National Fire Radio: RagTop Industries

National Fire Radio: RagTop Industries

National Fire Radio on location with Pete Callan and his crew from RagTop Industries. These Brothers preserve history and protect our culture and tradition in the fire service. Refurbishing helmets is just the tip of the iceberg for these Brothers. Their passion for the job and their love of fire service history is present in everything they do. Check it out - this one is AWESOME!!

If anyone is curious as to who we are, what we do and how we do it, here’s the YouTube video from National Fire Radio’s visit to our shop a few weeks ago. We’re still completely blown away someone would want to come see us and the shop; we’re just a few guys who really dig working on leathers. Never did I ever imagine the shop would reach this point from our small beginnings in my basement. Without a doubt, the shop is not just one person...it’s a family in every sense of the word and there are so many people to thank, no podcast or Facebook post would ever be able to cover them all.

From our current staff of Mike Persico (our Senior Man), Collin Whalen, Alex Cardella, Jason Rivera, Alex Hilliard, Josh Miller, Dan Calcagni, Tom and the staff at Advantage, there’s no way the shop would function without you guys. From the New Haven Hamden & Bridgeport guys who gave me the opportunity to start fixing their lids 10 years ago, to the guys from Fire Training Innovations, the Connecticut Air National Guard Fire Dept 103d CEF, Bobby Eckert and Gabe Angemi from Camden, Bob Staulters, Kyle Bertin, Dan MaCAuley, Zak Daniel from Milford, the Riggott brothers, my current shift at Squad 2 Cap Almeida, Richie and Eric for putting up with me, Vince and Shane from Shipmans fire equipment, Eric Allen from FAST Rescue Solutions, Tim Anderson from Anderson Rescue Solutions, Dan Gordon from Flash Fire Industries, Jason from Rekindled Lids, the Fernandez’s from Ten Three Graphics & the list goes on and on. Without a doubt we know who built us to where we are today and we will never forget that. Capital City Fire Helmets has been so much more than a business associate, we’ve spent hours upon hours talking leathers, watched our businesses grow, watched each other become fathers (the most important job in life), and have developed a great friendship. Billy Gould who made that first call to me to fix his lid, mentored me on my appointment to the City of New Haven and has been a tremendous friend and mentor. Our customers and clients who’ve trusted us with your lids.....we treat every single one as if it’s our own and we will never waiver from that.

Finally......Last but in no way the least......My Wife Laura. The shop has taken me away from home for more hours than I’d like to admit, yet she has continued to push me to grow the business and continue this tradition. She’s put in hours upon hours of herself and our life into the shop and I’ll never be able to thank her enough. I work the way I do to make My son and her proud.

“The Shop” thanks you for your continued support and trust in us with your lids.


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