Christmas Day is no different than any other day for volunteer and career firefighters. Volunteers leave their homes and families to answer alarms.
Career firefighters leave their homes and families before sunrise to report to the firehouse for a 24-hour tour. They spend holidays with their second family at 'the house'.
stubborn dwelling fire
On Christmas morning, 2024, volunteer and career firefighters joined forces to battle a stubborn dwelling fire in Ridgefield Park, New Jersey. Before noon, the village volunteer fire companies were toned out for a fire on Emerson Street.
They arrived to find heavy fire venting out of the second-floor windows of a 2 1/2-story, wood-frame dwelling, with flames breaking through the roof. The sidings on Exposure “B,” separated by a driveway, began to melt.
fire suppression hampered
Firefighters set up ground ladders around the structure to assist members in “opening up” walls
As firefighting operations began, a second alarm was sounded bringing in local volunteer and career companies. They came from the Bogota Volunteer Fire Department and the career departments of Teaneck, Hackensack, and Englewood.
Crews conducted an aggressive interior attack using numerous handlines. The stairway leading to the attic was compromised, hampering fire suppression. Firefighters set up ground ladders around the structure to assist members in “opening up” walls to get to the hidden fire.
overhead wires
This part of New Jersey is known for its many overhead wires. The local utility company was called in to secure the utilities. Ridgefield Park Truck 2 was positioned to set up its aerial ladder below wires to stretch a hose line to the attic area to quell visible flames.
During the fire, many comments were heard in the street referring to the holiday. “My kid is three and going crazy!” “I was just getting the food out.” “I’m getting old.” A major family holiday, but the firefighters did their jobs and worked together.
Mutual-aid firefighters have worked together many times in the past, and many of them are long-time friends. No firefighters or residents were seriously injured.
