South Students Splash, Soar To Secure First-Place Finishes

TOMS RIVER – Ocean County YMCA was the site of the recent Shore Conference Championships for swimming. High School South’s Sam Dugan, who recently set the school record in the 200m IM and earned “Swimmer of the Meet” at the Ocean County Championship last month, was at it again. Sam was crowned Shore Conference Champion in both the 200m and 500m freestyle, broke her own school record in the 500m free, and also broke the school record in the 200 free, which had stood for the past 21 years. Congratulations yet again, Sam! Meanwhile, the South Jersey Group 3 State Sectionals for indoor track and field were also held this past weekend. At the event, HSS senior Evan Burnett was crowned South Jersey Group 3 Sectional champion, earning a first-place overall finish with a pole vault of 13 feet. Way to go, Evan!

Firefighters Train On Self-Rescue Equipment

TOMS RIVER – Toms River firefighters completed training on the Personal Escape System (PES), designed to be used by firefighters as the very last method of getting out of a building if they become trapped on an upper floor.

A total of 50 firefighters from Stations 25, 26, 27 and 28 trained on the equipment at the Toms River Fire Training Center on Church Road.

PES is an all-inclusive setup that gives a firefighter the capability to bail out of an upper-floor window in the face of a hostile fire to self-rescue. When firefighters find themselves in untenable conditions, the anchor hook can be tied off to, hooked around an object, or placed at the windowsill to create an anchor allowing the firefighter to bail out of an upper floor window.

Chief Captapano said the system also serves a dual purpose, “It can also be used to lower a victim to safety.”

He said there have been countless documented incidents in New Jersey and across the nation where firefighters have been trapped, and have been forced to bail out of an upper floor window in order to survive.

“Improving firefighter safety and reducing line-of-duty deaths and injuries is, and must remain, a focus for every fire department,” the Chief said.

The 50 firefighters each completed 10 bail- outs, totaling 500 bailouts. The 10 bailouts per member qualify them on the PETZL EXO AP PSS system. These systems are compliant with the requirements of the National Fire Protection Association code, Standard on Line Safety Rope & Equipment for Emergency Services.

The Department would like to thank the District Chief and the District 1 Board of Fire Commissioners for their time, research, dedication and funding to provide members with this important and necessary life safety equipment.

The Tea Room is open

Wednesday-Sunday 11am-4pm

Gift Shoppe: Open Tuesday-Sunday 9am-5pm

Bed & Breakfast: Open daily 24 hours mathishouse600main.com

732-818-7580