Glenn Epps
The Express-Times
(TNS)

The Frelinghuysen Volunteer Fire Co. successfully knocked down its first fire in nearly 40 years on Sept. 30.

When the call came in at 2:42 a.m. to respond to a structure fire, the township’s freshly appointed seven-person squadron wasted no time getting geared up, driving to the scene and handling the job they were trained to do, Fire Chief Angel Ortiz said.

“I’m like a proud papa,” he said. “I went by to see the victims the day after the fire and they just hugged me and called us heroes. I can’t begin to explain how much that means.”

Station 84 was established in 2022, but officially opened in March 2024 once renovations on the fire house were completed. Residents once believed they’d never see a fire department in Frelinghuysen, Mayor Keith Ramos said.

“This was never in the plan,” he said, “it’s a Godsend.”

In the past 22 years, only three fires have been recorded in Frelinghuysen Township, including the basement fire reported last month. Station 84 is a monumental milestone for the community, especially at a time when more towns are seeing fire departments close due to lack of participation, Ramos said. He approached 152 fire departments in the region to collect donations for the project, he said.

Breathing apparatuses and fire trucks were donated by Harrison Township, Parsippany donated gear, Bloomfield donated gloves, Toms River donated Scott SCBA Air Packs, Elmwood Park Borough donated a ladder truck. Other items, including the generator and hoses, were all donated or paid using American Rescue Plan Act funding ($200,000), capital funds ($900,000) and microgrants.

The project, which included renovating the former Public Works Works department to be used as a fire station, was developed at no cost to residents, Ramos said. It should cost the township less than $45,000 to run the program moving forward, he said.

The 2,200-person township used to pay $105,000 per year to be covered by its neighboring municipalities. The cost of the emergency services were among the township’s most expensive line items in its annual budget, Ramos said.

“To me, it was almost biblical,” Ramos said. “Nobody knew there would be a pandemic and we would get the ARPA money. It all really just fell into place.”

Each of Station 84′s 15 volunteers lives within walking distance of the converted fire station. Here’s a list of the station’s founding members: Fire Chief Angel Ortiz, Jim K. Burns, Jim P. Burns, Frankie Giordano, Robert “Doc” Halsberstadt, Thomas Heaton, Jose Jaime, Todd McPeek, Benny Perez, Dave Possehl, Christian Rodriguez, Jhonny Lopez Sosa, Christian Winfield, James Winfield, Scott Winfield.

Glenn Epps can be reached at gepps@lehighvalleylive.com or glenn_epps_on X (formerly known as Twitter.com), Facebook and Threads.

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The Chicago Fire Department’s Englewood station currently has no fire truck to work with its pumper amid a vehicle shortage, the firefighters union said, abc7chicago.com reported.

“Truck 20, one of the busiest truck companies in Chicago, quartered at 7101 S. Parnell (with Engine 54), is out of service and not available to serve the Englewood community due to the fact that the city of Chicago does not have a spare truck in their fleet to keep them in service,” Chicago Fire Department Firefighters Union – Local 2 said Sunday, Oct. 6, in a Facebook post.

A large lot filled with city vehicles (ambulances, trucks, and fire apparatus) in need of repair takes up more than a city block on the South Side, the report said.

The Chicago Fire Department and Mayor Brandon Johnson’s office have not yet responded to a request for comment, according to the report.

Union officials said the city is in violation of its contract by failing to have the minimum number of trucks in service, and they believe it is creating a dangerous situation for citizens and firefighters, the report said.

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The New Bedford Fire Department accepted delivery of a new 2024 Pierce Enforcer 100-foot tractor drawn aerial, the department said in a Facebook post Saturday, Oct. 5.

The new Ladder 1 will be placed in service within the next few weeks following chassis and aerial training from Pierce and the remainder of the loose equipment and electronic equipment is installed.

The new Ladder 1 replaces the 2008 Pierce Arrow XT located at Station 2. Ladder 1 is the department’s busiest ladder company, having responded to 2,807 calls for service last year. Ladder 1 is the first due ladder company to structure fires in the downtown/west end area and the second due ladder company to all structure fires in the north and south end of the city.

Specifications

By Alan M. Petrillo

Huber Heights Fire Department in Ohio had not had a tractor drawn aerial (TDA or tiller) in its fleet since the 1990s when it transitioned to rear-mount aerial quints. But the development of three-story townhome and apartment complexes on narrow streets with limited parking, setback configurations, and higher elevations made the department take another look at the usefulness of a tiller.

“When I started with the fire department in 1989 we had a 100-foot steel ladder 1956 American LaFrance tiller pulled by a 1981 Pierce Arrow tractor, with no water, open ladder rack storage, and an open tiller cab that had been boxed in,” says Michael Muhl, Huber Heights battalion chief. “Then during the 1990s, we moved to the quint concept on rear-mount aerials.”

In the ensuing years, a considerable number of townhome complexes were built with parking in the middle of the complex and with overflow parking congesting the narrow streets facing the complexes, Muhl says. “At the time we had a 105-foot aerial ladder on tandem rear axles that was difficult to get into those complexes,” he points out. “Plus there were a lot of plans for three story apartment and townhome complexes with elevations and configurations that would make it difficult to get a straight frame aerial in to them. In addition, we couldn’t hit most third floor balconies with our ground ladders.”

Muhl says Huber Heights needed a more maneuverable truck with longer ground ladders. “We have an all Sutphen fleet, so we talked to Sutphen about a tiller quint,” he says, “and we had four bullet points that we would not compromise.” Those stipulations were that the rig had to carry at least 300 gallons of water, a pump, and hose lines; it had to carry a 45-foot extension ladder; it had to have a lot more storage than the department’s existing 246 cubic feet; and 62 feet was to be the maximum overall length of the rig.

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