Introduction
John J. Giuliano, Camden Fire Department
JOHN JOSEPH GIULIANO was born in Camden on October 11, 1927 to Pasqualina and Pasquale Giuliano. When the Census was taken in April of 1930 the family, which included older siblings Pietro and Eva, lived at 329 Line Street in South Camden. Pasquale Giuliano was then working as a laborer for the Public Service gas utility. The family was still living at 329 Line Street when the 1956 City Directory was compiled, although by this time Pasquale Giuliano had died. John J. Giuliano was then serving in the United States Army.
On January 11, 1956 John J. Giuliano was appointed to the Camden Fire Department. He reported for duty three days later. The New Jersey Bell Telephone Directory of October 1956 shows that he was living at 3306 Winthrop Walk in Fairview. By October of 1959 he had returned to South Camden, where he is listed at 561 Line Street. He moved to 419 North 38th Street in East Camden at some point thereafter.
John J. Giuliano was promoted to Captain on July 1, 1960. He was again promoted on June 11, 1966 to the rank of Battalion Chief.
John J. Giuliano was still living at 419 North 38th Street as late as the fall of 1970. When residency restrictions were removed for Camden fire fighters, he moved to Lindenwold. After 36 years of distinguished service and having reached the mandatory retirement age of 65, Chief Giuliano retired on November 11, 1992.
Last a resident of Mt. Laurel, John J. Giuliano passed away on May 15, 1996.
Firemen Here Get Advanced First Aid Course
Camden Courier-Post —
More than 40 members of the Camden Fire Department have completed the Red Cross course in advanced first aid according to announcement today by Howard F. Keller, Collingswood, chairman of the Camden County Chapter's first aid committee.
Instruction sessions were under the direction of Fire Chief William V. Pfefferle, Drillmaster Anthony Dzinski, a member of the local chapter first aid group, assisted by Nicholas E. George, were instructors. Dzinski is a member of the Red Cross faculty at the National Aquatic School held in this area each year for instruction in advance safety techniques. Dick Harris, director of Red Cross safety services, supervised.
All members of the graduating class are personnel of several units housed at fire department headquarters here. These include the Headquarters Company, Engine Company 2, Rescue Squad 1 and truck company 1. these groups include:
Rescue Squad: Captains Arthur Batten, Philip A. Stinger and albert weller; Edward Brendlinger, harrison macneir, Robert Olesiewicz and james w. smith.
Headquarters Company: raymond banford, John K. Voll and john w. yates.
Truck Company 1: Captains Daniel Jiannetto, Robert E. Dukes and otto v. kaiser; William Watkin, chester gedrich, George Baxter, john mogck, George C. Hennessy, Charles Devlin, Ambrose W. Faust, joseph mctaggart, Howard R. Taggart, William G. Winstanley and elmer johnson jr.
Engine Company 2: Captains James R. Asher, Thomas Winstanley; Carl Wirtz, james mcgrory, Edwin V. Decker, james stewart, Francis X. McTaggart, anthony t. orme, Mario D. Fattore, james o. jones, Francis P. Stibi, william hopkins, Robert E. Briggs, John Giuliano, casper martelli, Harold H. Pike, john j. vane, William Stibi, john dimaggio and Harry Kleinfelder.
Chiefs Are Appointed
Camden Courier-Post —
Promotions were made today to fill four vacancies in the City Fire Department.
Director of Public Safety Keith Kauffman announced the promotion of Allen F. Hess, 40, of 3064 Mickle Street, and John Giuliano, 38, of 419 N. 38th Street, to battalion chief.
Hess was appointed to the department in November, 1950, and made captain in May, 1960. Giuliano was appointed January, 1956, and received his captain rank in July, 1960.
The new battalion chiefs replace Charles and Godfrey Patterson, brothers, who have retired.
Named to fill the vacancies created by the promotion of Hess and Giuliano are Richard Brooks, 33, of 1081 N. 34th Street, a member of the department since January, 1961, and Roy Moffa, 47, of 161 S. 27th Street, a member since November, 1950.
General Alarm: Two Fires Destroy 9 Buildings
Camden Courier-Post —
Seventy-five Camden firemen fought a general alarm fire that destroyed nine empty row homes at two locations early today.
Battalion Chief John Giuliano said fire broke out simultaneously at 10th and Cooper Streets and 9th and Lawrence Streets shortly after 2 a.m.
Although the fires were under control within two hours, firemen worked at the scene for almost six hours, Giuliano said. Several nearby families were evacuated from the area as a precautionary measure.
Five homes were destroyed at the 10th and Cooper site and four at the latter location. The buildings were being razed to make room for the new highway approach to the Benjamin Franklin Bridge.
Giuliano said both fires obviously were set and are under investigation by the fire marshal's office.
At the time the general alarm was sounded, firemen were fighting a blaze that razed a three-story vacant home at 313 Stevens Street, Giuliano said. That fire also is under investigation.
Fire-fighting operations were directed by Camden Fire Chief Edward Michalak.
—Courier-Post Photo by James Stewart
CAMDEN FIREMEN use ladder to enter window of smoke-filled vacant house during general alarm fire early today at 9th and Lawrence Streets.
4 Firemen Suspended By Melleby
Camden Courier-Post —
Four veteran members of the Camden Fire Department have been suspended by Harold Melleby, public safety director, on charges stemming from a fight July 21 at Engine Company 9, 27th and Federal Streets.
John Kolessar, an acting captain who was involved in the fight with fireman Peter Carbone, has been suspended for 15 days. He is currently on a three-month leave of absence without pay.
Kolessar pleaded guilty during a departmental disciplinary hearing to charges of conduct unbecoming a public employe, disorderly conduct and assault. No charges were lodged against Carbone.
Deputy Chief Frank Deal, who was acting in the position of Chief Edward V. Michalak who was on vacation when the incident occurred, was suspended for four days, beginning tomorrow. He was cited for neglect of duty, failure to report the fight to Melleby and failure to suspend one or both of the men involved.
Battalion Chief John Giuliano, who was acting deputy chief the day of the fight, and Capt. Robert Briggs, who was acting battalion chief, each received one-day suspensions which end at midnight tonight. They were disciplined for failure to enforce the rules, regulations and orders of the department.
Former Mayor Alfred R. Pierce, counsel for Deal, Giuliano and Briggs, said they have 20 days to file an appeal through Civil Service.
Blaze Damages Werner Home
Camden Courier-Post —
The living room of the home of Francis Werner, 822 N. 30th St., Camden, an investigator in the Camden County prosecutor’s office, was swept by fire yesterday shortly after Werner left for work, according to police.
The blaze, which also caused smoke damage throughout the home, apparently started when a television set caught fire, according to Battalion Chief John Giuliano. The fire was reported at 8:15 a.m. and was under control within minutes, Giuliano said.
Werner said he had turned off the television when he left for work. His wife was also away at the time, police said.
Blaze Hits House in S. Camden
Camden Courier-Post —
Two Camden men were admitted to West Jersey Hospital, Northern Division, and a city fireman was treated for smoke inhalation today following a fire in a South Camden housing project.
Spencer Redd, 22, of 129 Branch Village, suffered second-degree burns of both hands, and Carl Jefferson, 21, of 175 Branch Village, suffered burns of the face, neck and scalp and smoke inhalation in a fire at the home of Mildred Jefferson at 112 Branch Village.
Firemen Robert Van Istandel and Robert Lapp rescued Jefferson from the second floor of the house, according to Battalion Chief John Giuliano. Lapp was treated at West Jersey Hospital for smoke inhalation.
Giuliano said the fire, which started in the living room, was confined to that room.
Firemen Fight Blaze on Unused Ship
Camden Courier-Post —
Camden firefighters battled flames on an unused ship docked at the New York Shipyard, Camden, for more than an hour last night before the fire was declared under control.
According to Chief John Giuliano of Camden Batallion Three, the two-alarm fire erupted after shipyard workers began dismantling the old ship, and then left a burner torch at the scene.
The hot torch, explained Giuliano, slowly set the ship afire after the workers left.
Giuliano pointed out that the shipyard has been the scene of “six or seven” ship fires in the last four months caused by a forgotten burner torch. He called the fires the “result of careless housekeeping” and said last night’s fire was the biggest so far.
Giuliano said that, when the first fire truck arrived at the scene shortly after midnight, the flames were already “at least 40 feet in the air and 100 feet deep.”
He called it an “all-night fire,” because “there’s no way of getting to it — there are holes in the floor under the boat, dangerous catwalks. And the roof above the boat is made of wood.”
Giuliano pointed out that the firefighters’ greatest problem was controlling the flames stimulated by a layer of oil at the base of the partially-dismantled ship, which he believed was once used for storage.
Two grime-covered World War II Navy helmets were pulled from the burning ship.
A secondary fire also broke out at the opposite end of the drydock, noted Giuliano, who said that also was caused by a hot torch that had been left behind by workers. He said that fire was quickly doused.
8 Evacuated In Fire at Apartments
Camden Courier-Post —
Firemen today were battling a three-alarm blaze in South Camden that started this morning in an unoccupied brick home at 813 S. 5th St., and quickly spread to a three-story apartment dwelling next door.
By noon the blaze was still out of control.
Battalion Chief John Giuliano was taken to Cooper Hospital after a part of a roof collapsed on him, a hospital spokesman said. The extent of his injuries was not immediately known.
No other injuries were reported in the fire. Eight occupants of the apartment house next door were safely evacuated.
Willie Carter, 51, caretaker of the apartments, told firemen he saw smoke coming from the two dwellings prior to turning in the first alarm at 9:05 a.m. A second alarm was sounded five minutes later. The third alarm was called about a half hour later.
The residence at 813 S. 5th St. was owned by Mrs. Carmella Massi, but was unoccupied since the woman is in a convalescent home. The apartment housed three persons on its first floor and five on the second.
The fire marshal’s office was investigating the origin of the blaze.
Fire Ruins 14 Houses, Arson Seen
Camden Courier-Post —
THREE-ALARM fire believed set by arsonists sweeps through the 400 block of S. 4th Street in Camden Monday, destroying nine houses. Courier-Post Photo by John Avery.
Fire Ruins 14 Houses, Arson Seen
By JOSEPH BUSLER
A fire believed to be the work of arsonists swept through 14 houses on the 400 block of S. 4th Street, Camden, Monday afternoon, virtually destroying nine of them and heavily damaging the rest.
Twenty-two persons were left homeless.
The three-alarm fire apparently was set on the second floor rear of 423 S. 4th St., one of four vacant houses on the block. It then travelled along an air-space between the second-floor ceiling and the roof to spread to all the houses, according to Camden Fire Chief Edward Michalak.
A combination of low water pressure and inoperative fire hydrants delayed firemen’s efforts for several minutes, according to fire officials.
Neighbors reported that fires had occurred on several occasions recently in the vacant houses of the block, and that No. 423 had been set afire Sunday night. It has also been the site of a fire which seriously damaged it Friday night, the neighbors said.
No one was injured during Monday’s fire, which was first reported at 3:49 p.m. and which was brought under control at about 6 p.m. The second alarm was turned in at 3:55 p.m. and the third at 4:05 p.m. according to Battalion Chief John Giuliano.
The affected block of houses extended between Washington and Berkley Streets in Camden’s Lanning Square section.
Although the fire blanketed most of central and south Camden in acrid gray smoke, few flames were visible from the street. However, the roofs of nine of the houses collapsed into the second floor, and firemen were forced to chop holes through the remaining roofs to stop the spread of the blaze. Water drenched the contents even of the houses that sustained little fire damage, and residents were hauling out what water-soaked furniture and clothes they could reach even as firemen continued to pour water onto the smouldering roofs.
Mrs. Hermina Gonzalez, of 419 S. 4th St., one of the more heavily damaged homes, said she was sitting in her house when a neighbor came running in yelling, “Fire! Fire! Get out!”
Her husband, Juan, who with his wife operates a corner grocery store located in the first floor of their home, estimated his loss at $12,000. No official estimates of the total damage were available, although one policeman, who knew several residents, said “There were some of the nicest homes in South Camden in that block.”
Painters had just completed repainting the interior of 433 S. 4th St. hours before the fire struck. L. Willis, the owner, would say only, “A tragedy has happened here.” But his neighbors said he had had the house redecorated as a surprise for his wife, Julia, who was in Atlanta, Ga.
Chief Michalak said the fire was “of suspicious origin…we definitely believe it was set.”
The time of day, the fact that the fire started in the second floor of a vacant house and its quick spread through houses that were peopled were all factors indicating arson, Michalak said.
“It’s not the first time we’ve been on this row,” Michalak said, referring to the previous fires.
The three-alarm fire, which occurred simultaneously with a fire in East Camden, tied up most of the city’s fire-fighting equipment, so two pumpers usually kept in reserve were impressed into service, Michalak said. Additionally, volunteer companies from Haddon Heights, Audubon and Westmont were brought into the city on a stand-by basis.
Seven pumpers and two ladder trucks manned by 54 firemen were used to fight the blaze, Michalak said. Included among these were two pumpers and a ladder truck recently acquired by Camden from Philadelphia and still bearing the Philadelphia Fire Department insignia, leading many onlookers to believe the Philadelphia department had been called in.
Battalion Chief Giuliano said that firefighting efforts had been delayed perhaps 10 minutes by low water pressure.
“Ten minutes is a long time in the fire-fighting business,” Guilano [sic] said, but would not estimate to what extent the delay had increased the damage.
Three fire hydrants near the scene of the fire were found to be inoperable, and firemen had to stretch hoses over two blocks away to get adequate water.
Firemen said that the number of inoperable fire hydrants in Camden is so large that the fire department recently completed a survey of all fireplugs in Camden and has marked the defective ones so that no time will be wasted attempting to link up hoses to them.
Residents reported that one hydrant, located on Berkley Street between 4th and 5th Streets, has been inoperable for over two years and had remained unrepaired despite numerous complaints.
Representatives from the City Welfare Department and the OEO Neighborhood Council were on hand to relocate those dispossessed by the fire. Most of the residents made arrangements to stay with relatives or friends.
Woman Killed in Camden House Blaze
Camden Courier-Post —
Four persons — including a child — were killed before dawn today when fires broke out in a Voorhees Township apartment complex and a private home in the Fairview section of Camden.
The three who died in the Voorhees fire were burned beyond recognition. They were discovered in the apartment unit where the three-alarm fire is believed to have begun.
Fire officials said the blaze that heavily damaged the 12-unit apartment building in the Echelon Apartments on Bibbs Road, near Echelon Mall, broke out about 4:30 a.m.
The second alarm was sounded about one hour later and the third alarm was sounded after 6 a.m.
Several hours earlier, Mrs. Mary Breyer of Camden was killed when fire broke out in her home in the Fairview section of the city.
Injured in the Voorhees fire were John Vito, 33, in whose apartment the fire probably started; Charles Turner, 20, of the apartment complex; Thomas Wiseley, 21, of 536 Chester Ave., Bellmawr, who was in Vito’s apartment when the fire broke out, and Chip Staley, 20, also of the apartment complex.
Vito was admitted to West Jersey Hospital, Eastern Division, Voorhees, for treatment of smoke inhalation and facial burns. He was listed in satisfactory condition.
Turner was treated at West Jersey Hospital for a fractured ankle and released, a hospital spokesman said.
Wiseley was treated at John F. Kennedy Memorial Hospital, Stratford, for smoke inhalation and facial burns and released.
Staley, also taken to John F. Kennedy Memorial Hospital, was treated for possible back and foot injuries, a hospital spokesman said.
Fire officials said the three persons killed included two adults and one child. However, their identities and sexes were not immediately known.
Camden County Medical Investigator Paul Rilatt Jr. said the three persons killed included a man, woman and young child. However, their identities were not immediately known. Positive identification was not expected until later today, Rilatt said.
One adult was in one bedroom, the other in a separate bedroom and the child was in the hallway.
John Cluelow, a fireman for the Woodcrest Fire Company, said the building was fully involved in flames when his company arrived.
“When I got there flames were shooting through the roof of the three-story building,” Cluelow said.
Cluelow said the six center apartments, which are part of a four-building complex, were heavily damaged by fire and the three apartments on each end sustained heavy smoke and water damage.
As the fire raged, residents of the building fled into the cold, seeking refuge in neighbors’ residences.
At the height of the fire, about 300 firemen from Voorhees, Stratford, Cherry Hill and Barrington were on the scene, manning 20 to 30 pieces of fire fighting equipment. The firemen fought the flames for about two-and-one-half hours before bringing them under control and entering the smouldering building to discover the three bodies.
A young boy who lives in an apartment building facing the fire scene said he was awakened by the sound of firemen’s Walkie-Talkies.
“When I looked out the window I saw the flames and got dressed and went outside. All I saw was flames and firemen all over the place,” the boy said.
Fire officials said the cause of the fire was undetermined and under investigation.
About two-and-a-half hours before the Voorhees fire, Mrs. Mary Breyer, 71, of 1093 Niagara Road, Camden, died when fire broke out in her two-story brick home. She was dead on arrival at West Jersey Hospital, Northern Division, Camden.
Firemen found Mrs. Breyer’s body on the floor of her second-story bedroom.
Mrs. Breyer’s husband, Harry, 68, attempted to rescue his wife but failed, firemen said.
Breyer was treated for cuts at West Jersey Hospital and released.
James Rowand, a neighbor, said “Harry banged on my door about 2 a.m. and got a ladder. He was up on the roof trying to get into the bedroom window but smoke was pouring out all over the place.”
Asst. Fire Chief John Giuliano said the fire probably started in the kitchen but that the cause was undetermined and under investigation.
Another house attached to the Breyer’s residence sustained heavy smoke damage, fire officials said.
The Breyers, married 45 years, have two sons.
Breyer is a retired welder, formerly employed by the now defunct New York Shipyard.
William Mignogna, a cousin to Mrs. Breyer, said she (Mrs. Breyer) had difficulty walking as the result of a broken hip and leg she sustained some time ago.
Fire Watch Magazine — In Recognition…
Camden Fire Department — Fire Watch Magazine, Spring 1977
Members as listed below have anniversary dates which fall during the first quarter:
| Fr. Howard G. Brickner #5 | 26 Years | Fr. Harvey J. Fisher #186 | 26 Years | Capt. James W. Smith | 26 Years |
| Dep. Chf. Anthony C. Saponare | 35 Years | Fr. Andrew H. Foreman #183 | 26 Years | Fr. William J. Stibi #120 | 26 Years |
| Batt. Chf. Robert E. Dukes | 30 Years | Fr. Henry S. Keubler #34 | 26 Years | Fr. William M. Stone #29 | 26 Years |
| Insp. Fr. George C. Hennessy #21 | 30 Years | Fr. Joseph J. Lesniewski #50 | 26 Years | Capt. William G. Winstanley | 26 Years |
| Dep. Chf. Daniel F. Jiannetto | 30 Years | Fr. Phillip MacDonald #71 | 26 Years | Fr. Adolph S. Zubrzycki #62 | 26 Years |
| Dep. Chf. Theodore L. Primas | 30 Years | Fr. Joseph J. McTaggart #26 | 26 Years | Batt. Chf. John J. Giuliano | 21 Years |
| Fr. Eugene F. Alston #7 | 29 Years | Batt. Chf. John J. Mogck | 26 Years | Insp. Fr. Alfred D. Nigro #76 | 21 Years |
| Batt. Chf. Biaggio P. Ardire | 29 Years | Capt. John E. Moore | 26 Years | Fr. Leon Puszczykowski #100 | 21 Years |
| Fr. William R. Harring #69 | 29 Years | Capt. Robert P. Olesiewicz | 26 Years | Fr. John L. Sterner #73 | 21 Years |
| Fr. William E. Hinch #151 | 29 Years | Capt. Anthony T. Orme | 26 Years | Fr. Francis P. Stibi #143 | 21 Years |
| Capt. Herbert J. Schott | 28 Years | Fr. Ralph H. Palmer #46 | 26 Years | Fr. Carl R. Szalkowski #95 | 21 Years |
| Batt. Chf. Charles A. Bates | 26 Years |
Camden blaze guts vacant row house
Camden Courier-Post —
CAMDEN — A vacant row house in North Camden was gutted by fire last night.
Camden Fire Chief John Giuliano said one fireman received a minor hand injury while fighting the blaze at 826 Grant St.
Giuliano said the fire started at about 8 p.m. and was brought under control one hour later. There were no other injuries.
Eavenson & Levering Warehouse Fire
Camden Courier-Post —
Left: A firefighter hoses down smoldering ruins of the warehouse in Camden.
Jackson Street — Gallagher’s Warehouse — Eavenson & Levering — Joseph Marini — John J. Giuliano — John Mogck
4-Alarm Fire Hits City Hall
Camden Courier-Post —
4-ALARM FIRE HITS CITY HALL
Records safe, no injuries
CAMDEN — An intense four-alarm fire shortly before 2 a.m. today damaged the purchasing and building maintenance department offices on the 14th floor of City Hall.
Although the fire was contained within the offices of county building superintendent James Hainsworth and purchasing agent John M. Kennedy on the northwest corner of the 14th floor, four alarms were struck.
Battalion Chief John Giuliano explained he feared he might have to evacuate the 320 prisoners being held in the Camden County Jail seven floors below.
One firefighter suffered a minor leg injury, said Giuliano.
Radio station WSSJ, located on the 18th floor, was evacuated and off the air for an hour.
The greatest danger, other than to personnel, was to the critical records stored in Kennedy’s office, county officials said. County business could have been thrown into almost hopeless confusion had those records been lost, said Camden County Sheriff William J. Simon.
“Those guys did a hell of a job,” Simon said of the firefighters. “That whole floor could have gone.”
The cause of the fire was unknown early this morning, said Camden County Fire Marshal David Aron.
WSSJ announcer E.A. Wood said he smelled what he thought was smoke around 1 a.m. but did not realize it was from a fire in the same building.
Firefighters were briefly delayed in reaching the heart of the fire, said Capt. John Dimaggio, because the water standpipe to which hoses were to be connected was located inside the burning office.
Firefighters had to go to a standpipe on the 13th floor and carry their hoses back up to the 14th only to be stymied by a locked fire door. They had to knock the steel door off its hinges and then batter it out of the doorway to enter the 14th floor.
James Hainsworth — John M. Kennedy — WSSJ — William J. Simon — John J. Giuliano — David Aron — E.A. Wood — Carlos Cruz — John Dimaggio
Fire Damages Row Home
Camden Courier-Post —
CAMDEN — A woman and her five children were roused out of their South Camden row house after a fire broke out early Saturday evening.
Police believe the fire may have been caused by children playing with matches.
No injuries were reported.
The fire broke out shortly before 6 p.m. in an upstairs bedroom of a house in the 300 block of Royden Street, city Fire Chief John Giuliano said. It took firefighters from four companies about 20 minutes to extinguish the blaze.
The mother, 38-year-old Elizabeth Velequez, and her children are being housed by the Red Cross due to extensive damage on the second floor of the three-story home.
Camden Man Critical After Row House Fire
Camden Courier-Post —
CAMDEN — A 45-year-old city man was critically burned this morning despite being pulled by a fireman from the second floor of a burning Harrison Street row home.
Battalion Two Chief John Giuliano said that firefighter Donald Jankiewicz found Preston Polk lying on the floor of the middle bedroom near an open window and pulled him from the burning building at 2824 Harrison St.
Officials at Cooper Hospital-University Medical Center, here, said Polk, who told hospital officials he lived at the Harrison Street address, was transferred to the burn unit at St. Agnes Hospital in Philadelphia after his condition was stabilized in the hospital’s trauma unit.
St. Agnes officials said Polk was being treated for second-degree burns over six percent of his body and inhalation burns. His condition was considered guarded.
Giuliano said the blaze was reported at about 1:15 a.m. and was fought by about 18 firefighters for about 30 minutes before being declared under control.
Giuliano said the blaze apparently began in a second-story rear bedroom, quickly filling the two-story home with smoke and flames. He said the house received extensive fire damage to the second floor with some fire, smoke and water damage to the first floor.
Giuliano said the house did not have electrical service but that the home did have natural gas service.
Camden House Fire
Camden Courier-Post —
Camden firefighter David Yates hoses down a mattress pulled from a fire that damaged a house on Park Boulevard this morning. A 49 year-old man was pulled from the blaze, believed to have started in an upstairs bedroom. The man’s 53-year old brother escaped the fire.
Photo by Frank Saia
William Miller — John Giuliano — Herbert Leary — Maurice Wilson — Charles Miller — Park Boulevard
Man Injured, Home Destroyed in City Fire
Camden Courier-Post —
CAMDEN — One man was critically injured last night in a two-alarm fire that destroyed a row house at 1143 Sheridan St. and caused extensive damage to a vacant house next door.
The man, a boarder in the house, apparently jumped from a second-floor window to escape. He suffered burns and smoke inhalation in addition to any injuries he may have suffered in the jump.
His condition was evaluated at Cooper Hospital-University Medical Center before he was transferred to Crozer-Chester Medical Center, in Upland, Pa., but his name was being withheld because his family had not been contacted.
The 6:59 p.m. fire burned out of control for an hour and 15 minutes. Battalion Chief John Giuliano said the entire building was “almost totally consumed” and the adjoining vacant house was heavily damaged.
Sheila Carney, who lived at 1143 Sheridan St., said she had just taken her 16-month-old baby to visit a neighbor when someone told her a house was on fire and it looked like hers.
“Everything I own is gone,” she said. “Everything was burned. I believe somebody set my house on fire.”
Giuliano said fire officials had not yet determined the cause of the blaze.
A two-alarm fire, that has been ruled arson, broke out in a row house at 827 Elm St. late Tuesday, burned throughout the morning early yesterday, spread to the Bible Tabernacle Church at 823–825 Elm St., destroyed the church and damaged another house at 821 Elm St.
A seven-alarm fire on Sunday ravaged four businesses on Westfield Avenue in East Camden.
And a three-alarm fire on Saturday night destroyed St. Rosa’s Primitive Baptist Church at 576 Walnut Street.
Sheila Carney — Sheridan Street — Elm Street — Walnut Street — Westfield Avenue
Two Workers Killed in Industrial Accident
Camden Courier-Post —
CAMDEN — Two men died early today in an industrial accident at a company inside the South Jersey Port Corporation.
Firefighters, hazardous materials workers and police officers responded to the sprawling facility off Broadway near Morgan Boulevard along the Delaware River at 12:18 a.m. after receiving a report of a gas leak.
The two men, both of whom lived in Pennsylvania, were welding two tanks together when the accident occurred. They apparently were overcome by argon gas residue that was inside the tanks, said Battalion Three Chief John Giuliano.
The men were pronounced dead at the scene and their bodies taken to the Camden County Morgue in Pennsauken where autopsies were to be performed later today. The names of the victims were being withheld pending notification of relatives.
No other injuries were reported and the name of the company inside the complex was not immediately available.
The accident was under investigation by the city fire marshal’s office and the Camden County Prosecutor’s Office.
New Fire Chief Saves Man From Burning Trailer
Camden Courier-Post —
CAMDEN — Woodlynne Fire Chief Ken Steward’s quick action saved a man from a burning trailer home here yesterday, fire officials said.
Fire Chief John Giuliano of Camden’s Third Battalion said Steward rescued Joseph Martin, 49, from D-5 JSL Trailer Park, 2355 Mount Ephraim Ave.
Steward’s wife, Joan, said she and her husband had just left the Black Horse Pike Shopping Center in Audubon and were driving home when her husband spotted the fire and stopped to help.
A modest man, Steward said he only did “what I was trained to do.”
He said he went in when he heard someone calling.
Giuliano said the occupant of the trailer was confused and shouting for help.
“The guy would have died,” Giuliano said. “This guy (Steward) made a good rescue.”
Martin was treated for smoke inhalation at Cooper Hospital-University Medical Center, Camden, and released last night, said a hospital spokeswoman.
Joan Steward said her husband’s quick action is second nature for the 31-year-old firefighter, who was just named Jan. 1 as chief of Woodlynne’s volunteer fire company.
“It’s in your blood when you’re a fireman,” she said. “To him it’s just part of his work; if you see a fire, you respond.”
Giuliano said the one-alarm fire started at 12:40 p.m. underneath the trailer in the space between the bottom of the trailer and the ground. The fire, which was fought by 15 firefighters, was brought under control at 1:20 p.m.
The cause of the fire is under investigation by the Camden Fire Marshal.
Fire rescue: Firefighters work at the scene of a trailer fire on Mount Ephraim Avenue in Camden yesterday. Woodlynne Fire Chief Ken Steward, driving home from an Audubon shopping center with his wife, Joan, spotted the fire and went to help, according to Camden Fire Chief John Giuliano. Steward rescued Joseph Martin, 49, who was shouting for help and “would have died,” Giuliano said. Martin was treated for smoke inhalation at Cooper Hospital-University Medical Center, Camden. The cause of the fire is under investigation. Courier-Post photo by Evangelos Dousmanis
Housing Project Dealt Setback
Camden Courier-Post —
CAMDEN — A two-alarm fire here Friday damaged a vacant building awaiting renovation as part of an affordable-housing project.
The blaze, which began at about noon, burned the roof and top floor at 738 Washington St., a three-story structure between Haddon and Trenton avenues, said Peter J. O’Connor, head of the affordable-housing project.
The fire apparently began in a back room of the middle building, O’Connor said. “Some people had broken into the building and were either staying there as homeless squatters or doing drugs of some sort,” he noted.
A firefighter, Chief John Giuliano, was hospitalized briefly after cutting himself while fighting the blaze.
“The damage (to the building) is not that significant, from what we can see,” said O’Connor, executive director of Fair Share Housing Development Inc.
The dilapidated structure — actually three buildings with a shared stone facade — was to be converted into six low-cost apartments.
“The buildings were to be rehabilitated, not demolished. That still seems feasible, but we’ll have to check,” said O’Connor. “Our architect and engineer will look at it next week.”
If damage is not too severe, Fair Share will renovate the buildings, which are about 100 years old. If new construction is needed, that part of the project will take longer to complete, O’Connor said.
Fair Share’s project, Cooper Plaza Historic Homes, is expected to create 64 low-cost apartments in Camden. Under current plans, 25 existing houses will be renovated, while nine new houses will be built, O’Connor said.
Preliminary work will begin shortly, with construction and renovations to start at some sites by April, O’Connor said. About a third of the apartments could be ready for occupancy by year-end 1992, he said.
The $10 million project is being funded by a variety of government and private sources, said O’Connor. Fair Share is a non-profit organization based in Cherry Hill.
Fire scene: Camden firefighters battle a blaze that damaged a vacant building at 738 Washington St. Courier-Post photo by Ron Karafin
Service Record
CAMDEN DIVISION OF FIRE PERSONNEL RECORD
NAME: John Joseph Giuliano
ADDRESS: 419 No. 38th St.
DATE OF BIRTH: Oct. 11, 1927
BORN IN CITY OF: Camden, N.J.
DATE OF APPOINTMENT: Jan. 13, 1956
REPORTED FOR DUTY: Jan. 16, 1956
TITLE OF POSITION: Fireman → Capt. 7-1-60 → Batt. Chief 6/11/66
Pension 11-1-92
Deceased: 5-15-96
John J. Giuliano, 68, of Mount Laurel
Camden Courier-Post —
John J. Giuliano, 68, of Mount Laurel, died Wednesday at Our Lady of Lourdes Medical Center, Camden.
Formerly of Camden, Mr. Giuliano served in Camden’s Fire Department for 36 years, retiring in 1992. Mr. Giuliano was appointed a Battalion Fire Chief in 1966, becoming the youngest person to hold that post until that time.
He was an Army veteran.
Surviving are his wife of 41 years, Teresa A. (nee Piotti); two daughters, Jeanne Dinella of Cherry Hill and Maria Leone of Evesham; a son, John of Evesham; four grandchildren; a sister, Eva Giuliano of Camden; and two brothers, Pete and Alfred, both of Pine Hill.
Friends and relatives may call from 7 to 9 p.m. today and after 10 a.m. Saturday at Falco/Caruso Funeral Home, 6600 N. Browning Road, Pennsauken.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated 11:30 a.m. Saturday in St. Peter Celestine Church, 402 N. Kings Highway, Cherry Hill.
Burial will be in Calvary Cemetery, Cherry Hill.
Contributions may be made to Foundation at Our Lady of Lourdes Medical Center Heart Institute, 1600 Haddon Ave., Camden 08103.
Being Together at the End
Camden Courier-Post —
Teresa Giuliano holds a photo of her husband, John. She was with her husband in the emergency room of Our Lady of Lourdes Medical Center when he died four years ago.
Hospital allows family members in emergency room during resuscitation tries.
By Angela Rucker, Courier-Post Staff
“In most cases, I don’t think it’s a good thing for the family to watch” — though family presence during resuscitation is becoming more accepted nationally. Our Lady of Lourdes Medical Center, Camden, allows family members to be present on an informal basis, usually about one or two times a month. The practice is expected to grow over the next decade as more emergency departments encourage families to be with their relative during resuscitation attempts.