05/26/2026
On this date in Connecticut Fire History ...
May 26, 1952 Arguably the largest Fire and Civil Defense drill to be held in Connecticut was conducted on this date.
It was the Cold War era, and the fear of a nuclear attack was always present. The large spread of radiation and fires from a nuclear bomb detonation was a major concern for public safety officials.
On a rainy Saturday morning, the drill was put into place with the report of a mock atomic bomb being detonated over the area of New London Harbor.
Over one hundred emergency apparatus, rescue vehicles and other vehicles with one thousand three hundred and sixty firefighters staged in four separate areas on the east and west sides of the Thames River.
Apparatus from New London and fifteen other towns to the north staged at the Speedbowl in Waterford under the command of New London Chief Thomas Shipman.
Fourteen department's of shore towns staged at Burnetts Corners in Groton under the direction of Chief Herbert White.
The third unit consisting of Waterford and eleven other department's under the direction of Chief Thurston "Doc" Howard staged at Camp Lodge in Niantic.
Companies from the Sub base Fire Department and those east of the river staged in Gales Ferry under the command of Sub Base Chief Leno "Hank" Vescovi.
In all, units from the counties of Middlesex, New Haven, Windham, New London, New Haven, Tolland and Washington County RI participated.
Some of the apparatus was moved into the area from their towns by railroad flatcars and unloaded in "Operation Piggyback"
As part of the drill, the Gold Star Bridge was "taken out" by the bomb so units east and west of the river had to co-ordinate independently. Also, the common use fire radio systems were also disabled by the blast so the local network of "HAM" radio operators were put into operation for dispatching equipment to incidents.
The "bomb blast" occured at 7:40 am, with radiological monitors being sent out to survey the area.
Shortly thereafter the Red Cross was mobilized, and the Civil Air Patrol made drops of supplies into the area.
Emergency calls for various incidents in the region started to be dispatched and responded to.
These included a structure fire staged at the Lyceum Theater on Wasington Street in New London.
There was a mock airplane crash at the Waterford Airport. An oil leak with fire was reported at the Sub Base. A fire was reported in a wing of the Seaside Sanatorium in Waterford requiring multiple bed ridden patients to be evacuated. An oil fire occured at the Tidewater Oil dock in the Quaker Hill section of Waterford requiring foam operations. There was also a mock train fire on the Niantic Bridge with a capsized boat on scene as well. Mock chemical fires were also responded to at the Pfizer plant in Groton and at Dow Chemical in Gales Ferry.
By 12:00 noon the "all clear" had been sounded, and most of the apparatus moved to the Submarine Base in Groton for a massive pumping operation.
Eightyeight pumpers lined up tail to nose along the lower bases docks and set up to draft water from the Thames River. At the command of Sub Base Fire Chief Leno "Hank" Vescovi, the engines began to create the famous "wall of water" over the river. The drafting engines fed water into one hundred and sixty seven large caliber deck guns and hose lines. They pumped for twenty minutes and created a wall estimated at seventy to eighty feet high. Fireboats from both Electric Boat and the Submarine Base as well as a "duck" from the Essex Fire Department contributed to the streams.
At the drills conclusion, the firefighters consumed four thousand sandwiches and an "astronomical" amount of coffee.
Some information for this post was obtained from the "New London Day" newspaper archives
Apparatus photos by William C Peck
New Haven FD photo courtesy of the New Haven Firefighters Benevolent Society
Photo of Chief Vescovi courtesy the Submarine Base Fire Department
New London Firefighters, IAFF Local 1522
New London County Fire Chief's Association
New Haven Fire Dept Engine 6, Truck 4 & Emergency 3 “Dixwell"
New Haven Fire Department Engine Company 17
Essex Fire Department Association, Inc.
Essex Fire Engine Co. #1
Poquonnock Bridge Professional Firefighters Local 2704
City of Groton Firefighters Union
Willimantic Fire Fighters Local 1033
North Windham Fire Department
South Windham Fire Department
Mystic Fire Department - Official
Old Mystic Fire Department (Official)
Colchester Hayward Volunteer Fire Company
Mohegan Fire Company, Inc.
