On the morning of April 30^th, a North Hudson firefighter and a dispatcher, both with over 30-years of experience, walked out of the 43^rd Street firehouse in Union City to begin their well deserved retirements. Most of Firefighter Ralph Albarran's career was spent with Squad Co. 1, located at this house.  Dispatcher Bill Miller worked on the second-floor of this firehouse in the radio room known as Fire Control.  

A large number of fire department members and dispatchers, active and retired, assembled in front of the firehouse, as the street was closed to traffic.  

Firefighter Ralph Albarran started his career with the former Union City Fire Department.  Dispatcher Miller started his career 36-years ago when North Hudson Fire Control was the dispatch center for the five separate departments that later merged into the regional department in 1999.  

Firefighter Albarran was a universal member who served on engines, squads and ladder companies.  Most of his career was spent with Squad Co. 1. For his later years on the job he was a “truckee” assigned to Ladder Co. 5 in North Bergen.  Moving on from Ladder 5's tractor drawn aerial ladder to a new rear mount apparatus, he immediately conformed to the new operations and did some great maneuvering with that rig at multiple-alarm fires.  

In addition, FF Albarran was one of the department members that was part of a committee involved with setting up the annual firefighter's and fire officer's Christmas parade along Bergenline av. from 79^th Street in North Bergen, through Guttenberg and West New York, and ending at 32^nd St. in Union City, before COVID.  

One of dispatcher Miller's most memorable incidents was working when Sully landed Flight 1549 into the Hudson River, off the Weehawken shore.  A full assignment was dispatched to the foot of Pershing Rd. North Hudson Marine 1 and FDNY Marine 1 Alpha were the first fire boats to arrive, along with several NY Waterway ferry boats.  

North Hudson firefighters, Weehawken and Port Authority police officers boarded the NY Waterway ferry “Henry Hudson” and assisted victims on the wings and in the water.  Sixty-one passengers were taken to the New Jersey side where many were comforted by local firefighters in a restaurant.  Firefighters offered their cell phones to victims to contact their loved ones.  Some injured passengers were transported to Palisades Medical Center along the North Bergen waterfront.  

When Miller was a new dispatcher, he operated in one radio room transmitting alarms to five separate departments with their individual procedures.  Before he retired, he saw those departments merge into one.  In addition, North Hudson is now the dispatch center for the New Jersey Regional Fireboat Task Force.    

Two long serving and dedicated public servants that have earned their retirement.