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May, 2025, Ups, page 2

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May 12, 2025 | NEW JERSEY Ron Jeffers, New Jersey Editor
This article is a direct street report from our correspondent and has not been edited by the 1st Responder newsroom.

DOWNS: In Camden, a 2-alarm fire involved the former Mc Crory's department store on Broadway, April 11th. Numerous master streams were used. 

        

UPS: Retired Kearny Deputy Chief Frank Viscuso was named the 2025 George D. Post Instructor of the Year by the International Society of Fire Service Instructors. 

        

DOWNS: A 9-year-old girl perished, and two other children hospitalized, as the result of a fire in an Astor Pl. dwelling in Newark, April 16th

        

UPS: Bruce Stevens was promoted to deputy fire chief in Elizabeth. Nelson Navas was promoted to battalion chief and Dillon Jensen is the department's new captain. 

        

DOWNS: A reported explosion, followed by fire, raced through four homes on 13th av. in Belmar, April 13th, according to officials. 

        

UPS: In April, Upper Saddle River ex-volunteer Fire Chief John Carlough was recognized by Mayor Fardanesh for his 50-years of service to the Borough. In addition to being a successful business owner, he also maintained an average 95.5 yearly percentage of attendance for fire calls and drills, according to a local Facebook post.         

        

DOWNS: On April 20th, a fire involved a perfume manufacturing warehouse in Norwood. HazMat units from Bergen County and the New Milford F.D. were called in due to the different chemicals used at the facility. The New Milford Haz Mat team was used to decon over 50 firefighters and their gear due to the chemicals involved, according to a department Facebook post. 

         

UPS: Newly appointed Elizabeth F.D. EMT's are Ashley Monterio, Jordan Zelifs and Ian Spurr. 

         

DOWNS: In April, a wildfire consumed many thousands of acres in the area of Jones and Bryant roads in Ocean Township. Authorities said the fire was within the Ocean County Natural Lands Trust's Forked River Mountains Wilderness Area. Mandatory evacuations of homes were ordered and some commercial buildings were burned. Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley Billhimer, N.J. DEP Commissioner Shawn La Tourette and Ocean Township Chief of Police Michael Rogalski announced that on April 23rd, Joseph King, 19, of Ocean Twp. (Waretown) was charged with aggravated arson and arson in connection with the fire that started on April 22nd, and continued to spread throughout the southern Ocean County area. 

         

UPS: On the evening of April 28th, passing by West New York EMT's called in a working fire on Polk St. in a large three-story wood frame dwelling. An exterior fire had consumed the entire side of the home and into the attic. Quick thinking EMT's Carlos Cabanilla, Alexis Alexander, Jaynina Lyons and Rigoberto Estevez ran into the building and alerted and assisted over 15 occupants, and their pets, out to safety before the arrival of fire companies. They also evacuated an exposure building. 

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Ron JeffersNew Jersey Editor

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