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Richard Burke Loved Being a Firefighter

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October 13, 2021 | 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.

As a youngster, former Ridgefield Park mayor and fire commissioner George Fosdick remembered Rich Burke chasing fire engines in the village. He always wanted to be a firefighter.

Firefighter Burke, 65, passed away on October 5th. He served the Village of Ridgefield Park as a volunteer firefighter for some 45-years. He was also a career member with the bordering Teaneck Fire Department for 30-years. He retired less than two-years ago.

As a volunteer, he was assigned to Engine Co. 4. He served as an officer and helped design the company's latest apparatus.

The fire service was in his blood. In younger days, he could be found “buffing” fires in the Bergen and Hudson county towns. He was described by fellow members as a “firemen's fireman.”

“You made a difference to those that you served within both Ridgefield Park and Teaneck,” said Charles Lind, Jr., President of the New Jersey Deputy & Battalion Fire Chiefs Association.

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RON JEFFERSNew Jersey Editor

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