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 |
4 Trapped in Blaze Saved by Firemen
Camden Courier-Post —
By JOSEPH McCARTHY, Courier-Post Staff
City firemen fought smoke, flames, snow and a biting cold during the night and early morning hours as a rash of fires severely damaged four buildings and destroyed a tavern.
According to Public Safety Director Keith Kauffman, at one point only two engine companies were not actively fighting the blazes as seven engine companies, three ladder companies, the rescue squad and three battalion chiefs were at the fire scenes.
At the site of the worst fire, 5th and Mickle Streets, police and firemen braved dense smoke and fierce flames to rescue four elderly persons trapped in first, second and third floor apartments.
Started In Tavern Lounge
The blaze, which broke out in the lounge of Ray’s Tavern, was discovered by Patrolmen Augustus Balzano and Anthony Saponare at 3:58 a.m. after they were alerted of smoke by highway employees battling the second snowstorm of the week.
The two policemen, after radioing the alarm, kicked in the door of the tavern and raced through the smoke and flames to rescue Mrs. Agnes Lockhart, 58, from her upstairs apartment.
The patrolmen took Mrs. Lockhart to Cooper Hospital where she was admitted with a cut head and smoke inhalation.
Minutes later firemen, headed by Battalion Chief Biaggio Ardire, arrived. Ardire said the tavern was engulfed in smoke and flames. He said the flames leaped from the tavern roof to a luncheonette and apartment building next door.
Ardire said firemen raised a ladder to the third floor of the second building where Mrs. Mabel Seward, 64, was hanging from a window ledge. However, firemen were hampered in the rescue attempt by the narrow space of the alley and could only hold the screaming woman until other firefighters could make their way to the third floor window from inside the building.
The rescuers, wearing face masks, wrapped Mrs. Seward in blankets and carried her through the flames to safety.
Two Carried Out
At the same time, more fire fighters entered the burning building and carried out Mrs. Viola Lagerprantz, 65, who lived in a rear apartment on the first floor and John J. Smith, 86, from a second-floor apartment.
All the victims were taken to Cooper Hospital for smoke inhalation treatment and released an hour later.
Kauffman ordered the victims, still wrapped in blankets, taken to fire headquarters at 3rd and Arch Streets and notified city welfare authorities. The Welfare Department obtained temporary housing for the three victims at Volunteers of America headquarters, 828 Market Street. Each victim lost all possessions in the blaze.
Additional Alarms
Ardire, at 4:27 a.m. called for additional fire crews and an hour later requested more aid. Battalion Chief Daniel Jiannetto’s unit answered the first distress call while Acting Battalion Chief Arthur Batten’s men arrived on the second plea.
Batten’s unit had been fighting two North Camden blazes since 10:53 last night.
Ardire said that when firemen attempted to get into the buildings, the fire was raging forward, backward, and straight up the stairwells out of control.
The owner of the luncheonette, Dominic Padulla, arrived at the scene about 5:30 a.m. Padulla and his brother, Frank, who also had been out, live on the first floor.
Canteen Truck on Scene
Volunteers of America Canteen truck with Colonel William Gwynne also was at the scene and served firemen coffee and donuts.
Fire Chief Edward Michalak said he has ordered a complete investigation of the fire.
Kauffman said 5th Street south of Mickle and Mickle Street east of 5th has been closed to traffic indefinitely.
In the two other fires in North Camden, a grocery store was damaged at 442 N. 9th Street, and two vacant buildings at 623–625 North Front Street were damaged.
Grocery Store Blaze
Batten said a defective chimney apparently caused the grocery store blaze which raged through joists and partitions. The store is operated by Benjamin Lamberte while the building is owned by Mrs. Sarah Schecter of Baird Boulevard according to the battalion chief.
Batten’s crew were forced to make two trips to the vacant buildings as wind whipped flames. He said the fire probably was caused by vagrants seeking shelter from the snowstorm.
Before the firefighters could take off their fire apparel, they were dispatched to the 5th and Mickle Street blaze.
Tetrachloride Fumes Sicken 3 Firemen
Camden Courier-Post —
Three firemen were sickened Friday night when they inhaled fumes from a mattress fire after a carbon tetrachloride fire extinguisher was used on the blaze by police.
Examined at West Jersey Hospital and released were Clarence Hawkins, 30, of 1570 Park blvd.; Howard Ways, 40, of 909 Spruce st., and William Warren, 43, of 1546 Ormand [sic] st. All three are hosemen with Engine Company 8.
According to District Chief Daniel Jiannetto, the mattress was burning in the home of Albert Harkless, 33, of 714 Walnut st. Jiannetto said police had used a tetrachloride fire extinguisher before arrival of firemen and that the dangerous fumes sickened the men when they entered the room to put out the fire. Jiannetto said the blaze was caused by a careless smoker.
Handshakes Greet Two New Deputy Fire Chiefs
Camden Courier-Post —
—Courier-Post Photo by Bob Bar[?]
HANDSHAKES ALL AROUND greet two veteran Camden firemen after their promotion to Deputy Fire Chiefs by Director of Public Safety Keith Kauffman. The new deputies, Daniel Jiannetto (second from right) of 24 S. 33rd Street and Frank Deal (right) of 412 N. 37th Street, are congratulated by Kauffman and Department Chief Edward Michalak following yesterday’s swearing-in ceremony at city hall. Jiannetto has been a fireman 19 years, Deal 14 years.
Fire Watch: In This Issue
Fire Watch Magazine — Spring 1977
FIRE WATCH
VOL. 1 NO. 1
SPRING 1977
IN THIS ISSUE
MESSAGE FROM LOCAL #788 2
WHAT'S NEW 4
VIEW FROM THE TOP 5
SAFETY EVERYONE'S CONCERN 6
A CITY CHANGING IT'S [sic] IMAGE 8
DO YOU REMEMBER 10
HOT FLASHES 11
FIREHOUSE CHATTER 12
IN RECOGNITION 13
RUNS AND WORKERS-1976 13
DOWN MEMORY LANE 14
OUR SUPPORT SERVICES 16
QUIZ BIZ 18
FROM THE RULE BOOK 19
OUR PATRONS 19
PUBLISHED QUARTERLY BY AND FOR CAMDEN FIREFIGHTERS
The Cover Photo of our inaugural issue displays the scene that greeted first arriving units on the morning of 6 June, 1976 at Mt. Ephraim Avenue and Fairview Street, the Harris Terminal Complex. The fire involved a four story brick and corrugated steel warehouse (100 x 1000) containing miscellaneous industrial materials. Structure was fully involved upon arrival of Department Forces. As is evident in photo, the firebuilding was completely obscured from view by extremely heavy smoke conditions that were visible as far as thirty miles away. Elevated water tank in background, which is adjacent to firebuilding, is 100 feet tall. A massive effort by over 400 hundred [sic] manning some fifty pieces of equipment, was required to control the blaze. The Camden Fire Department was assisted by the mutual-aid response of Fire Units from Camden County. A 10th Alarm for Box #4412 was transmitted for this fire. Photo by M. Hall.
(LIABILITY STATEMENT)
1) The contents of FIREWATCH magazine are not intended to reflect official Fire Department policy, and are published with the express purpose of broadening the member's understanding and interest in the Fire Fighting Profession, and the Labor Movement. Opinions and ascertations [sic] set forth by authors of articles in FIREWATCH magazine do not reflect the views of the Fire Department of the City of Camden, N.J. or Local #788, I.A.F.F.
PUBLICATION OFFICE
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OFFICIAL DIRECTORY CAMDEN FIRE DEPARTMENT
Edward V. Michalak, Chief of Department
Dep. Chf. Joseph R. Guarino, Personnel & Administration
Dep. Chf. Daniel F. Jiannetto, Department Properties
Dep. Chf. Anthony C. Saponare, Support Services
Dep. Chf. Theodore L. Primas, Staff Services
Batt. Chf. Harold H. Pike, Chief Fire Marshal
Capt. Vincent G. Orme, Asst. Fire Marshal & Community Relations
Batt. Chf. Matthew J. Davies, Fire Training Academy
Capt. Ronald Guernon, Training Officer
Chief Joseph F. Wolfinger, Motor Maintenance Unit
OFFICIAL DIRECTORY CAMDEN FIREFIGHTER'S UNION, LOCAL #788, I.A.F.F.
Robert J. Williams, President E.11
William H. Colucci, 1st Vice President L.1
Robert K. Troutman, 2nd Vice President E.6
Richard J. Tate, 3rd Vice President E.8
Robert W. Frett, Secretary B.1-Aide
George F. Kifferly III, Treasurer E.11
Edward DeHart, State Delegate E.11
William S. DiPompo, State Delegate E.8
William L. Kamman, State Delegate E.3
PUBLICATION STAFF, FIREWATCH MAGAZINE
Editor Peter Carbone E.1
Asst. Editor Joseph Marini L.1
Circulation Martin Murray L.2
Historian Dennis Penn E.7
Art Robert Zieniuk E.3
Graphics B. James Nash E.8
ADVERTISING STAFF
Paul Matyjasik Div. Pool
Paul Price Div. Pool
Paul Speas E.1