under investigation.
For more news, information, and photos, please visit the
Roger Dunn Memorial in the
Fallen Brothers Section.
8/14/02 Attention First Responders of Waterbury
There will be an American Red Cross blood drive honoring the First Responders of Waterbury - Fire, Police and EMS - at the
Elks Club on West Main Street in Waterbury on Monday September 9, 2002. If you would like to donate blood, please call
1-800-GIVE-LIFE.
8/12/02 Photo Gallery Update
I attended the opening ceremony for the 2002 Howard Hughes and Eddie Rivera Festival on Sunday August 11, 2002. The
Mayor of the City of Waterbury read a document from the Governor stating the State of Connecticut recognizes August 11
as Howard Hughes and Eddie Rivera Day. Howard and Eddie were killed in an apparatus accident in 1990 when the Hahn they
were riding in lost its brakes on a steep hill in Waterbury. I added 11 photos to the
Howard Hughes and Eddie Rivera Festival 2002
photo gallery.
Jerry Buner of New York sent me 8 more apparatus photos to add to the
Jerry Buner
photo gallery.
8/11/02 Attention WFD Members
It is with deep regret we announce the passing of retired Waterbury FireFighter Carl Hellman. Calling hours for Carl will be
Monday August 12, 2002 5-8PM at Maiorano Funeral Home on Willow Street in Waterbury. A funeral will be held Tuesday
August 13, 2002 8:30AM, leaving the funeral home for a mass at Mount Carmel Church on Highland Avenue in Waterbury,
followed by a burial at Calvary Cemetery.
8/9/02 Line of Duty Death - Opal, SD
Our condolences to the Martin family and the Opal Volunteer Fire Department of South Dakota. FireFighter David Martin, 48,
a 20 year veteran firefighter with the Opal Volunteer Fire Department died Tuesday August 6, 2002. David was severely
burned on Thursday August 1, 2002. He fell from a brush truck into the path of a prairie fire in Meade County. He was
airlifted to Rapid City Regional Hospital and later transferred to the burn center at Regions Hospital in St. Paul, Minnesota
where he remained in critical condition with burns over 80 percent of his body.
For more news, information, and photos, please visit the
David Martin Memorial in the
Fallen Brothers Section.
8/8/02 Attention WFD Members
The 16th Annual Waterbury Firefighters Golf Classic is to be held at Waterbury's Western Hills Golf Course on Friday
September 13, 2002 with an 8AM shotgun, 4 man scramble. Entry fee is $130 (includes Green Fees, Carts, Food, Drink and
Prizes - Closest to the hole, Longest Drive and others). Breakfast, barbeque all day, followed by 'The Hills' buffet. First come,
first serve. Call and register with Jim Sillery E8D (203) 597-3408 or Joe Longo E10B (203) 597-3410 - then get your entry
money in ASAP. Proceeds to benefit the Bridgeport Burn Center. FireFightingLinks.com will be sponsoring a tee this year.
Anyone interested in donating money or prizes, or sponsoring a tee, please contact Joe or Jim.
8/7/02 Photo Gallery Update
I responded with Truck 1, Engine 8, Rescue 9 and Battalion 1 in a downpour Monday evening to a 2 car MVA with 3 victims
trapped in a Mitsubishi Eclipse. We had to cut the roof and roll the dash to extricate the front and rear passengers.
Unfortunately the passenger in the front seat did not survive his injuries. I added 3 photos to
My Extrications
photo gallery.
Christian Lewalter of the Graevenwiesbach Fire Station in Germany also sent me a couple of photos from a recent MVA he
responded to. I added 2 photos to the
Christian Lewalter
photo gallery.
8/5/02 Line of Duty Death - Fort Collins, CO
Our condolences to the Knight family and the US Forest Service of Colorado. Pilot Leonard Knight, 52, a veteran fire aviator
died Tuesday July 30, 2002. Leonard was killed when his Aerospatiale SA-315B Lama helicopter crashed while he was
dropping water on hotspots at the Big Elk Fire near Rocky Mountain National Park.
For more news, information, and photos, please visit the
Leonard Knight Memorial in the
Fallen Brothers Section.
8/1/02 Line of Duty Death - Osceola, FL
Our condolences to the Begg and Mickel families and the Osceola County Fire-Rescue of Florida. FireFighter Dallas Begg, 20,
and Lieutenant John Mickel, 32, died Tuesday July 30, 2002. Initially it was reported that Dallas and John were killed when the
ceiling/roof collapsed trapping them during a live burn training exercise near Kissimmee. Investigators have ruled out a
collapse and believe the room they were in may have flashed over. The incident is still under investigation.
For more news, information, and photos, please visit the
Oseola Training Tragedy Memorial in the
Fallen Brothers Section.
