Arcing service lines are an issue at this residential fire.
See story on page 9
Awoman is later charged with arson after a Belfield Avenue blaze.
See story on page 12
Athree-alarm fire leaves 26 people from eight families displaced.
See story on page 16
3-Alarmer
Paterson firefighters handle a structure fire on Knickerbocker Avenue.
See story on page 19
On July 5, 2023, a fire erupted on board the Grimaldi Lines container/roll-on roll-off (RORO) ship MV Grande Costa d'Avorio taking the lives of Newark firefighters Augusto Acabou 45 and Wayne Brooks Jr., 49. The fire on the ship was eventually stopped six days later. We will have coverage of this tragedy in the September issues of New Jersey Fire News.
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January 28, 1953 - July 7, 2023
Fire News’Editor Dennis Whittam passed away on July 7, 2023, after a 14-year battle with cancer.
We here at Fire News mourn the passing of our friend, colleague and the face of Fire News. Afull firematic service was held as this issue went to press, of which there will be further coverage in the September issue. He will be sorely missed by his family, friends and and by the staff of Fire News.
On April 28, 2023, the Point Pleasant Beach Fire Department was dispatched to a large residential home on Arnold Avenue fora house fire. On a night with heavy winds and torrential downpours, Engine 4201 was first to arrive to fire showing from the bravo side with reports of entrapment. Once it was determined everyone was out of the home and a drafting site was set up nearby — a nearby hydrant was sheared off
— heavy fire began to consume the entire top floorof the home. Companies were evacuated twice from the structure and transitioned to a defensive attack as the roof of the home collapsed. Mutual aid from Wall Township, Point Pleasant Boro, Brielle and Toms River-Silverton, responded and assisted on the scene throughout the evening into the following morning.
- Fire News photos by Mark Rosetti
The Farmington VolunteerFire Company was dispatched shortly after 0800 to Delilah Road on June 24, 2023, to assist EHTAmbulance with a rescue. Farmington Assistant Chief Dennis Sharpe, afterobtaining additional information from EHTDispatch, requested the towerfrom the Cardiff Fire Company. A/C Sharpe determined the call to be a confined space incident. Upon the arrival of Cardiff Chief Gil Zonge, the patient was found to be suffering from a fractured leg and needed to be
packaged into a Stoke’s basket and lifted out with the Cardiff Tower. Once the patient was assessed by EMS, the plan of action was implemented with the patient lowered right onto a waiting stretcherand attended to by EMS. The success of this procedure was a good result of training by firefighters in confined space and high-angle rescue. Command was terminated at 0905.
- Fire News photos by Dennis C. Sharpe
On June 1, 2023, Toms RiverFire Stations 25, 26 and 28 were dispatched to a residence on RiverTerrace formultiple calls reporting a house fire. Police arrived and reported fire showing from the second floorand incoming units transmitted the second alarm. Fire was found on the second flooras Engines 2671 and 2501 initiated an aggressive interiorattack while Tower2525 simultaneously vented the roof. As fire began to run the roofline, interior crews quickly knocked down the fire preventing any furtherextension. Stations 29 and 30 also responded to the scene while Ocean Beach 27 covered the city.
- Fire News photos by Mark Rosetti
On June 10, 202, just after1300, calls came in to Warren County Dispatch fora fire on Mount Rascal Road in Independence Township. Stations 73 and 78 fire were called upon and arrived to a house well involved. Crews stretched lines and started a defensive attack .The incident commandercalled fora second alarm and a TenderTask Force. The house was so damaged that a defensive attack was used for the entire fire. Hackettstown, Allamuchy, Tri County, Budd Lake, Washington Borough, along with othernearby departments, were used forstation coverage and tenders. There were no reported injuries at the fire.
Woodland Park firefighters responded to a secondalarm house fire on Highview Drive on April 12, 2023.
- Fire News photos by Ronald Bombaro
On May 27, 2023, Egg HarborCity and South Egg Harborfire departments were dispatched fora structure fire. On arrival, Car 100 confirmed a working fire showing from the rearof a two-story structure. Arcing service lines to the structure were an issue. Car 100 requested Atlantic Electric on a hurry. Crews led off with a 13/4 inch attack line. The fire was quickly extinguished and brought undercontrol in underan hour. No injuries were reported.
- Fire News photos by Eric ‘Doc’Moran
Two alarms were sounded aftera fire broke out inside an abandoned nursing home in Franklin Township, Somerset County, on June 9, 2023. The blaze at the old Franklin Care Centeron Route 27, was reported shortly before 1915. Flames and heavy smoke were showing from second-floorwindows when the first firefighters arrived. Hoselines were placed in service, ground ladders and aerial ladders raised, and searches conducted. Second alarm companies were called in to assist with chasing fire extension and to clearsmoke from the building. Operations were slightly hampered when one of the hydrants being used was knocked out of service by a watermain break. The blaze was placed undercontrol at 2136. Operating on scene were crews from the Franklin Park, Griggstown, Little Rocky Hill, Community, Middlebush, Millstone Valley and Somerset of Franklin Township; Kendall Park and Kingston of South Brunswick; North Brunswick Fire Co. No. 3; and Montgomery Fire Co. No. 2. - Fire News photos by Michael Ratcliffe
Atlantic City firefighters responded to the 1500 Block of Belfield Avenue on June 21, 2023, at 1300, fora report of smoke coming from a building. Atlantic City Police arrived first and rescued five people from the multi-story building that was well involved. Firefighters rescued five more people using ground ladders. The fire quickly escalated to three alarms, bringing mutual aid from several surrounding communities and from fire departments on the mainland plus an EMS task force. Awoman was laterarrested foraggravated arson.
The volunteerfire companies of Weymouth, Laureldale, and Mays Landing, along with police and EMS, responded to an MVAon Black Horse Pike on April 13, 2023, at 1110. AState Police vehicle on a motor vehicle stop was rearended by anothervehicle causing the State Police vehicle to rearend the stopped vehicle and striking two NJ State Troopers. The vehicle that struck theirvehicle came to a rest over-
turned and trapping its driverwith theirarm pinned underthe APost. Aprolonged extrication took place and the pinned driverwas medevac’d from the scene. The troopers were taken by ground by EMS. The crash was underinvestigation by the New Jersey State Police. Also responding were Atlanticare Paramedics.
- Fire News photos by Ken Badger
On May 22, 2023, fire companies from Lakehurst, the Joint Base, Toms River26, Jackson 56, and Manchester32, 33 and 34 responded to Maple Street in Lakehurst fora kitchen fire. First arriving crews had heavy fire showing from the first flooron arrival. An aggressive interiorattack was made as fire began to auto-expose to the top floor. Initially, there was a watersupply issue with the nearest hydrant so a secondary five-inch line had to be stretched to anotherhydrant. Crews remained interior, knocking down the first-floorfire and limiting extension into the adjoining home.
Two apartment houses were damaged by fire in the Chambersburg section of the state capital on May 30, 2023. Trenton firefighters were dispatched to the 100 block of Butler Street. Battalion Chief Dave Smolka transmitted the all hands fora working fire and the balance of the first alarm. Firefight ers arrived to smoke showing from the rearof a building. Flames were then discovered burning up to the second floorand extending into the Side B exposure. The blaze was officially declared undercontrol at 10:40 p.m.
Athree-alarm fire in the state capital heavily damaged fourhouses and left more than two dozen people homeless on May 28, 2023. Trenton Fire Department’s D Platoon was on duty when just before 1110, units were dispatched fora fire involving the back porch of a Mott Street address. Several othercompanies were already committed to a gas leak on the opposite side of the city. An all hands was transmitted before first-due companies arrived. Finding the rears of two homes ablaze, Battalion Chief Ross Dale immediately ordered a second alarm. Interioroperations were initiated with multiple hoselines, but deteriorating conditions forced firefighters to transition to defensive exterioroperations. With fire extension confirmed in two more homes, the remaining on-duty city companies were called to the scene, elevating the incident to a third alarm. Live ammunition popping off in one of the burning homes hampered firefighting operations. It wasn’t until 1353 that the fire was declared undercontrol. According to the Red Cross, 26 people from eight families were displaced. Trenton’s Signal 22 canteen and a rehab unit from Princeton First Aid and Rescue Squad were also on scene, along with multiple Trenton EMS ambulance crews. - Fire News photos by Michael Ratcliffe
The volunteerfire companies of Cardiff and Bargaintown were dispatched to Black Horse Pike, the formerTouch of Italy Restaurant, at 2329, on April 3, 2023, fora structure fire. Cardiff Chief Gil Zonge arrived to find heavy fire showing from a single-story wood frame commercial building and requested a second alarm, bringing Farmington, West Atlantic City, and Scullville to the scene, as well as EMS and a RITfrom the City of Northfield. Three aerial ladders were put into operation. The fire involved several structures used forstorage, two walk-in boxes among them. Ahydrant located at the rearof the building was used to supply Cardiff Engine 1516 and Tower15. Firefighters used several handlines to attack the fire with otherfirefighters pulling down fence on the Aside and removing the exteriors of the walk-in boxes, exposing the fire. Firefighters were backed out of the B side and the towerwas used to knock down the now-exposed fire. Because of the close proximity of the fire to the roof of the restaurant, crews on the roof opened up along with crews going inside and pulling the ceiling of the bararea ensuring no extension. The fire was underinvestigation by Egg HarborTownship Police and the EHTFD Fire Investigator.
On May 30, 2023, the Bergenfield Fire Department responded to a shopping plaza on Newbridge Road fora fire in a laundromat. Garments were on fire in a dryerand the fire was quickly extinguished.
On April 26, 2023, Clifton Engine 5, and Ladder2 responded to the Route 21 entrance from Route 3 fora carfire following an MVA. Units arrived to one vehicle fully involved with a second caron fire. A1-3/4 inch line was stretched to knock down the fire while Engine 5 dumped theirtank to feed Engine 4. There were no injuries as a result of the accident.
The Paterson Fire Department operated at a third-alarm fire on KnickerbockerAvenue on May 16, 2023.
On May 30, 2023, a ceremony was held at Toms RiverFire Academy to celebrate the retirement of Academy Director Bob Hansson. Bob was directorat the Academy for10 years while he also worked as a firefighterin the City of Bayonne and was the founderof the Hazmat unit forNJSP OEM. - Fire News photos by Mark Rosetti
On April 16, 2023, Randolph Fire companies and EMS were dispatched to an apartment complex on CenterGrove Road fora carversus building. Crews arrived to a SUVthat struck the side of the building causing moderate structural damage. There were no injuries to the occupants and the building department was notified to respond.
The Cardiff VolunteerFire Company responded to milepost 9.2 on the Atlantic City Expressway on June 2, 2023, fora report of a vehicle fire. Noticing the fire from theirstation was the Atlantic City Airport Fire Department which responded and arrived first and began suppression. Cardiff Engine 1512 pulled two lines as the fire spread to the shoulderof the road. The fire was contained quickly and the scene was underthe command of Cardiff Assistant Chief Bill Danz, Jr., who had a Farmington engine stand by on Delilah Road during the incident.
Retired Section Forest Fire Warden John Sanford was honored by the New Jersey Forest Fire Service at theirannual Division C District Forest Fire War dens’breakfast on April 15, 2023. John began his careerwith the New Jersey Forest Fire Service as a part-time crewman and was promoted to Fire Observerof McKeetown fire towerin 1995. John then served as Section Forest Fire Warden in Sections C7 and C8 forthe next 15 years, until his retirement in 2020. Not only did John serve his community, he also fought fires across the country with NJFFS. Even afterretirement, he continues to be an asset to the agency.
- Fire News photos by Ken Badger
Chief of Department Frank Neuberger addressing the department, Mayorand Council, and family and friends after being sworn in as Bloomington’s Chief of Department.
- Fire News photo by J.P. Fortunato
AGarfield ex-Chief taking a break on the turntable of Garfield’s Truck 4 while operating at a recent two-alarm fire in Elmwood Park on January 7, 2023.
- Fire News photo by FireGroundImages.com
Northfield Firefighterand 50yearmemberLou Carey being congratulated by Assistant Chief Scott Goodman.
- Fire News photo by Dennis C. Sharpe
Bergenfield Captain Kevin Schade at a structure fire in New Milford on April 22, 2023.
- Fire News photo by Chris ‘Doc’Denton
Past-Deptford Deputy Chief Mike Gallagherand Farmington Assistant Chief Dennis Sharpe at Jeff Pheiffer’s funeral on April 13, 2023. Mike is wondering if he's getting shorterordid Dennis get taller. It's the shoes, Mike.
- Fire News photo by Robert Frymoyer
Mays Landing Chief Lou DiMartine and Assistant Chief Ken Badger, Jr., at the Falcon Court Drive fire in Hamilton Township on February 26, 2023.
- Fire News photo by Ken Badger
Glenn Usdin is a professional photographer and a firefighter for over 40 years who has been photographing fires and firefighters in NYC since the mid 1970's. Dan Potter is a retired FDNYfirefighter with the ability to tell the stories that bring the reader right into the firehouse or on the fireground. Together, Usdin and Potter conceived, photographed and told the stories that captures a wide range of firefighters in They Saved New York.
In the late 1960s, through the 1980s, the New York Fire Department experienced a historic rapid amount of fire duty. The firefighters who worked those years saw more actual fires in a week than most firefighters across the country saw in a year. Usdin felt strongly that these firefighter's legacies needed to be preserved and honored in a unique way. That was the inspiration for the
project that became They Saved New York.
Dan Potter spent hundreds of hours interviewing featured firefighters and then crafted their stories for the book with his deft writing style. Usdin captured evocative por-
traits of each of them, as well as hundreds of action photos he shot at fire scenes over 40 plus years. The result is a large format photo documentary that honors the profession as well as the featured individuals.
They Saved New York is filled with photographs and stories of tribute and remembrance from 90 members of the New York City Fire Department, ranging from brand new firefighters to some of the most seasoned veterans. "It is a story of resiliency and perseverance ……"--Frank Leeb, Deputy Assistant Chief, FDNY.
Aportion of the proceeds from this book will support four foundations that serve the needs of retired and current firefighters. You may find out more about those foundations and the book here: www.TheySavedNY.com Dan Potter and Glenn Usdin are available for virtual and in-person interviews.
Three groups of sessions will be offered between 80800-1230. There will be a break for lunch and then the opening ceremonies will begin at 1400. The day then will transition to the exhibit floor, where there will be a welcome reception, a Tailboard Talk and a roundtable.
New Classes
“Incident Command: Defining the Expectation.” “Engine Company Operations at Apartment Fires.” “RIT? FAST? RIC?
WHO?” “Flying into a New Era: Building a Drone Program and Utilization in the Fire Service.”
VolunteerDays
Firehouse Expo will offer special programs for volunteer firefighters with a special discounted rate of $75 registration for either Wednesday or Friday. And don’t miss “CPR for the Volunteer Fire Service," and “AFG Strategies for Success.”
Lessons Learned
Attendees of Firehouse Expo in 2022 requested more classes/speakers that concentrate on lessons learned and that p rovide examination of close calls and fireground incidents. “Out of Air, Can YOU Make It to Safety?” and “I Was Not Ready for This!”
Our in-depth pre-conference workshops will allow participants to take a deep dive into leadership, tactics and the human side of firefighting, among other topics.
This new class conference includes several “Thru-the-Lock, the Not-So Forcible Entry Method.”
One of the many tasks firefighters must be proficient in is
forcible entry. The Thru-the-Lock method of forcible entry conserves property damage while obtaining the goal of gaining entry. This method is utilized when life safety and property conservation come together to make access to buildings and homes for a vast array of incident responses. When seconds count and lives hang in the balance, it takes trained professionals to do their job and get it done right. Thru-the-Lock has proven effective to access patients, making entry for water flow activation, as well as maintaining door control for smoke conditions. An additional benefit of Thru-theLock is the ability to secure the entry point upon termination of the incident. Thru-the-Lock is a skill every firefighter needs in their proverbial toolbox.
Fire departments across the country face many challenges in the post-COVID-19 era, including leadership changes, culture issues and exhaustion, which all can bring down morale in firefighters
Find the full list of pre-conference workshops here: firehouseexpo.com/2023/workshops.
You must preregister for these four- and eight-hour workshops, so do it today.
people who head into burning
when everyone else is running out.
The volunteerfire Companies of Laureldale, Cologne and Mays Landing were dispatched at 2131 hours on April 21, 2023, to Holly Street fora report of a structure fire. Almost immediately, Township Fire Official Chris Dibiase called dispatched and requested a second alarm and a tankertask force response. The fire involved the South Jersey Lumberman’s, a 50- x 300-foot metal-and-wood frame structure that ran deeply into the woodlands with several storage buildings
well involved. The fire grew to multiple alarm status bringing firefighters from throughout Atlantic and surrounding counties. Machinery was brought in to pull the metal siding and roofs apart to fully extinguish the fire. One firefighterwas transported to the hospital forevaluation. Command was terminated at 0515 on April 22, with the fire underinvestigation by the New Jersey Division of Fire Safety Investigations Unit.
- Fire News photos by Ken Badger
Being that the New Jersey Emergency Preparedness Association will be celebrating 25 years of holding an annual conference, we would like to share with you a bit of our history.
In 1998, a handful of people from Atlantic County recognized a need within their communities and with municipal, county, state , and private sector participation, the first conference was held in 1999 as the Hurricane Preparedness Seminar. It was a single-day event to promote local issues to coastal area emergency managers. It then e xpanded over time to the New Jersey Hurricane Conference over two days.
The events of 9-11 changed the focus of emergency preparedness and the conference was rebranded as the New Jersey Emergency Preparedness Conference. This enabled NJEPAto present topics of a broader nature to the first responder community as well as private partners in emergency preparedness. The first program hosted approximately 200 people. In recent years, we have had as many as 1300 attendees and the Conference has grown to a five-day event including training and breakout sessions, many offering CEUs that are critical to the first responder community. In addition, every year for the past eight, we have Awarded the Kevin Tuno Emergency Manager of the Year Award to a deserving individual, along with countless Scholarships honoring several people who have served the Association and are no longer with us.
So, mark your calendars now for April 22-26, 2024, so that you can help us celebrate 25 years of providing training and networking opportunities to the first responder, health, and emergency preparedness communities in our region.
Firefighters and emergency personnel from throughout Mercer County gathered at Capt. Paul’s Firehouse Dogs in Lawrence Township on June 3, 2023, to dedicate a park in memory of a Mercer County fire service legend.
The new “Rudy Fuessel Dad’s Park” is located adjacent to the popular hot dog and ice cream shop at 2230 Princeton Pike. Paul Tweedly, a retired Trenton Fire Department Captain, and his wife Janice have owned the eatery since 2009. They are beloved by the community for their kindness and generosity, as well as for their unwavering
support of the men and women of America’s emergency services and military.
Rudolph ‘Rudy’Fuessel, Jr., was a volunteer firefighter with Lawrence Township’s Slackwood Fire Company from 1955 until his passing at the age of 85 in 2022. Known affec-
tionately around the firehouse as ‘Dad’ for his role as mentor to younger members of the fire company, he served as Slackwood’s chief from 1967 through 1983. He was instrumental in helping Tweedly clear and landscape the property next to the restaurant. Tweedly and friends, therefore, felt it only right to dedicate the land as a park bearing Fuessel’s name that honors all past and present volunteer firefighters of the Mercer County area.
Members of the Fuessel family were present to unveil the new park's sign.
- Fire News photos by Michael Ratcliffe
