In Recognition
Camden Fire Department — Fire Watch Magazine, Spring 1977
Members listed below have anniversary dates which fall during the first quarter.
Camden Fire Department Recognition
Anniversary dates from Fire Watch Magazine, Spring 1977
35 Years of Service
| Description ↕ | Title ↕ |
|---|---|
| Deputy Chief | Anthony C. Saponare |
30 Years of Service
| Description ↕ | Title ↕ |
|---|---|
| Battalion Chief | Robert E. Dukes |
| Inspector | George C. Hennessy |
| Deputy Chief | Daniel F. Jiannetto |
| Deputy Chief | Theodore L. Primas |
29 Years of Service
| Description ↕ | Title ↕ |
|---|---|
| Firefighter | Eugene F. Alston |
| Battalion Chief | Biaggio P. Ardire |
| Firefighter | William R. Harring |
| Firefighter | William E. Hinch |
28 Years of Service
| Description ↕ | Title ↕ |
|---|---|
| Captain | Herbert J. Schott |
26 Years of Service
| Description ↕ | Title ↕ |
|---|---|
| Firefighter #5 | Howard G. Brickner |
| Firefighter #186 | Harvey J. Fisher |
| Captain | James W. Smith |
| Firefighter #183 | Andrew H. Foreman |
| Firefighter #120 | William J. Stibi |
| Firefighter #34 | Henry S. Keubler |
| Firefighter #29 | William M. Stone |
| Firefighter #50 | Joseph J. Lesniewski |
| Captain | William G. Winstanley |
| Firefighter #70 | Phillip MacDonald |
| Firefighter #62 | Adolph S. Zubrzycki |
| Firefighter #26 | Joseph J. McTaggart |
| Battalion Chief | John J. Mogck |
| Captain | John E. Moore |
| Captain | Robert P. Olesiewicz |
| Captain | Anthony T. Orme |
| Firefighter #46 | Ralph H. Palmer |
| Battalion Chief | Charles A. Bates |
21 Years of Service
| Description ↕ | Title ↕ |
|---|---|
| Battalion Chief | John J. Giuliano |
| Inspector #76 | Alfred D. Nigro |
| Firefighter #100 | Leon Puszczykowski |
| Firefighter #73 | John L. Sterner |
| Firefighter #143 | Francis P. Stibi |
| Firefighter #95 | Carl R. Szalkowski |
Police, Fire Tests Take Heavy Toll
Camden Courier-Post —
Courier-Post Bureau
TRENTON — The high rate of failures on police and fire examinations was repeated yesterday in the Civil Service Department’s announcement of the results of tests for fire captain and patrolman in Camden City.
In the captain’s test, 23 passed, 64 failed and two did not show up for the test. In the test for patrolman, 10 passed, 32 failed and 14 failed to show. In the non-residents’ test for Camden patrolman, six passed, eight failed and five did not appear.
In the fire captain’s test, Kenneth M. Clark of 111 North 26th St., Camden, a veteran, qualified with a score of 92.6, highest for the seven veterans who qualified. Joseph R. Gfrorer of 3040 N. Constitution Road, Camden, was highest of applicants with a score of 96.5.
In the residents’ patrolman test, Robert D. Craig of 817 Vine Street was high with 78. In the non resident’s test, Edwin B. Hoffman of 514 Walnut Street, Audubon, a veteran qualified with 72.2 and Flem J. Hopkins Jr. of 113 Estates Ave., Pine Hill, was high with 78.
Others who passed the fire captain’s test were:
George D. Getty of 1111 N. 34 St., 95.4; John DiMaggio of 319 Beckett St., 94; Joseph J. Anderson of 2406 Denfield St., 92.96; Phillip A. Maycott of 2836 Lincoln Ave., 90.5; James McMaster of 402 N. 37th St., 90.2; William D. Hillman of 3071 Constitution Rd., 89.4; Joseph Arensberg of 1041 N. 32nd St., 88.3; Robert E. Briggs of 2861 Congress Road, veteran, 86.3; John S. Brzozowski of 371 N. 34th St., 86.2; Edmund F. Gorczynski of 272 N. 33rd St., veteran, 85.4; Anthony F. Orme of 3317 River Ave., veteran, 82.4; William B. Young of 1126 N. 33rd St., 80.5; William D. Ayers of 2846 Pierce Ave., veteran, 79.1; Joseph Dowhy Sr., of 866 Beideman Ave., veteran, 78.9; James O. Jones of 3214 Mitchell St., 78.3; Joseph Chelhowski of 1324 Sheridan St., veteran, 75.8; James T. Robinson of 504 Trenton Ave., 75.5; Anthony D. Moffa of 23 Leonard Ave., 73.3; Robert E. Davenport of 1026 Reeves Ave., 73; John F. Gaffney Jr., of 78 S. Dudley St., 72.8, and Albert E. Collum Jr., of 2409 Howell St., 72.6.
Patrolman (residents) who passed:
Joseph A. Fox of 2117 Mount Ephraim Ave., 77.1; Charles W. Cahilly 2d of 2015 Westminster Ave., 75.; Edward B. Bush of 3210 Mitchell St., 78.9; John F. Oppmann of 550 N. 30th St., 77.7; Gary E. Miller of 486-A Rand St., 77.4; Donald J. Tymusczuk of 2737 Concord Ave., 75.1; Joseph A. Broccoli of 1467 Pershing St., 74.2; Richard W. Merta of 1641 Pulaski St., 72.9, and Robert G. Gibson of 572 Clinton St., 72.6.
Patrolman (nonresidents) who passed:
Flem J. Hopkins Jr., 78; Elwood L. Ridge, 75.4; Joseph E. Benton, 74.7; David Vautier Jr., 74.1, and Frank R. Pedano, 73.8.
City honors firefighters retiring after 38 years
Camden Courier-Post —
By SEAN McKINNEY
CAMDEN — It was the end of an era.
The city council honored six of its oldest firefighters yesterday, three days before they were set to retire. Each has worked 38 years for the fire department.
Also honored was Deputy Chief James McMaster, who is retiring at the age of 48 after 26 years of service.
“If I’m not mistaken, we have just witnessed 254 years of dedication,” said Council President Gwendolyn Faison after proclamations were read honoring each man. “Let’s have another round of applause.”
Among the retirees was John Mogck Jr., chief of the 250-member fire department since 1981. Mogck received a standing ovation from the council members and members of the audience at the regular caucus meeting.
Mogck’s replacement, Battalion Chief Kenneth Penn, 45, is to be sworn in on Monday by Mayor Melvin R. “Randy” Primas.
The others retirees included Capt. Anthony Orme, 65, and Capt. Robert Olesiewicz, 69.
Also honored, but not attending the meeting, were Capt. John DiMaggio, 70, and firefighters William Stone, 65, and Phillip MacDonald, 69.
All but McMasters had been forced to retire by a recent state Supreme Court decision upholding the mandatory retirement age of 65 for public safety employees.
The six were among 50 men who were hired in 1951 to increase manpower in the fire department to reduce work weeks from 72 to 56 hours. The current work week is 42 hours.
“I started at $2,400 a year,” said Mogck in a recent interview. “Now I make $52,000. I’ve seen many changes, most of them improvements brought about by the unions.”
In other action yesterday, the city attorney’s office was criticized on three fronts.
Frank McGuckin, president of Local 788 of the International Association of Firefighters, accused city Attorney Patricia Darden of trying to force firefighters Charles Arline, 40, and Robert Allen, 44, to retire because of work-related injuries.
Arline was involuntarily retired by city council Aug. 24. No official action was taken on Allen’s case.
McGuckin said after the meeting that Darden was trying to use forced retirement to pressure injured firefighters into returning to work before they recovered.
But the union president said the practice was illegal. He said Arline’s forced resignation, which was to go into effect today, was reversed by city Business Administrator Patrick Keating. That could not be confirmed last night.
Darden, making a rare appearance at a council meeting yesterday, walked out of the meeting as McGuckin spoke. Later, in an interview, she said she knew nothing about the issue, saying pension decisions were made by Keating, who could not be reached late yesterday.
“She’s a liar,” said McGuckin, also contacted later. “I spoke to her about this.”
In another matter, two recipients of $10,000 grants from the city charged the legal department was holding up contracts that would release the grants.
Carlos M. Soto of the Mi Casita Day Care Center said he had been waiting since June 9 to use the grant to repair a roof at the center. Carlos Peraza of the Latin American Economic Development Association Inc. (LAEDA), said he had been waiting since Aug. 24 to use the grant to assist Hispanic businesses.
Darden said her department was not asked by the city purchasing department to draw up a contract for Mi Casita until Sept. 20 and that her office was still awaiting notice on the LAEDA grant.
Firefighters honored: Camden Council President Gwendolyn Faison (center), surrounded by retiring firefighters, holds a resolution honoring their years of service to the city. Shown are (from left): Capt. Robert Olesiewicz (38 years of service), Faison, Capt. Anthony Orme (38 years), Chief John Mogck (38 years) and Deputy Chief James McMaster (26 years).
Courier-Post photo by Curt Hudson
Chief Mogck Retirement Letter
CITY OF CAMDEN FIRE DEPARTMENT 3rd & Federal Sts. Camden, N. J. 08102
28 February, 1990
On this date, Captain John DiMaggio, Captain Robert Olesiewicz, Captain Anthony Orme, Fire Fighter Philip MacDonald, Fire Fighter William Stone and myself, will be retiring from the Department. Thirty-nine years ago, each of us were appointed and assigned to units in the 1st Battalion. During these many years and with few exceptions, we have remained in the 1st Battalion.
I am leaving the job with fond memories of the men I have had the distinct pleasure of serving with, and a treasure of great experiences. As Chief I have strived to the best of my ability, to better the Department; with some success.
The Camden Fire Department is 121 years old this year. It is a great organization with a very proud history. It however, has always been important to understand that the Department does not belong to any of us who currently serve. It instead belongs to all the men who came before us; and all of those who will come after us. It is to them that we owe our efforts. We that currently serve are only interim caretakers of a living tradition; each of us having been given the privilege to earn a living while contributing to this institution we call Fire Department. In this spirit; and for this opportunity, I am both honored and grateful.
I wish to leave each of you a few words of advice. Beware of the slimeball tactics of individuals who choose to use the Department to improve their personal ambitions. They will not hesitate to jeopardize any of you; your reputation or your job security to achieve their selfish goals. Beware!
I wish everyone good health; happiness and the very best of everything. Most of all — Be Careful.
Sincerely, John J. Mogck Jr. Chief of Department–CFD
Personnel Card
Anthony T. Orme personnel card