North Wildwood Fire Department Scores Grant
The North Wildwood Fire Department will be receiving a federal grant through FEMA in the amount of $110,480.
Last year, Fire Chief Jeffery Cole initiated the application process, and last week word came down from U.S. Senator Robert Menendez’ Office announcing the award.
The grant is known as an “Assistance to Firefighters” grant. The senator has always been a strong supporter of these grants and has fought to keep them as part of the federal budget.
The money will be used to replace a 25-year-old air compressor used to fill self-contained breathing apparatus. In addition, almost all of the SCBA will need to be replaced as well.
Fire Chief Jeffrey Cole said, “The grant will relieve the City of coming up with the money needed for this, the most important piece of equipment to protect firefighters and allow them to do their job.”
The new equipment has the added advantage of taking a shorter time to fill the containers.
Mayor Bill Henfey said, “This new equipment is vital to the safety of our firefighters, and that in turn keeps us all safer. Our thanks to Chief Cole for accomplishing this and saving the City money as well!”
NWFD Trained in Pet Emergencies
On May 14 several members of the North Wildwood Fire Department attended an in-house training program on emergency care for pets. The class was given by the Red Bank Veterinary Hospital of Red Bank. This class was one of the first of its kind in our region. The Red Bank Veterinary Hospital has a facility in Linwood that provides 24 hour emergency critical care to sick or injured domestic pets. Class was provided at no cost and all personnel attended on their own time.
The North Wildwood Fire Department has responded to many incidents over the years in which distraught pet owners reached out for help after exhausting all other possibilities. Every summer we have vacationers call or stop into the station asking for help for their pets that have suffered some type of injury. Our department does not refuse to respond to a call for help regardless of what the call may involve.
Most people who have pets understand how vital they are to the family and the emotional pain and feeling of helplessness when such an emergency occurs. We have carried animal resuscitation masks on our apparatus for several years. We now have the training to provide proper care to a pet that may have been entrapped in a fire, for example. We have one member of our department who is trained and certified in large animal rescue. Firefighter Terri Delvicario was instrumental in the successful rescue of a horse trapped in several feet of mud in West Cape May a few years ago.
While we certainly are not equipped or staffed to provide emergency transport for pets, we can now offer some immediate stabilization measures and make contact with the facility, and direct the owner to the emergency receiving facility. It is important to point out that this is in no way meant to circumvent or bypass a local veterinary doctor or facility that may already provide care for the pet.
NWFD Earns Yet Another Honor
On May 31 Captain Dominick McClain was presented with an award for his efforts in training New Jersey first responders in open water rescue. Captain McClain accepted the award presented by the Higgins and Langley Swift Water and Flood Rescue Program Development Award on the behalf of the North Wildwood Fire Department at a ceremony in Myrtle Beach, NC at the National Association Of Search And Rescue Conference.
He participated in the pilot program called the “New Jersey Sate Police Open Water Rescue Program” which was developed by the State Police and soon after became a certified instructor after completing a grueling three-part curriculum consisting of awareness, operations, and technician levels. He then attained the level of Instructor and has since participated in the instruction and certification of over 1800 police, fire, EMS, and lifeguard emergency responders from over 100 agencies. This training differs from other water rescue training as it emphasizes using the National Incident Command System and is designed to coordinate multiple emergency agencies responding to ocean water emergencies while using strict accountability and rescuer safety.
The North Wildwood Fire Department Municipal Division has all members trained in one or more of the three levels along with some members of the two volunteer companies. The Fire Department is responsible for all water-related emergencies that occur during the seasons and times when the Beach Patrol is not staffed. Additionally, the department responds during afterhours summer emergencies to assist Beach Patrol members responding on the call-back system. Considering the normal compliment of lifeguards may not be available, and especially during off-season emergencies the policies and procedures followed are inherently different than those used when dozens of trained lifeguards are on duty.
