The Bergenfield Fire Department responded to 33 So. Washington Ave. for multiple calls for smoke in the building today. Upon arrival, there was no smoke in the building, but there was an odor. The odor was a burnt bagel. Units picked up and returned to quarters.

At 0630 hrs, Rescue 746 was dispatched to a working fire in the City of Hackensack. The Rescue responded with Deputy 2 to 60 Johnson Avenue so that the cascade unit could be utilized. 746 filled 40 bottles for the HFD and was back in service in 2 hours.

Bergenfield Fire Chief Charles Hartung has stepped down as the task force leader for the Bergen Regional Special Operations team. James Kirsch of the Bergenfield Fire Department will move from Bergenfield team leader to the task force leader for the BRSO. Owen Rynn has been selected as the new team leader for Bergenfield. All of these moves are effective immediately.

On Saturday, March 11, 2006 several members attended a seminar at the Bergen County Fire Academy in Mahwah, NJ. The speaker for the seminar was Frank C. Montagna, a thirty-five year veteran of the New York City Fire Department who has served as an officer for the last twenty six years and as a Battalion Chief for the last seventeen years. He is currently assigned to the FDNY Bureau of Training where he develops training courses for FDNY’s firefighters, company officers and chiefs. He holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Fire Science and has taught firematics and management as an adjunct professor at John Jay College. Chief Montagna is currently training newly promoted chiefs in FDNY’s "Command Course" and has developed and taught the department’s new "Battalion Firefighter Training Course," developed the "Captain’s Development Course" and has taught FDNY and other fire departments’ instructors how to create and enhance "PowerPoint" presentations. He has created and maintains his own web site www.chiefmontagna.com   Chief Montagna covered responding to electrical emergencies, home heating emergencies, natural gas emergencies, water leaks and carbon monoxide emergencies. The seminar was very in depth, since in recent years the number of carbon monoxide calls that the department responds to has increased ten fold.  Chief Montagna will be giving this seminar again in May 2006. This is a good course for all firefighters, both career and volunteer.

At 1056 hrs, the Bergenfield Fire Department was dispatched to 48 E. Broad St for a report of smoke in the house. Acting Captain Ned Kneisler was first on scene and reported fire showing from multiple windows. He immediately requested a second alarm assignment and then requested a third alarm assignment and a FAST Team from the Tenafly Fire Department.

The fire building is an older home that was built with balloon frame construction so units were chasing the fire right off the bat. The home suffered major damage to multiple floors. The cause of the fire is still under investigation. There were no injuries to any firefighters or civilians.