LT ADAM TENNENBAUM, FF ALEX NIERADKA, FF NICK FIGLER, FF GARY STEVENSON AND CHIEF DELNEGRO WERE HONORED WITH A MERITORIOUS AWARD BY THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WHICH WAS PRESENTED AT THE COUNCIL MEETING.  THE AWARD WAS PRESENTED BY CHIEF SCALERA, MAYOR ANESH AND COMMISSIONER BENGIVENGA FOR ACTIONS TAKEN WHICH RESULTED IN THE SAVING OF A LIFE AT A STRUCTURE FIRE ON DECEMBER 16, 2011 IN THE CITY OF PLAINFIELD.  THE BROTHERS WERE OPERATING ON TRUCK 7 AND RESCUED AN UNCONSCIOUS WOMAN FROM THE BUILDING AND SUCCESSFULLY REVIVED HER.  CONGRATULATIONS BROTHERS!

FIRE DEPARTMENT MEMBERS GATHERED AT THE BOROUGH COUNCIL MEETING TONIGHT TO HONOR FORMER CHIEF OF DEPARTMENT DELNEGRO FOR HIS TEN YEARS OF SERVICE AS CHIEF TO THE DEPARTMENT AND COMMUNITY.  MAYOR ANESH AND FIRE COMMISSIONER BENGIVENGA PRESENTED THE CHIEF WITH A PROCLAMATION FROM THE COUNCIL OUTLINING HIS YEARS OF SERVICE AND  ACCOMPLISHMENTS.  CHIEF DELNEGRO WAS SUCCESSFUL OVER THE PAST TEN YEARS IN OBTAINING FEDERAL GRANTS FOR TURNOUT GEAR, MOBILE AND PORTABLE RADIOS, FIRE PAGERS, A WASHER AND DRYER FOR GEAR AND OTHER FIRE DEPARTMENT RELATED TOOLS.  AS EXCEPTIONAL AS THIS IS, THE MOST NOTE WORTHY ITEM THAT DESERVES MENTION IS THE FACT THAT NO FIREFIGHTER LOST HIS/HER LIFE UNDER HIS COMMAND. 

FIRE UNITS WERE DISPATCHED TO THE 200 BLOCK OF SAINT NICHOLAS AVENUE EARLY THIS MORNING FOR A REPORTED DUMPSTER FIRE.  THE WORKING FIRE SIGNAL WAS TRANSMITTED BY CHIEF SCALERA FROM A FEW BLOCKS AWAY DUE TO THE LARGE BODY OF FIRE PRESENT AND SHOWING OVER THE ROOF LINE.  A LARGE 40 YARD CONTAINER ALONG WITH A SUBSTANTIAL LOAD OF PALLETS WAS FULLY INVOLVED AT THE REAR OF THE COMPLEX.  ENGINE SIX PROVIDED THEIR OWN FEED LINE AND PUT THEIR STANG GUN INTO OPERATION ON ARRIVAL.  THERE WAS SOME EXTENSION TO THE STRUCTURE.  TRUCK 7 SETUP ON SIDE D AND TOOK TO THE ROOF.  TWO HANDLINES WERE EVENTUALLY STRETCHED AND PLACED INTO OPERATION.  THE FIRE WAS DARKENED DOWN QUICKLY AND COUNTY HAZMAT WAS S/C TO THE SCENE. 

TRUCK 7 WAS SPECIAL CALLED TO THE ALL HANDS ON WEST 4TH STREET TODAY FOR A FIRE IN A SFD.  HEAVY FIRE HAD POSESSION OF THE ENTIRE FIRST FLOOR.  TWO LINES WERE STRETCHED AND IN OPERATION.  TRUCK 7 WAS ASSIGNED TO DIVISION 1 FOR SEARCH AND OVERHAUL OPERATIONS.  THE FIRE WAS UNDER CONTROL IN APPROXIMATELY TWENTY MINUTES. 

The SPVFD wishes to congratulate William Conti on 11 years of service.

Heating Fire Safety  

Each winter the high cost of home heating fuels and utilities causes many Americans to search for alternate sources of home heating. The use of wood burning stoves is growing and space heaters are selling rapidly. Fireplaces are burning wood and man-made logs. All these methods of heating may be acceptable. They are however, a major contributing factor in home fires.

Many of these fires can be prevented. You can prevent the loss of life and property resulting from heating fires by being able to identify potential hazards and following a few safety tips:

• All heaters need space. Keep anything that can burn at least 3 feet away from heating equipment.
  
• Use heating equipment that has the label of a recognized testing laboratory.
  
• Make sure all fuel-burning heating equipment is vented to the outside to avoid carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning.
  
• Only purchase portable space heaters with an automatic shut-off so if they’re tipped over they will shut off.
  
• Allow wood stove and fireplace ashes to cool before disposing of them in a tightly covered metal container. Keep the container at least 10 feet away from your home.
  

Heating Fire Safety Action Steps »

TRUCK 7 TOOK IN A SECOND ALARM IN THE 200 BLOCK OF JOHNSTON AVENUE IN PLAINFIELD LATE TODAY.  A BASEMENT FIRE WITH EXTENSION TO THE FLOORS ABOVE CREATED HEAVY SMOKE THROUGHOUT.  TRUCK 7 WAS ASSIGNED INTERIOR SEARCH AND OVERHAUL DUTIES. 

TRUCK 7 WAS SPECIAL CALLED TO THE STRUCTURE FIRE IN PLAINFIELD TODAY OFF OF WEST FRONT STREET.  THE TRUCK WAS ASSIGNED TO DIVISION 2 TO OPEN UP AND CONTINUE TO CHECK FOR EXTENSION.  PLAINFIELD FIRE HAD A QUICK KNOCK ON THE FIRE WITH TWO LINES STRETCHED AND IN OPERATION.  NORTH PLAINFIELD TOOK UP FAST DUTIES. 

Early morning on New Years Day the South Plainfield Emergency Services were dispatched to Irving Street on a reported house fire with the occupant trapped on the second floor. Arriving police and fire units reported a working fire and their initial attempts to enter the house through the front door to rescue the victim were halted by high heat and dense black smoke on the first and second floors. The victim was on the second floor where conditions were worsening but she made her way to a bedroom window where she signaled her location to the emergency personnel on scene. With the fire apparatus not on scene yet the quick thinking of the responders that were there resulted in finding an extension ladder in a neighbors yard which was raised to the second floor window where the victim was awaiting rescue. Fire Captain Joe Abbruzzese ascended the ladder, reached the victim and had to grab the victim who was losing consciousness and physically assist the victim onto the ladder. Once the victim was brought down to ground level by Captain Abbruzzese other arriving responders assisted her off the ladder. Fire Chief Scalera transmitted a second alarm and initially devoted all emergency efforts to the rescue of the victim. Once the rescue of the victim was accomplished the arriving firefighters were assigned to stretch hose lines, perform ventilation and a quick knock down was made of the fire on the first floor. An Engine company from the Plainfield Fire Division was on scene as a FAST company and mutual aid companies were at fire headquarters to cover the town. The victim was airlifted to the burn center for advanced treatment of smoke inhalation and other minor injuries. The cause and origin of the fire is under investigation by the South Plainfield Bureau of FIre Prevention.

THE FIRE DEPARTMENT HELD THEIR ANNUAL MEDAL NIGHT IN CONJUNCTION WITH ADMINISTERING THE OATH OF OFFICE TO THE 2012 LINE OFFICERS.  THE OATH OF OFFICE WAS ADMINISTERED BY FIRE COMMISSIONER BENGIVENGA.  THE DEPARTMENT ALSO SWORE IN THE 11TH FIRE CHIEF IN THE DEPARTMENTS 105 YEAR HISTORY.  CHIEF THOMAS SCALERA WAS GIVEN THE OATH OF OFFICE BY MAYOR MATT ANESH IN FRONT OF FAMILY AND THE MEMBERS OF THE DEPARTMENT.  CHIEF SCALERA WILL OFFICIALLY TAKE OVER ON JANUARY 1, 2012 AS CHIEF OF THE DEPARTMENT.  CHIEF SCALERA BRINGS OVER 25 YEARS OF SERVICE TO THE OFFICE AND WILL BE JUST THE 11TH MEMBER TO HOLD THE OFFICE OF CHIEF OF THE DEPARTMENT. 

COMMENDATIONS WERE PRESENTED TO THE FOLLOWING MEMBERS:

COMPLETION OF PROBATION

FF ANDREW KOCIUMBUS, FF ALEX NIERADKA, FF SAMATHA HOGAN, FF NICK SMITH, FF JURRIEN KRATZ, FF NICK SACCO AND  FF NICK FIGLER.

EMT COMMENDATION

FF SHAYNE LUGO, FF SAMATHA HOGAN AND FF STEPHEN PHILLIPS.

GROUP MERITORIOUS FOR RESCUE OPERATION/DELIVERY OF A BABY.

CAPTAIN JA ABBRUZZESE, FF WILLIAM CONTI, FF DARYL FORSTER

 

GROUP MERITORIOUS FOR RESCUE OPERATION AT KENTILE FLOORS.

CAPTAINS JA ABBRUZZESE AND JOHN REED, LT KEVIN BULLA, FF'S PELLEGRINO, LAFERRERA, CALVEY, CONTI, TEDESCO, KOCIUMBUS, KRATZ, ALTOMARE, HOGAN, ZUSHMA,

 

 

 

FIRE UNITS RESPONDED TO A REPORTED STRUCTURE FIRE IN THE 2800 BLOCK OF WOODLAND AVENUE THIS EVENING.  ENGINE 6 WHO WAS IN QUARTERS WITH A STANDBY CREW ARRIVED AND REPORTED HEAVY SMOKE OBSCURING THE STREET.  THE WORKING FIRE SIGNAL WAS TRANSMIT ED AND ENGINE 6 STRETCHED IN WITH THE APARTMENT LOAD TO SIDE C WHERE THE MAIN ENTRANCE WAS LOCATED.  THE STRUCTURE SITS APPROXIMATELY 400 FEET OFF THE ROADWAY AND IS ACTUALLY A THREE STORY STRUCTURE FROM SIDE D.  PLAINFIELD FIRE ARRIVED AND STRETCHED AN ADDITIONAL ATTACK LINE TO BACKUP THE FIRST LINE.  THERE WAS A DELAY IN ESTABLISHING A PERMANENT WATER SUPPLY THAT RESULTED IN WITHDRAWING THE INTERIOR FORCES FOR A FEW MINUTES.  THE BULK OF THE FIRE WAS KNOCKED DOWN PRIOR TO THIS EVENT.  ENGINE 4 DROVE AROUND THE BLOCK AND LAID A FIVE INCH LINE FROM FRANCESCA COURT TO ENGINE 6.  NUMEROUS GROUND LADDERS WERE THROWN BY TRUCK 7.  VERTICAL VENTILATION WAS PREFORMED BY THE TRUCK AS WELL.  PRIMARY AND SECONDARY SEARCHES WERE NEGATIVE.  EXTENDED OVERHAUL WAS CONDUCTED AND THE SCENE WAS TURNED OVER TO THE FIRE INSPECTORS FOR THE INVESTIGATION. 

Early Sunday morning the Fire Department was dispatched for a reported structure fire on the 100 block of Front Street. Arriving companies found a working fire on the 2nd floor of a 2 story wood frame structure. All occupants of the structure were self evacuating upon arrival. A 2nd alarm was transmitted as Engine 6 arrived, stretched two attack lines for fire suppression and backup. Engine 4 dropped a supply line, Truck 7 was detailed for ventilation of the 2nd floor. The first attack line quickly knocked down the fire while searches were being conducted. Plainfield Fire Division Engine Company arrived and assumed duties as the FAST Team. No injuries were reported and all Mutual Aid companies were released within an hour. Other Fire Companies that responded were New Market Fire, North Stelton Fire, Colonia Fire and the Middlesex County Fire Coordinators. The cause and origin investigation is being conducted by the South Plainfield Bureau of Fire Prevention.

For the second consecutive evening Plainfield Fire Division called for a mutual aid response for a multiple alarm fire. Engine 6 was covering Plainfield Engine 4 for the evening and the Plainfield Incident Commander, former South Plainfield Captain, Deputy Chief Jeff Courtney called for Truck 7 to the scene. The fire occurred at the 100 block of North Avenue 2 blocks north of the previous nights fire. Arriving companies found heavy fire conditions from the first floor store front extending to the 2nd and 3rd floors. Interior crews made an aggressive attack but the fire was able to take hold of the cockloft. All companies were then evacuated from the building allowing multiple truck company master streams to knock down the remaining fire. Extensive overhaul was necessary to completely extinguish the fire.

Truck 7 and Chief Del Negro responded to assist the Plainfield Fire Division on a request for Mutual Aid at a working structure fire. Upon arrival on the 100 block of East 4th street the crew of truck 7 was assigned to perform a search as directed by the Plainfield Fire Incident Commander. The truck was set up and prepared to protect the "D" side exposure if the fire were to spread in that direction. During the search by the truck company a victim was located, found to be non responsive and was removed from the building. The Plainfield Incident Commander was advised of the victim and notification was made to have EMS and Paramedics available to address the patients needs. Once the victim was removed Chief Del Negro met the crew outside the building and it was determined that the victim was not breathing and no pulse was present. CPR was started by South Plainfield firefighters as the paramedics arrived. CPR continued until the victim was turned over to Plainfield EMS and then transpoted to the local hospital.

The SPVFD wishes to congratulate the following members on their service anniversaries

Michael Mocharski - 1 year
 
John B. Abbruzzese - 6 years
 
Thomas E. Scalera - 30 years.