Metuchen Volunteer Fire Department

Address: P.O. Box 42 506 Middlesex Avenue Metuchen, NJ 08840 • Map This Department Emergency Dispatch Phone: 911-----632-8500 Business Phone: 732-767-1147 Fax: Department Web Site: NA Related Web Site: Email: metuchenfd@yahoo.com About Metuchen Volunteer Fire Department: METUCHEN VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT proudly protects 13500 people living in an area of 2.8 square miles. We operate out of one stations that protect a primarily residential area. Our department is a public department whose members are on a volunteer status. HISTORY OF THE METUCHEN FIRE DEPARTMENT Realizing the need for a fire department in Metuchen, citizens gathered at Robins Hall on May 2, 1882, for the purpose of organizing a fire company. The following officers were elected to serve: Foreman, James Oliver; First Assistant Foreman, Nathan Robins; Second assistant Foreman Paul M. Diver; Secretary, St. George Kempson; Treasure, O.F. Browning; Steward, Frank B. Smith Each member was required to sign the by-laws adopted at the meeting. The company was named the Eagle Hook and Ladder Company No. 1 of Metuchen. Unlike the rules of today, any member who didn't attend a regular meeting and answer to an alarm of fire was made to pay 25 cents fine if he did not have an excuse which was accepted by the majority of the company. A fine of $ 1.00 was charged any member who left the company during a fire or meeting without a good reason. Although the company was called to its first fire on May 20, the services of the company were not needed. According to the company minutes the company was called to active duty on June 5 about 1 o' clock. A story printed in the Inquirer, the only publication in Metuchen at the time, was as follows : On Monday, June 5, about 1 o'clock, a fire broke out in Mr. Jerry Hayes house. The house, together with furniture and $100 in cash (the hard-earned money of Mrs. Hayes) was totally destroyed. A prompt alarm was sounded, and the Eagle Hook and Ladder Company was on the spot in a few minutes. They did a good job by preventing the spread of fire to the barn and outbuildings, also in saving some articles of household furniture. The house and furniture consumed were valued at $1,500 with an insurance of only $700. The records also show the efforts of A.B. Winans, E. Kramer, and E. Talmadge saved the Inquirer officer and surrounding buildings on the evening of July 4th. The awning of the building had been found ablaze. During this time the fire company met in the truck house which was built on Woodbridge Avenue in 1882 where the Presbyterian church now stands. Later the building was moved and an addition built, on lots purchased from Elis Ayers on the corner near the railroad track. The track was then a grade crossing Nathan Robins was President of the fire company from May 4, 1882, until February, 1929, when he passed away. The company name was changed to the Eagle Hook and Ladder Company on July 23, 1929. Thirty local men, in November of 1897, met in the back room of a barber shop belonging to Charles Hartman and organized Metuchen's second fire company, the Washington Hose Company. It was incorporated in December, 1897, with Mr. F.F. Van Siclen as President. John Almond, the village blacksmith, built and gave to the company its first hose cart, which was known as Lady Washington . The equipment was also housed at the shop belonging to Mr. Almond. Water mains and fire hydrants had been recently constructed to aid firemen who were kept constantly busy extinguishing fires set by sparks from the railroad locomotives passing through the village. The keys to the hydrants along with the necessary fire hose were given only to the Eagle Hook and Ladder Company, Metuchen's first fire company, by the Water Commissioners of Raritan Township. In March of 1901 the Washington Hose Company built their firehouse at 505 Middlesex Avenue. Four months later the company purchased a hand pumping machine and 1,000 feet of hose was donated by Manning Freemen. With this new equipment they were able to operate on a much wider range than the rival company since the Washington Hose Company could obtain its water supply from cisterns and wells, and were thus not dependent upon the presence of water mains and hydrants. The Water Commissioners were so impressed by this great efficiency that they also awarded keys to the fire hydrants to the Washington Hose Company. This newly acquired pumping machine, known as the White Ghost, had been purchased from city of Rahway. However, when firemen were cleaning the equipment in preparation for the annual 4th of July parade, they discovered a brass plate on the condensing case that was inscribed Fulton Engine No. 21. The Fulton Engine Company was a fire company organized in 1795 in New York City. Metuchen was incorporated as a borough in 1900. Much consideration was given from time to time by the local government to create a borough fire department. An ordinance passed by the Borough Council, in September, 1927, authorizing the borough to create, equip and regulate a volunteer fire department, it provided that the Chief and the Assistant Chief would be elected alternately by the two companies. The Chief would be a member of one company and the Assistant Chief would be a member of the other company. The Borough took over both fire companies in October of 1927. In the late 1940's the two local firehouses were still owned and maintained by the two companies who leased their buildings to the borough. Increased population made it necessary to purchase new firefighting equipment which required larger facilities. The borough garage, on Middlesex Avenue, was remodeled in 1953 to serve as Metuchen's only firehouse, housing both companies and their equipment. The Borough of Metuchen is surrounded by Edison Township in central Middlesex County, N.J. Our station is designated as Middlesex County Station 47. Our department is a public department whose members are all volunteer. The Department has two Chiefs and each company operates with 25 active volunteer firefighters. The Officers are elected from the membership and serve three-year terms after meeting stringent qualifications. Each company has a Captain, a First Lieutenant and a second Lieutenant. The Fire Chief appoints a Safety Officer and Chief Engineer. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ MISSION STATEMENT The mission of the Metuchen Volunteer Fire Department is to provide the citizen of Metuchen, and the County of Middlesex with the highest degree of service within our capacity, in order to preserve and protect life and property from the devastation of fire and other life threatening emergencies or natural disasters as may occur. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- HEROES Every day our firefighters make heroic sacrifices to protect our lives and our property. Their challenges are awesome; Their contributions to our safety overwhelming; the risks to their lives, enormous. Sadly, we have witnessed vivid illustrations of this in firefighters who have been killed in the line of duty. They were heroes, not because of the way they died, but because of the way they lived. A firefighter doesn't have to die to be a hero. Heroism lives in the heart of each firefighter every day. Heroism is not in the sacrifice; it is in the risk. The Bible says:What greater love doth man have than to lay down his life for his friends. Lets say it differently :What greater love doth man have than to risk his life for his neighbors? How many precious lives have been saved routinely every day because fires were promptly and efficiently extinguished? Because of the dedicated service of our firefighters... What child now lives to grow up to be a great surgeon? What mother lives to bear another life? What future great scientist lives to find a cure for man's great ills :What poet? What composer? What future President? What future firefighter who will carry on the noble tradition of giving, of caring, of serving, of heroism? Why do men and women risk their lives to protect others? I believe that in the heart of every well-adjusted human being there is a genuine love for our fellow humans. Suppose you were driving down the road and saw a man drowning in a pond. What would you do? I think you'd immediately rush to save that precious life, risking your own. Why? Because we care about each other. We love each other. One way to find an outlet for this caring, this desire to serve, is by being a firefighter. Every man and woman in our fire service is a hero...every day, ready and willing at the sound of that alarm to respond and, if required, to make the supreme sacrifice to protect you and me and other citizens. If there is heroism in your heart; if there is a deep caring for your fellow humans, enlist in our fire service. We need you. Your neighbors need you. Speech By : Lawrence J. Hogan Congressman from Maryland (Ret) County Executive, Prince George's County, MD. (Ret) Instructor, National Fire Academy, Emmitsburg, MD. THE FIREMANS PRAYER When I am called to duty, God, Wherever flames may rage, give me the strength to save some life Whatever be its age. Help me embrace a little child before it is too late, Or save an older person from the horror of that fate. Enable me to be alert and hear the weakest shout and quickly and efficiently to put the fire out. I want to fill my calling and give the best in me, to guard my every neighbor and protect his property. And if according to your will I have to lose my life, Please bless with your protecting hand , my children and my wife. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I WISH YOU COULD ! I wish you could see the sadness of a business man as his livelihood goes up in flames or that family returning home, only to find their house and belongings damaged or destroyed. I wish you could comprehend a wife's horror at 3am as I check her husband of forty years for a pulse and find none. I start CPR anyway hoping against hope to bring him back, knowing intuitively it is too late. But wanting his wife and family to know everything possible was done. I wish you could know the unique smell of burning insulation, the taste of soot filled mucus,the feeling of intense heat through your turnout gear, the sound of crackling flames and the eeriness of being able to see absolutely nothing in dense smoke. I wish you could read my mind as I respond to a building fire, Is this a false alarm or a working breathing fire? How is the building constructed ? What hazards await me ? Is anyone trapped ? I wish you could be there when the EMS squad pronounces dead the beautiful little five year old girl who did not make it out of the fire. She will never be able to say I love you Mommy again. I wish you could know the frustration I feel in the cab of the engine, the driver with his foot pressed down hard on the gas pedal, My arm tugging again and again on the air horn as you fail to yield the right of way at the intersection, however when you need us, your first comment on our arrival will be It took you forever to get here! I wish you could read my thoughts as I help extricate a teenage girl from the mangled remains of her automobile. What if this was my sister, my girlfriend or a friend ? What were her parents reaction when they opened their door only to find a police officer standing there with HAT IN HAND ? I wish you could know how it feels to come home and greet my family, not having the heart to tell them that I nearly lost my life today. I wish you could feel my hurt as people verbally and sometimes physically abuse us or belittle us for what we do or as they express their attitudes of, It will never happen to me . I wish you could realize the physical, emotional & mental drain of missed meals, lost sleep & forgone social activities in addition to all of the tragedies my eyes have viewed. I wish you could know the brotherhood and self satisfaction of helping save a life or preserving someone's property, or being there in times of crisis, or creating order from total CHAOS. I wish you could understand what it feels like to have a little boy tug on your arm and ask Is my mommy okay ? Not even being able to look in his eyes without tears falling from your own & not knowing what to say. Or to hold back a long time friend who watches his buddy have CPR performed on him as they take him away in the ambulance, knowing that he was not wearing his seatbelt. ( A sensation I have become too familiar with ) Until you have lived this kind of life, you will never truly understand or appreciate who I am, what we are, or what our job really means to us. I WISH YOU COULD the Author of this poem is unknown Origin of the Maltese Cross The Maltese Cross is a symbol of protection a badge of honor. Its story is hundreds of years old. When a courageous band of crusaders, known as the Knights of St. John, fought the Saracens for possession of the Holy Land, they encountered a new weapon unknown to European warriors. It was a simple, but horrible device of war; it wrought excruciating pain and agonizing death upon the brave fighters of the Cross. The Saracens' weapon was Fire! As the crusaders advanced on the walls of the city, they were attacked by glass bombs containing naphtha. When they became saturated with the highly flammable liquid, the Saracens hurled a flaming tree into their midst. Hundreds of Knights were burned alive. Others risked their lives to save their brothers in arms from dying painful deaths. Thus these men became the first fire fighters... and the first of a long list of courageous Fire Fighters. Their heroic efforts were recognized by follow Crusaders who awarded each hero with a badge of honor a cross similar to the one Fire Fighters wear today. Since the Knights of St. John lived for nearly four centuries on a little island in the Mediterranean Sea, named Malta, the cross became known as the Maltese Cross. The Maltese Cross is a symbol of protection. It means that the firefighter that wears this cross is willing to lay down his life, just as the Crusaders sacrificed their lives for their fellow men so many years ago. The Maltese Cross is a Fire Fighter's Badge of Courage...a ladder-rung away from death. The Maltese Cross and patron Saint Florian protect us THE FIRE FIGHTER. WHAT IS A FIREFIGHTER?. A person who could be your next door neighbor. A person like you and me, with wants and worries and unfilled dreams....yet stands taller than most of us. That's a firefighter. A person with the sharp memory of a little child who never got over the wondrous excitement of engines and sirens and danger. That's a firefighter. A person who savors life because they've seen too much of death. A person responsive to a child's laughter because their arms have held too many little ones who will never laugh again. That's a firefighter. A person who appreciated the simple pleasures of life, hot coffee held in numbed unbending fingers, the flush of fresh air pumping through smoke-covered lungs, a warm bed for bone and muscle compelled beyond feelings, plus a special camaraderie with other brave firefighters. That's a firefighter. A person who knows the divine peace of selfless service, and a job well done in the name of all men. They don't all wear buttons or wave flags or shout obscenities....and when they march, it is to honor a fallen comrade. A person who doesn't preach the brotherhood of mankind....they live it. That's a firefighter. WHAT ARE ENGINE AND LADDER COMPANIES What is a Engine Company? The Engine company is the basic unit of a fire department. It provides the primary fire fighting agent, water and the personnel to use it at the fireground. To supply and use water properly, the firefighter must have considerable skill and knowledge ( along with a certain amount of strength and the ability to withstand the physical and mental stress ). The fire engine typically arrives at the scene of a fire to lead out hose lines that direct water at the seat of the fire. Progress or forward movement of the engine company is dependent on the amount and volume of fire, as well as the condition of the building. In addition, engine companies are used at large fires to pump water into snorkel and tower ladders implemented to deliver large amounts of water to a fire. THE OBJECTIVES OF A ENGINE COMPANY ARE :Rescue Victims Protect exposures Confine the fire Extinguish the fire Overhaul the fireground These objectives may be carried out in an atmosphere of flame and smoke, therefore, it is essential that fire fighters understand the nature of fire and the factors that effect its spread, including building construction, type of occupancy, and the types of fuel available to the fire. ENGINE COMPANY OPERATIONS :Engine company apparatus and equipment have been designed to allow fire fighters to function effectively and quickly. Through training and experience, engine company personnel must acquire knowledge, skill and judgment in performing the eight basic operations of engine companies. Rescue Water supply Use of initial attack fire hose lines Use of backup fire hose lines Exposure protection Heavy water stream development Tactical use of protective systems Overhaul It is not expected that one company will perform every one of these operations at every fire; nor are the operations necessarily to be carried out in the order given above. Just as fire situations vary, what needs to be done in each case will vary. WHAT IS A LADDER COMPANY? Ladder companies are sometimes called truck companies, hook-and-ladder companies, aerial companies, or snorkel companies. Such labels might partially describe ladder company apparatus, but they do not even hint at the planning, personnel, equipment and training that are coordinated in an efficiently operating ladder company. A ladder truck and a driver do not make a ladder company, any more than a pumper and a driver make an engine company. A very important job of the ladder company is to provide entry into, and exits from, all parts of a fire building, provide ventilation of the fire building by breaking out windows, doors and sawing through the roof. It often is misunderstood by the public what purpose is served by taking these actions; ventilation is extremely important in the successful extinguishmemt of fire. As fire burns fuel, it releases a variety of toxic gases that remain aloft in ceiling or attic spaces and open areas of the structure. These gases are incompletely burned, but may be reignited and present a dangerous and explosive condition when oxygen is reintroduced to the space which they occupy. When these gases do explode, the phenomenon is referred to as a BACKDRAFT. Ventilation allows the evacuation of these gases and the accompanying smoke, lessening the danger of a potential explosion and allowing the firefighter a greater visibility to move rapidly and safely and complete the primary goal of search and rescue. Although firefighters are trained to operate in such circumstances, these conditions prohibit the success of a rescue while endangering the life of the rescue personnel. By cutting a hole in the roof and venting smoke and gas from windows, fire damage can be minimized and the fire companies are able to attack and extinguish the fire more rapidly, as well as halting further fire spread. these examples do not by any means include all the duties of a ladder company, but they do illustrate two important points about ladder company functions. 1. Ladder company work is required at every fire. 2. Ladder operations either accompany or precede engine operations. LADDER COMPANY OPERATIONS :Ladder company apparatus and equipment have been designed to permit ladder crews to function effectively and quickly in accomplishing the eight fire fighting objectives usually assigned to ladder companies, these objectives are :Rescue victim. Ventilation. Laddering. Forcible entry. Ladder-pipe operation. Salvage. Utility shutdown. Overhaul the fireground. All but the last of these objectives are carried out in an atmosphere of flame and smoke. Therefore, it is essential that fire fighters understand the nature of fire and the factors that affect its spread, including building construction, type of occupancy, and the types of fuel available to the fire. Through thorough training and experience, ladder company personnel must acquire knowledge, skill and judgment in performing the basic duties of a ladder company firefighter. At some fires, it might be necessary for a ladder company to perform all of these operations; other fires might require only some of the duties. Just as situations vary, procedures for each situation will also very. With the exception of rescue, the duties are not necessarily performed in the order given above; that too depends on the fire situation. Department Type: All Volunteer Services Provided: Firefighting Hazardous Material Response Vehicle Rescue (Extrication) Search & Rescue Number of Stations: 0

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