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 13, 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 firefighters, 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.
Engine Company 2 personnel listed in the graduating class included John Giuliano, alongside Captains James R. Asher and Thomas Winstanley and many other members of the headquarters units.
Chiefs Are Appointed
Camden Courier-Post — June 14, 1966
Camden Courier-Post, June 14, 1966
Camden Courier-Post, June 14, 1966View transcription
Chiefs Are Appointed
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 — May 20, 1967
Camden firemen use a ladder to enter the window of a smoke-filled vacant house during a general alarm fire at 9th and Lawrence Streets, May 20, 1967
Camden firemen use a ladder to enter the window of a smoke-filled vacant house during a general alarm fire at 9th and Lawrence Streets, May 20, 1967View transcription
General Alarm
Two Fires Destroy 9 Buildings
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.
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.
Camden Courier-Post, October 14, 1969View transcription
4 Firemen Suspended By Melleby
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.
Camden Courier-Post, July 27, 1971View transcription
Blaze Damages Werner Home
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.
South Camden house fire at the Clement T. Branch Village housing project, December 1971
South Camden house fire at the Clement T. Branch Village housing project, December 1971View transcription
Blaze Hits House in S. Camden
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 — January 17, 1974
Firemen fight a blaze on an unused ship at the New York Shipyard, Camden, January 1974
Firemen fight a blaze on an unused ship at the New York Shipyard, Camden, January 1974View transcription
Firemen Fight Blaze on Unused Ship
By BARBARA LEAP
Courier-Post Staff
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.
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 [sic] 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 of holes in the floor under the boat, dangerous catwalks, and a wooden roof above the boat.
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. 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, also caused by a hot torch left behind by workers; that fire was quickly doused.
8 Evacuated In Fire at Apartments
Camden Courier-Post — February 5, 1974
Firefighters battling a three-alarm blaze at 813 S. 5th Street, South Camden, February 1974
Firefighters battling a three-alarm blaze at 813 S. 5th Street, South Camden, February 1974View transcription
[illegible]
CHAPLAIN
DIVISION OF FIRE
No 1
CAMDEN, N. J.
Camden Courier-Post, February 5, 1974
Camden Courier-Post, February 5, 1974View transcription
8 Evacuated In Fire at Apartments
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.
Firemen today were battling a three-alarm blaze in South Camden that started this morning in an unoccupied brick home at 813 S. 5th Street, 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 Street 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 — June 18, 1974
Fire on the 400 block of South 4th Street, Camden, June 1974. Courier-Post photo by John Avery
Fire on the 400 block of South 4th Street, Camden, June 1974. Courier-Post photo by John AveryView transcription
129
Courier-Post Photo by John Avery
THREE-ALARM fire believed set by arsonists sweeps through the 400 block of S. 4th Street in Camden Monday, destroying nine houses.
Camden Courier-Post, June 18, 1974
Camden Courier-Post, June 18, 1974View transcription
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
Related Article: Page 3
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
Continued on Page 4— Col. 5
Camden Courier-Post, June 18, 1974
Camden Courier-Post, June 18, 1974View transcription
Inoperative Hydrants Hamper Firemen
3-Alarm Blaze Sweeps 14 Houses; Arson Suspected by Camden Chief
Continued from Page One
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 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.
SLOWPOJE
PARIS (UPI) — The French Academy, ploughing through its decades-long task of producing a new standard dictionary, held a weekly meeting and defined ine words. The Acadeoicians have reached the Ds.
Woman Killed in Camden House Blaze
Camden Courier-Post — February 7, 1976
Camden Courier-Post, February 7, 1976
Camden Courier-Post, February 7, 1976View transcription
Woman killed in Camden house blaze
By DENNIS M. CULNAN, ROBERT MAREK and PAUL SCHWEIZER
Courier-Post Staff
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
Continued on Page 4—Col. 4.
Camden Courier-Post, February 7, 1976
Camden Courier-Post, February 7, 1976View transcription
Continued from Page One
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.
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.
Several hours earlier, 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.
Asst. Fire Chief John Giuliano said the fire probably started in the kitchen but that the cause was undetermined and under investigation. Firemen found Mrs. Breyer's body on the floor of her second-story bedroom. Her husband, Harry, 68, attempted to rescue her but failed, firemen said; he was treated for cuts and released.
The Breyers, married 45 years, had two sons. William Mignogna, a cousin to Mrs. Breyer, said she 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. Battalion Chief John J. Giuliano is recognized for 21 years of service:
Camden Courier-Post, September 19, 1981View transcription
Camden blaze guts vacant row house. 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.
Camden Courier-Post, February 10, 1982View transcription
Inspecting damage
Courier-Post Photos by Mary O'[?]
Fire officials inspect 14th floor offices after an early morning blaze damaged two county offices. One fireman was slightly injured during the fire, which knocked radio station WSSJ off the air for about an hour.
A firefighter hoses down the smoldering ruins of the Eavenson & Levering warehouse, Camden, August 1982
A firefighter hoses down the smoldering ruins of the Eavenson & Levering warehouse, Camden, August 1982View transcription
Warehouse fire being investigated
CAMDEN — Three city fire companies continued to hose down the smoldering remains of Gallagher's Warehouse yesterday while fire marshals investigated the cause of the six-alarm blaze Saturday that destroyed several buildings and trucks.
Battalion Chief John Giuliano said the firefighters will be at the 301 Jackson St. site for "possibly the whole week" until they are certain the fire won't rekindle.
"With this type of huge fire and considering the types of materials in the buildings, we have to make sure small fires aren't smoldering under all the rubble," Giuliano said.
At least 100 city firemen fought the blaze, which was aggravated by exploding acetylene tanks that sent trucks at the rear of the buildings spiraling in the air.
While fighting the blaze, firefighters could not get enough water pressure at first to fill their hoses and a Philadelphia fire boat helped by pumping water four blocks from the river through a hose.
"So much sediment has built up in the pipes in that area that it cuts down on the amount of water pushed through them," said Joseph Marini, an aide to fire chief John Mogck.
Courier-Post photo by Curt Hudson
A firefighter hoses down smoldering ruins of the warehouse in Camden.
Courier-Post, August 16, 1982
Courier-Post, August 16, 1982View transcription
Warehouse fire being investigated
CAMDEN — Three city fire companies continued to hose down the smoldering remains of Gallagher's Warehouse yesterday while fire marshals investigated the cause of the six-alarm blaze Saturday that destroyed several buildings and trucks.
Battalion Chief John Giuliano said the firefighters will be at the 301 Jackson St. site for "possibly the whole week" until they are certain the fire won't rekindle.
"With this type of huge fire and considering the types of materials in the buildings, we have to make sure small fires aren't smoldering under all the rubble," Giuliano said.
At least 100 city firemen fought the blaze, which was aggravated by exploding acetylene tanks that sent trucks at the rear of the buildings spiraling in the air.
While fighting the blaze, firefighters could not get enough water pressure at first to fill their hoses and a Philadelphia fire boat helped by pumping water four blocks from the river through a hose.
"So much sediment has built up in the pipes in that area that it cuts down on the amount of water pushed through them," said Joseph Marini, an aide to fire chief John Mogck.
A firefighter hoses down the smoldering ruins of the warehouse in Camden.
The fire struck the Eavenson & Levering warehouse (Gallagher's Warehouse) on Jackson Street, Camden.
Camden Courier-Post, February 10, 1982View transcription
4-alarm fire hits City Hall
Records safe, no injuries
By TONY MULDOON
Of the Courier-Post
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."
Simon and his staff are working on alternative fire evacuation plans for the jail, whose population is nearly double the 175 inmates it was designed to accommodate.
Courier-Post photo by Martha Schaller
Firemen examine damage caused by a smoky four-alarm blaze on the 14th floor of Camden City Hall shortly before 2 a.m. today.
Please see 4-ALARM, Page 9A
4-alarm fire ravages 2 county offices in City Hall
Continued from Page 1A
Both the purchasing agent's office and the building superintendent's office were expected to be able to continue functioning without much inconvenience, said county officials, although Hainsworth's department will have to move to a temporary office in the 18-story building.
No prisoners were evacuated.
The cause of the fire was unknown early this morning, said Camden County Fire Marshal David Aron.
The fire was detected by the building's smoke detection system and reported by security officers at 1:50 a.m.
Subsequent alarms were struck at 1:58 a.m., 2:11 a.m., and 2:24 a.m., according to county fire officials.
The fire was delcared under control at 2:42 a.m.
The fire may have been smoldering since about 1 a.m.
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.
Also, Wood said a police officer told him another officer thought he saw smoke coming from the building at the same time.
Apparently, the smoke was so wispy at that time that nobody realize it was a fire.
"I smelled smoke up here, not realizing it was a fire, at around 1 o'clock," said Wood.
"I went downstairs, I had a long record on at the time. At that time there was very little smoke coming up."
As the smoke wafted upward, Wood and fellow announcer Carlos Cruz had to open the doors to the radio station. They were eventually forced to evacuate and WSSJ was off the air from 2:15 a.m. to 3:15 a.m., said Wood.
Almost all city fire equipment was committed. Firefighters from Gloucester City, Westmont and Oaklyn responded to fill in at city fire stations, and Cherry Hill sent an air compressor unit to refill firefighters' air packs.
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.
The door can only be opened from the inside, county officials explained. It is designed to block entrance from the fire escape stairway to help provide security for the records stored in Kennedy's office.
Firefighters and county officials were concerned about the difficulty of opening the fire door from the stairwell. They said they would meet later to resolve the access problem without compromising the security of the records stored in Kennedy's office.
That the fire did not spread was credited to the stout firewalls built into the 50-year-old structure.
This morning's blaze was the first major fire in the building since Feb. 2, 1973, said Simon. That fire was set by rioting jail inmates protesting restrictions placed on them by jail authorities.
There were no injuries in that fire, but the disturbance forced the evacuation of 1,600 county and city workers.
Fire damages a row home on Royden Street, South Camden, April 12, 1982
Fire damages a row home on Royden Street, South Camden, April 12, 1982View transcription
Fire damages row home
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 — February 5, 1985
Camden man critical after a row house fire on Harrison Street, February 5, 1985
Camden man critical after a row house fire on Harrison Street, February 5, 1985View transcription
Camden man critical after row house fire
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 Jankiwicz 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 — 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 Jankiwicz [sic] 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 Street.
Officials at Cooper Hospital-University Medical Center said Polk was transferred to the burn unit at St. Agnes Hospital in Philadelphia after his condition was stabilized. He was 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. He said the blaze apparently began in a second-story rear bedroom and that the house had no electrical service but did have natural gas service.
Man Injured in Fire, Rescued From Home
Camden Courier-Post — June 26, 1986
Camden Courier-Post, June 26, 1986
Camden Courier-Post, June 26, 1986View transcription
Man injured in fire, rescued from home
Courier-Post Staff
CAMDEN — A 49-year-old city man was rescued from a burning home this morning by two city firefighters who pulled him unconscious from a second-floor bathroom.
Battalion Two Fire Chief John Giuliano said William Miller, 49, of 1354 Park Ave., was rescued by firefighter Maurice Wilson and Fire Capt. Herb Leary.
They searched the smoke and flame-filled building after Miller's brother, Charles, 53, who shares the two-story, semi-detached home with his brother, told them his brother was still inside. Charles Miller had just escaped as firemen arrived.
Wiliam Miller was given mouth-to-mouth resuscitation at the scene and then rushed to Cooper Hospital-University Medical Center, the chief said. There were no other reports of injury.
Miller was treated for smoke inhalation and second- and third-degree burns over 20 percent of his body, according to hospital officials. He was later transferred to the burn unit at St. Agnes Medical Center in Philadelphia, once his condition stabilized. He was listed in critical condition.
Giuliano said the fire, which was reported at about 4:10 a.m., was fought by about 17 city firefighters for about 30 minutes before being declared under control.
He said the blaze erupted in a second-floor bedroom used by the victim. It caused extensive damage to the second floor of the home and its furnishings. The rest of the home received heat and water damage.
The cause of the blaze was under investigation by the city fire marshal's office. It is not being considered as suspicious in origin.
Firefighter hosing a burned mattress at the Park Boulevard house fire, Camden, June 26, 1986
Firefighter hosing a burned mattress at the Park Boulevard house fire, Camden, June 26, 1986
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.
Man Injured, Home Destroyed in City Fire
Camden Courier-Post — December 21, 1989
Camden Courier-Post, December 21, 1989
Camden Courier-Post, December 21, 1989View transcription
Man injured, home destroyed in city fire
By KAREN KOFOED MULDOON Courier-Post Staff
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.
She said she had been renting the house since last summer.
"Everything I own is gone," she said. "Everything was burned. I believe somebody set my house on fire."
Guiliano [sic] said fire officials had not yet determined the cause of the blaze.
The fire was one of several that have plagued the city in recent days.
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.
Courier-Post photo by Richard Borys
Firefighters in front of the row house destroyed at 1143 Sheridan Street, Camden, December 1989
Firefighters in front of the row house destroyed at 1143 Sheridan Street, Camden, December 1989View transcription
Courier-Post photo by Richard Borys
Camden fire: Firefighters gather in front of a row house that was destroyed by a two-alarm blaze last night. One man was injured, and a vacant home was also extensively damaged in the fire.
Two workers killed in an industrial accident at the South Jersey Port Corporation, Camden, October 18, 1990
Two workers killed in an industrial accident at the South Jersey Port Corporation, Camden, October 18, 1990View transcription
Two workers killed in industrial accident
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 perfomed 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.
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 facility off Broadway near Morgan Boulevard along the Delaware River at 12:18 a.m. after 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 inside the tanks, said Battalion Three Chief John Giuliano.
The men were pronounced dead at the scene. 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 — January 15, 1991
Firefighters at a trailer fire on Mount Ephraim Avenue, Camden — Woodlynne Fire Chief Ken Steward rescues Joseph Martin, January 15, 1991
Firefighters at a trailer fire on Mount Ephraim Avenue, Camden — Woodlynne Fire Chief Ken Steward rescues Joseph Martin, January 15, 1991View transcription
CFD
New fire chief saves man from burning trailer
By IRV RANDOLPH
Courier-Post Staff
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.
Courier-Post photo by Evangelos Dousmanis
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.
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 Avenue. Steward and his wife, Joan, were driving home from Audubon when he spotted the fire and stopped to 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 and released.
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, fought by 15 firefighters, was brought under control at 1:20 p.m. Steward had been named chief of Woodlynne's volunteer fire company on January 1.
Housing Project Dealt Setback
Camden Courier-Post — December 28, 1991
Two-alarm fire damages a vacant building at 738 Washington Street, Camden, December 1991
Two-alarm fire damages a vacant building at 738 Washington Street, Camden, December 1991View transcription
Housing project dealt setback
CAMDEN
Courier-Post photo by Ron Karafin
Fire scene: Camden firefighters battle a blaze that damaged a vacant building at 738 Washington St.
Fire hits building awaiting renovation
By JIM WALSH
Courier-Post Staff
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.
CAMDEN — A two-alarm fire on Friday damaged a vacant building at 738 Washington Street, a three-story structure between Haddon and Trenton avenues, said Peter J. O'Connor, head of Fair Share Housing Development Inc.
“The damage (to the building) is not that significant, from what we can see,” said O'Connor. The dilapidated structure — actually three buildings with a shared stone facade — was to be converted into six low-cost apartments.
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. The $10 million project is being funded by a variety of government and private sources.
Service Record
Camden Division of Fire personnel record — John Joseph Giuliano
Camden Division of Fire personnel record — John Joseph GiulianoView transcription
CAMDEN DIVISION OF FIRE
PERSONNEL RECORD
Badge No: [illegible]
Name in Full: John [?]oseph G[?]uliano [illegible]
Address: 4[?]9 [?]o. 38th St.
Age: 28 Citizen: Yes Color: [illegible] Sex: [illegible]
Date of Birth: Oct. 11, 1927
Born in City of: Camden State: N.J.
Name of Parents: [?]asqualino [illegible]
Marital Conditions: Single Married Divorced Widowed
Date of Appointment: Jan. 13, 1956 Reported for duty: Jan. 16, 1956
Title of Position: Fireman #2 Batt. Chief 6/11/66
Beneficiary:
Signature: CAPT 7-1-60
Citation:
High School Graduate: Yes No
If No, Last Grade Attended: Pension 11-1-92
Deceased: 5-15-96
FD-400—1M—1-68—Raycraft Co. 15
Camden Division of Fire Personnel Record.
Name: John Joseph Giuliano. Address: 419 No. 38th Street. Date of birth: October 11, 1927. Born in the City of Camden, N.J. Date of appointment: January 13, 1956. Reported for duty: January 16, 1956.
Title of position: Fireman → Captain (July 1, 1960) → Battalion Chief (June 11, 1966). Pension: November 1, 1992. Deceased: May 15, 1996.
John J. Giuliano, 68, of Mount Laurel
Camden Courier-Post — May 17, 1996
John J. Giuliano, Camden Fire Department — portrait
John J. Giuliano, Camden Fire Department — portrait
Obituary: John J. Giuliano, 68, of Mount Laurel — Camden Courier-Post, May 17, 1996
Obituary: John J. Giuliano, 68, of Mount Laurel — Camden Courier-Post, May 17, 1996View transcription
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.
Death notice: Giuliano — John J., May 15, 1996
Death notice: Giuliano — John J., May 15, 1996View transcription
GIULIANO
On May 15, 1996. John J. Beloved husband of Teresa A. (nee Piotti) of Mt. Laurel. Age 68 years. Devoted father of Jeanne Dinella of Cherry Hill, John Juliano and his wife Tina of Marlton, Maria Leone and her husband Steve of Marlton. Loving grandfather of Michael, Danielle, Lauren and Paige. Dear brother of Pete and Alfred of Pine Hill, Eva Giuliano of Camden. Prior to retirement, Mr. Giuliano was a member of the Camden City Fire Dept. for 37 years where he served as Battalion Chief. Relatives and friends are invited to the funeral on Saturday, from 10AM, at the FALCO/CARUSO FUNERAL HOME, 6600 Browning Rd., Pennsauken, NJ. Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 11:30AM at the Church of St. Peter Celestine, 402 N. Kings Hwy., Cherry Hill, NJ. Interment Calvary Cemetery, Cherry Hill, NJ. Visitation and Vigil Service at Funeral Home on Friday after 7PM. If desired, contributions may be made to the Foundation at Our Lady of Lourdes Medical Center Heart Institute, 1600 Haddon Ave., Camden NJ 08103.
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. He 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.
A Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated in St. Peter Celestine Church, Cherry Hill. Burial was in Calvary Cemetery, Cherry Hill.
Being Together at the End
Camden Courier-Post — May 24, 2000
Camden Courier-Post, May 24, 2000
Camden Courier-Post, May 24, 2000View transcription
Being together at the end
Hospital allows family members in emergency room during resuscitation tries
By ANGELA RUCKER
Courier-Post Staff
Jeanne Dinella would be no place else than at her father's side when he lay dying four years ago in the emergency department at Our Lady of Lourdes Medical Center in Camden.
John Giuliano, 68, who retired as a battalion chief from the Camden City Fire Department after 35 years, was taken by ambulance to the hospital after suffering a pulmonary embolism, a type of blood clot.
Directed to the waiting room, Dinella, of Mount Laurel, a Lourdes nurse, was prepared to take a seat and worry, but then got another option: "Would you like to be a part of it while we're caring for your dad," a member of the emergency team asked her.
Dinella, her mother and sister all went in the emergency room and stood near Giuliano. They focused on his face and hoped everything would be OK.
"We wanted to be there," said Dinella. "It just seemed right."
The doctors placed a tube down Giuliano's throat to help him breathe and gave him drugs intravenously, said Teresa Giuliano, who held her husband's hand and talked to him through the ordeal. Eventually, doctors started chest compressions.
"He took four struggling breaths and then passed away," said Giuliano of Mount Laurel.
At that moment, the Giuliano family became part of a growing practice in emergency departments: health workers allowing family members into the emergency room while they try to resuscitate a relative. It's called "family presence" and some research has found it appears to be helpful and comforting for both patients and relatives.
In the last couple of years, it has slowly grown in popularity, though Lourdes still is one of just a few hospitals in the nation that allows family presence during resuscitation attempts.
Differing viewpoints
Opinions on the practice, however, are mixed. Some people believe having a family member in the emergency room is barbaric, noting the blood, the fast-paced and often chaotic action of health-care workers and the intimidating assemblage of high-tech blinking-beeping machines.
Dr. Russell Harris, the emergency department medical director at Lourdes, who is a proponent of family presence, said the relatives he has seen in emergency rooms aren't overwhelmed by what they see.
"What we found is that they always focus on the person's eyes. When they see everything, they're really quiet. It's an important event. It's pretty profound for all of us," he said.
Americans are more familiar with emergency medical situations thanks to dramatic and reality-based television. Moreover, many people who are plugged into the Internet and other sources of health information are demanding to be involved. Some people ask if they can come into the emergency room, Harris said.
Giuliano, who was just shy of celebrating her 41st wedding anniversary with her husband, said the experience was memorable but not frightening.
"I do feel good that I was there at the time, even though it's so devastating when it happens," she said. "You can't describe it unless it happens to you. It's an experience that you have to go through yourself."
Allowing family members in an emergency room started at Lourdes seven years ago when doctors brought parents into the emergency room during the death of their infant.
"It occurred to us that it was really important in the grieving process," Harris said.
Relatives' choice
Usually, just one or two family members — a spouse, parent or perhaps an adult sibling — come into an emergency room. People who have some religious beliefs are more apt to want to be there at the end — or when a person is revived — than those who do not, Harris said. Family members stand near the patient but out of the way of health-care workers.
Harris said before relatives come into the emergency area, "we tell them exactly what they're going to see."
Still, some physicians and administrators worry about the impact the sometimes graphic scene will have on families and the legal implications. Some say more study is needed before the practice becomes widespread.
Mary Greipp, chairwoman of the department of nursing at Rutgers University-Camden, said watching a resuscitation attempt may be too much for an already-stressed family member to take. She said inserting tubes down a patient's throat and doing chest compressions may appear harsh and brutal
See PRESENCE, Page 17D
[Photo caption] 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.
TINA MARKOE/Courier-Post
Camden Courier-Post, May 24, 2000
Camden Courier-Post, May 24, 2000View transcription
Presence/South Jersey hospital lets relatives into emergency room
Continued from Page 15D
to family members.
"In most cases, I don't think it's a good thing for the family to watch," she said.
"We want to spare them additional hurt and trauma on top of dealing with this life-threatening crisis. We want to be supportive of the family and many times that takes us staying with the family while the others are doing the resuscitative efforts," Greipp said.
Dinella said she believes family presence should be offered to family members. "It takes the mystery out if it," she said. "I don't think it's for everyone, but I think it's for folks who can deal with it."
Rick Wade, a spokesman for the American Hospital Association, said family participation in health care is becoming more accepted nationally.
"More and more what you see are an opening up of the walls of the hospital," Wade said. "The mentality is taking hold that people want to be more involved in decision making."
Family presence goes beyond resuscitation, he said.
In New Jersey, for example, "we're seeing more and more families let into the emergency room during a variety of treatments. It's contingent on the doctor being comfortable with it and the family being comfortable with it," said Ron Czajkowski, a spokesman for the New Jersey Hospital Association.
This most often occurs with pediatric and geriatric patients and with immigrants who may need a family member to translate. It has to be a "good fit" for the patient, the family and the medical personnel, Czajkowski said.
Hospitals do have to draw the line in some instances, Wade said. The wishes of the family, emergency department staff and even the design of the emergency room space are all factors. For those reasons, making a hospital policy for family presence is difficult.
In fact, family presence isn't a policy at Lourdes but is done on an informal basis — usually about one or two a month, Harris said.
He predicted in about 10 years, more emergency departments will encourage patients' families to be with their relative during resuscitation attempts.
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 earlier.
The article, by Courier-Post staff writer Angela Rucker, reports that Our Lady of Lourdes Medical Center in Camden allows family members to be present during resuscitation attempts on an informal basis. The practice, becoming more accepted nationally, is expected to grow as more emergency departments encourage families to be with their relative during resuscitation.
