Ex-Chief Carmine Perrone passed away peacefully on February 21, 2010 in Pinehurst, North Carolina. Carmine was born on November 11, 1927 in New York City. He is survived by his wife of 64 years, Adelaide; daughter, Cathy; son, Dominick; grandchildren John, Jeffrey, Jennifer and five great-grandchildren. Carmine served in the US Navy during WWII.

 
Carmine was a dedicated volunteer fireman in the Borough of Bergenfield for 24 years and in 1979 he served as Chief of the Bergenfield Volunteer Fire department.  

The members of the BVFD would like to our condolences go out the Perrone family.

The Borough of Bergenfield, New Jersey has become one of the few municipalities in Bergen County, if not the State, to require the placarding of all single family dwellings that are constructed utilizing lightweight building materials.

In December, following in the foot steps of the River Edge Fire Department, Chief Robert E. Byrnes, Jr. made a presentation to the mayor and Council on the hazards of Lightweight and pre-engineered wood construction, the Mayor and Council moved quickly to introduce an ordinance.  This year, Chief Edward J. Kniesler, II and Deputy Chiefs Robert E. Byrnes, Sr. and James P. Lodato picked up where Chief Byrnes, Jr. had left off at the end of 2009.  Councilman and Fire Department Commissioner Thomas A. Lodato was instrumental in getting the ordinance introduced.

Ordinance #10-2427 was passed on February 16^th and will require all homes constructed with lightweight materials in the Borough to display a 4” x 4” reflective Maltese cross on the electrical meter pan.  The new requirement will also include all homes that were built prior to the enacting of the ordinance. 

The Maltese cross consists of the letters “LW” in the center for Lightweight.  If the structure has a lightweight roof, the letter “R” will appear in the right side of the cross.  Should the structure have both lightweight floor and roof system, then both letters will be present.

In addition to the placarding, all of the affected addresses are in the CAD system of our dispatch center.  Anyone requiring any additional information or are interested in obtaining a copy of the ordinance can call the Bergenfield Fire Department at 201.387.4000.

At their February company drill, members of Alert Fire Co. No. 1 took to the ice.  They drilled using the ice rescue system that we currently have on the ladder truck and rescue.

Check out the pictures that Alex Kneisler shot during the drill.

On Friday morning career firefighter Robert E. Byrnes, Jr. was on duty at Prospect firehouse when he overheard Bergenfield PD requesting medics and an AED on an expedite to Bergenfield High School. 

Without hesitation, Bob grabbed an AED off of Engine 745 and bolted across the street to the high school.  He made his way to second floor and found Bergenfield PD officers performing CPR on a 15 year old female.  Bob set-up the AED and administered one shock to the patient.  She immediately began to a normal heart rythum. 

Members of the Bergenfield Ambulance Corps. arrived and removed the patient to Holy Name Hospital in Teaneck.

The officers and members of the Bergenfield Fire Department would like to commend Robert E. Byrnes, Jr. for his quick action that saved the life of a young girl.

At 2154 hrs, Alert Fire Company was dispatched on a still alarm with a Mid-Bergen request for the ladder to respond into the Cit of Englewood on a cover assignment. The Englewood FD was working a 2^nd alarm fire on Tenafly Road.

 The ladder responded with a crew of 5 along with Chief Kneisler to Englewood Fire Headquarters.  They covered the city with engines from Fort Lee and Englewood Cliffs and took in no runs while there.  The Chief and ladder were back in the borough in just under an hour.

                                   Place:   Fire Company No.2

                                               8 home Place

                                               Bergenfield, NJ

                                   Date:    Sunday April 11, 2010

                                   Time:   8:30 am to 12:00 pm

                                   Adults / Children: $5.00

Your donation gets you all you can eat pancakes and sausage with you choice of coffee, tea, milk, chocolate milk, or orange juice.

See you all there.

A stormy, but quiet Saturday afternoon for the Bergenfield Volunteer Fire Department turned into an extremely busy Saturday night and Sunday. 

It all started shortly past 6:00 pm on Saturday night when Prospect Fire Co. No 1 was dispatched on a still alarm for reported wires arching across from 51 Spring Avenue. As Deputy Chief Lodato (DC2) arrived on scene Prospect was being toned out along with members of the Bergen Regional Special Operations (BRSO) team.  The RESCUE and BRSO were requested in Fort Lee for a building collapse with a possible victim trapped.  At the same time the desk informed DC 2 that they had trees and wires down and on fire on Graphic Blvd.  DC 2 requested a general alarm for that assignment. 

DC Lodato, Squad 732 with the trailer and the RESCUE under the command of Capt. Buehler and a crew of 5 responded to Fort Lee while Deputy Chief Byrnes, Sr. (DC1) and the remaining BVFD units handled many calls of wires down, wires on fire, trees on fire, trees into structures, gas leaks, flooded basements, and generator calls. 

Upon their arrival in Fort Lee, members went right to work.  BRSO Team Leader Jim Kirsch met with command and they made an assessment of what needed to be done.  The Fort Lee FD and many East Bergen towns were working to clear a stairwell of heavy concrete, bricks and granite that had fallen into it when the building was struck by a commercial vehicle.  Bergenfield members made their way to the parking garage where Fort Lee RESCUE had cut a large hole in the door that led from the parking garage to the street.  BRSO members Jim Kirsch and Charlie Hartung along with members of the Bergenfield and Fort Lee Rescue companues began working on getting through the large debris using Pak Hammers.  Once all the debris was cleared they were able to notify command that the stairwell was all clear.

Once all Bergenfield units were released from Fort Lee they returned back to Bergenfield and continued answer alarms through out the evening and all of Sunday.

Engine 743 under the command of Lt. Frino and a crew of 4 along with Deputy Chief Byrnes, Sr. responded to the quarters of Independent hose Co. to cover the borough while the Dumont FD was engaged in a working fire on Manhattan Terr.

While in Dumont they took in no runs and were back in the borough in under an hour.

The Bergenfield High School Renaissance Program and the Bergenfield Volunteer Fire Department present Ticket2Ride performing classic Beatles.

Friday April 16, 2010 @ 7:30pm Bergenfield High School

Contact: Joe Suarez: School phone 201-385-8600

Cost $10.00 general admission

e-mail jsuarez@bergenfield.org

Tickets can be purchased at the Bergenfield High School Main Office or by calling 201-385-8600

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Be_QC5EHzUw

At 1317 hrs., Alert Fire Company was dispatched on a single company assignment.  The ladder was requested to respond to the City of Englewood to cover while Englewood went to work at a fire in Tenafly.

The ladder under the command of Captain Lopez and a crew of three along with Chiefl Kniesler responded.  They took in no runs and were back in the borough by 1400 hrs.

Just after Bergenfield units were clearing the scene of a previous call at 30 W. Broad Street, Deputy Chief Byrnes, Sr. found water pouring out of the doors at 210 S. Washington Avenue, the former Fisher Chevrolet service shop. 

Deputy Chief’s Byrnes and Lodato entered the building and found a 25’ x 15’ hole in the roof and water pouring into the open hole.  Chief Kniesler arrived on scene and requested Bergenfield PD to respond. The Chiefs found used motor oil, transmission fluids and other motor vehicle chemicals flowing out in the water.

Alert Fire Co. was requested to the scene along with Bergen County Haz Mat and the DEP was contacted and responding.  A building rep was called and responded into the scene as well.  Engine 744 and the Bergen County Haz Mat reps went to check Coopers Pond as well for potential contamination, but all was clear.

Bergenfield units remained on scene for nearly two hours before being released. Bergen County Haz Mat was to remain on scene for several more hours while DEP cleaned up the entire spill.