Hamden CERT's New Emergency Response Vehicle Is Now Ready To Serve! With a project that started back in October of last year, we have finally reached completion of adding another vehicle to our Hamden CERT program. With our original vehicle reaching the 30-year milestone, it was time to look for a back-up that would be more dependable. We purchased a 2000 Ford 350 Ford transit van that was originally used by other local departments as a dive team response vehicle. With emergency lighting, scene lighting, and an interior with two bench seats (seating for at least 8) and storage underneath, it was a perfect fit for what we needed. Our plan is to have this vehicle serve as our primary vehicle for emergency response (firefighter rehabilitation & fire victim assistance) and our older vehicle to be used for planned events and traffic and crowd management. As you can see from many of the before & after photos, this project would not have been possible without the many months of work done by our members who saved us additional time and expense in cleaning, building custom cabinetry, and preparing for the exterior reflective emblems and lettering. We also thank our Mayor’s Office, our Fire Chief, our FD maintenance division, Economic Development Office, the Purchasing Department, and Century Sign of Hamden for their assistance and support of this project that will not only benefit our first Responders but all members of our local and regional communities.

The Hamden Firefighters Awards Committee has chosen Hamden CERT for a 2023 Community Service Award in recognition of our contributions to the town. We would like to thank Mayor Lauren Garrett, Fire Chief Jeffrey Naples, and the Hamden Firefighters Awards Committee for their recognition of our team. Our Volunteer Members are always there to support our firefighters, other first responders, and any civilians who may be the victims of any large-scale emergency. It is always our privilege to respond and be by the side of our firefighters and other responders while they perform their duties to protect the lives and property of our community members. For those of you who took the time to come out to honor our firefighters and civilians who helped make a difference, when misfortunes or emergencies occurred, we thank you! Special thanks to the Dunbar Hill Volunteer firefighters from Station #8 for their hospitality in giving us a home in opening their station to us. We also would like to recognize our unseen partners from our Hamden Central Communications Office who answer every 911 call and dispatch our emergency responders. Not only do they assist callers in their most trying moments but also serve as our guardians when we call them to send additional resources for our well-being and the needs of our community.

On October 19th a multi-alarm fire was reported at a single-family dwelling on Downes Road. The fire originated in an attached 2-car garage and extended into the living area of the home. This incident was complicated because of its location approximately 1 mile at the end of a dead-end road with no fire hydrants available. A regional tanker task force was activated and assisted the Hamden Fire Department with a 4-engine, relay pumping operation supplied by 3 portable water tanks set up at the intersection of Gaylord Mountain Road and Downes Road. Tanker trucks from Bethany Fire Department and other mutual aid departments resupplied their tankers from a hydrant over 2 miles away at West Woods School. There was extensive damage to the structure of origin with a total collapse of the roof area and also the loss of a private vehicle that was parked outside the garage area. Luckily, there were no injuries and the three displaced adults were assisted by Hamden Community Services and the American Red Cross. Hamden CERT assisted with logistical support and rehabilitation services to all of the firefighters, (providing a meal) including all of the many mutual-aid departments who responded to this extremely difficult, multi-operational-period incident. Thank you to our mutual aid partners from Bethany, North Haven, New Haven, Wallingford, Cheshire, Prospect, Oxford, and Beacon Falls along with station coverage from neighboring towns and support from the Hamden Police Department. Thank you to AMR, who covered all of our medical calls along with scene stand-by at this extensive multi-agency incident. Hamden CERT Personnel cleared the scene at 07:00 hours. This fire is under investigation by the Office of the Hamden Fire Marshal.

The Hamden CERT call-out team had a busy 15-day period with two multi-alarm fires within this short period of time. A 2-alarm fire in a multi-family apartment building at 98 Kaye Vue Drive on October 4th did considerable damage to two apartments on the second floor and extensive smoke and water damage to all the other apartments. There were no injuries reported at this incident. Hamden CERT provided logistical support along with rehabilitation services, assisting with displaced residents and assisting the HFD shop personnel with the resupply of the many air bottles used by the firefighters. Firefighters and neighbors were able to alert and evacuate numerous families from the building. Engine 2 began an aggressive interior attack of the second-floor unit while Rescue 2 began a primary search for occupants. They encountered heavy fire and smoke in the apartment of origin that extended through the roof. The fire was escalated to a 2nd alarm. North Haven, Wallingford, and Cheshire Fire Departments provided assistance at the scene while the New Haven and Bethany Fire Departments, along with American Medical Response, offered station and town coverage. The apartment building contained 9 units. Only two of the units suffered considerable amounts of fire, smoke, and water damage. Another 4 units had light to moderate smoke and water damage. No injuries to residents or firefighters were reported. A total of 22 occupants were displaced. Numerous agencies assisted the Hamden Fire Department and residents at the scene including Hamden CERT, (providing firefighter rehabilitation and resident relocation assistance), Hamden Police, Hamden Community Services, and the American Red Cross. Hamden CERT Personnel cleared the scene at 02:30 hours. The fire is under investigation by the Hamden Fire Marshal’s Office.

On Tuesday, June 28, 2022, the State of CT announced funding for the new Hamden Fire Department, Station #2, great news for the Hamden Fire Department along with residents of the southern part of Hamden. Hamden CERT has called this station our home for our CERT vehicle, supplies & equipment since 2017. We thank Chief Merwede, A/C Naples, the staff, and especially the line personnel who have welcomed us and shared their home-away-from-home with open arms! We truly appreciate all the members of HFD for their outstanding service to our community! Thank you for sharing your station with us!

How do you start to tell people about our CERT teammate Carol Teodosio? Carol was beyond explanation for so many reasons. Not only was Carol a major part of Hamden CERT, she was a major part of the Town of Hamden. Graduating from Hamden High School in 1975, Carol spent over 22 years at the Hamden Board of Education serving as an Administrative Secretary and also working in the Finance Department. She also represented her co-workers as their Union President. Carol joined the Hamden Community Emergency Response Team in 2012 and was so much more than just a team member. She along with her husband Bob and son Steve, did more than anyone could imagine, behind the scenes for the Hamden CERT Program. When it came to uniforms, patches, name tags, curtains or any other needs, Carol was always there to get the job done for us! When the COVID Pandemic struck early in 2020, she spent days making facemasks for Hamden’s 1st Responders and her fellow CERT Members. A few weeks later, she made a special, custom order facemask for Jonathan, the University of Connecticut Husky! Besides her husband Bob and son Steve, her family and her love of animals, she always held a special place in her heart for her brother and sister CERT Members, who she always considered her CERT Family. Our sincere condolences go out to Bob, Stephen and all of Carol’s Family. No words can convey the void in our hearts and emptiness that our team will feel for quite some time, not having Carol there with us. She was always just a phone call away whether it was for a fire emergency at 2 am or any planned event, greeting and helping others for hours on end. We know that the Good Lord will keep you close and we look forward to when we can be with you again. We thank you for choosing us and we also thank God, because He blessed us by sharing you with us, for all the good times! Rest in Peace, Carol.

As we prepared for the two busiest seasons of community events, we found ourselves in the middle of a worldwide pandemic, where every social gathering or community event has been canceled or postponed for the foreseeable future! We also had to postpone the remainder of our Basic Training Class #17 as we were ready to enter our 3rd week of training. We hope to regroup during the summer or at our next regularly scheduled class in September. As an emergency response team, part of our preparations and training is for mass care, sheltering, and points of distribution (PODs). As we entered our third month of sheltering in place and social distancing, many individuals have been impacted by job loss, business closings, layoffs, and home-schooling situations that were never planned for. Food supplies have been minimized because of increased purchases, limited supplies and financial income situations that have been stressed. Because of these trying conditions, we were contacted by Adam Sendroff of our Hamden Community Services and Family Engagement Coordinator Hector Velazquez about setting up a food distribution for families in need. With the assistance of the Mayor’s Office, the CT Food Bank and Superintendent of Schools Jody Goeler, we went forward in planning our 1st food distribution on March 23rd. Under some difficult weather conditions of snow, sleet and rain that day, we were able to distribute food to over 250 families at the Dunbar Hill School with the assistance of the Board of Education and Hamden Police. As the impact of the COVID-19 continued to increase by the hour, our local community was in need of increased support, so another distribution was planned for April 8th, with a set up day for packaging on April 7th. With the help of the CT Food Bank, Hamden PD, Christ Bread of Life Parish, National Guard and other volunteers, we were able to support close to 400 families with food to sustain them for the next few weeks. Twenty-two (22) of our Hamden CERT Members volunteered over 187 Service Hours over the 3 days of preparation and distribution of needed items for close to 700 families! We also have just completed our 3rd distribution on April 27th with 18 of our members helping another 400 families with a variety of food products. It was an honor for our team members to be able to assist and reassure our community during these very difficult times. We stand ready for any other needs during this disaster that is affecting all of us and we will get through this together!

The following was written by Bob Freeman of the Hamden CERT team. To the Hamden community who has lost a good friend and a great man, ​As I sit here today and attempt to put into words what a great man Michael Colaiacovo Jr. was, my heart is so very heavy with this loss. So many people knew him by name but only a few really knew the real Mike. To say he was a “Hometown Hero” only describes a small part of the real person who Mike was. Mike did so much for so many and his thousands of hours of service to the Town of Hamden were just a part of what he did for so many people behind the scenes. His limitless number of hours that he devoted to the Town of Hamden as a member of the Legislative Council, representing District 7 for close to 15 years, was only a small part of the person that he was! ​I am proud to say that Mike was a member of the Hamden CERT Program and not only did he find the time during his busy schedule to participate in the class years ago, but made sure to bring along some of his Council Members with him! He wanted to make as many of his fellow Council Members aware of what the Hamden CERT Program was all about. He may not have put on the uniform (we did get him to wear the helmet a few times during training!) but he was always a phone call away and continually made it a priority to be with us at graduation ceremonies and special events to let our members know how much our team was appreciated. At any community event where CERT was working, he would always make sure to stop by and say "hi" to our members and see how our team was doing. ​With a little persuasion from Mike’s sister Debbie (DiLeone), not only did Mike become a CERT Member but Debbie also influenced her son Mark and father, Mike Senior to consider our class also! We have been blessed and are honored to have the whole Colaiacovo clan to be part of our team! When a total renovation was needed years ago on our 1994 CERT Vehicle, Mike was the one who made it happen and secured funds though the council to help us sustain our truck for a few more years. This is just a small example of what Mike did to help many civic and volunteer services like Hamden CERT and the Volunteer Firefighters from Dunbar Hill Volunteer Station #8. It was always about what Mike could do for Hamden, to make the residents of Hamden safer and to insure the best of conditions for the town and its citizens that he loved! This tribute to Mike will always be part of our website and his memory will always remain in our hearts. He will be missed by so many and especially those who were privileged to have known Mike, worked alongside of him or had the privilege to call him friend. From all of our CERT Members, please accept our sincere condolences to Mike’s Family, his Hamden Family and to his many friends and fellow civil servants. “May the Good Lord always hold you close Mike and protect those that you loved! Thank you Mike for always being there for us." Rest easy my friend! Sincerely, RJF ​

Sharyn L. Wetmore Burkle, age 70, of Hamden, passed away on April 9, 2019. Born in New Haven on April 27, 1948, she was the daughter of the late Edward and Lorayn (Peet) Hooghkirk. Sharon was predeceased by her husbands, Duane K. Wetmore and Richard Burkle. ​A resident of Hamden all her life, Sharyn was employed by the Town of Hamden as a clerk in the Tax Department for years, and later worked at the Margaret L. Keefe Center. Sharyn was also a Justice of the Peace and a Notary Public. Most of all, Sharyn was known for her love of her horses. Sharyn was also one of the first members of the Hamden Community Emergency Response Team (CERT). After her training and class graduation, she became one of the 1st Hamden CERT Team Leaders who was responsible for getting the team activated and making sure that the CERT vehicle responded to any emergency scene. Sharyn will always be remembered as a true team player who made sure that all new team members were taken aside, made comfortable, and were given any necessary information on required duties and our operations. During emergencies, she was the first to reach out to any person in need and treated each as if they were her own family! She will always be remembered for her friendly, loving, and caring personality that was not only a great example to our team members but also to everyone in our community, especially those who were lucky enough to have been called a friend! Rest in Peace Sharyn, thank you for all you have done for so many, you will be sincerely missed!

Thank you to Porto Tire Service of Hamden for their generous donation of four chrome wheel covers for our Hamden CERT Emergency Response Vehicle. Special thanks go out to Hamden CERT member Marc Goldberg for making this happen. We truly appreciate your recognition of our service to the Hamden community and are proud to have you as a member of our team!

Thank you to our 16 Hamden CERT Members who came out to support the 2nd QVHD COVID-19 vaccination clinic at the Thornton Wilder Hall. Hamden CERT Members managed many of the logistical support functions like medical screening, registration, and transport support for special-needs patrons who needed assistance to and from their vehicles. Again, it was an honor to work along with Hamden Fire, the QVHD Team, Quinnipiac University students, Miller Library and Hamden Senior Center staff. Special “Thanks” goes out to our members who took a day off from work, to assist our community during this ongoing COVID-19 Emergency.

Hamden CERT Members had the opportunity to assist the volunteers from the Samaritan’s Purse Relief Organization in helping homeowners recover from the damage caused by the tornado and storms of May 15th, 2018. Multiple teams headed out to Hamden, North Haven, and Wallingford in assisting homeowners with the cutting of hazardous trees, limbs, branches and removal of storm debris. "Appreciative" and "amazed" are two of the comments that we heard over and over during our many days of deployments. "Thankful beyond words" and "happy tears" were not uncommon among the people we served. Rewarding and fulfilling were the feelings that we experienced in helping these folks and assisting them with their long road to recovery. The damage to our community is extensive and working alongside these outstanding volunteers from all over the country was a blessing that goes beyond words. A special "thank you" to Pastor Jim Detweiler of Hope Church, North Haven for the use of their facilities and to Chick-Fil-A, North Haven for supplying us with a great meal on Saturday, June 23rd for the workers and the folks that we served, during that day. A special thank you goes out to our Hamden CERT members who volunteered over 100 service hours assisting the members of Samaritan's Purse. It was an honor and privilege to be part of the team from Samaritan’s Purse who have helped folks from all over the area.