Longtime volunteer looks back on more than 60 years in fire service

Laurence Harbor Fire Chief Brian Stitzel would like to highlight this local young man and woman who volunteer their time: 

Laurence Harbor Fire Department (LHFD) is thrilled to announce that it has kicked off 2023 by promoting firefighter Christopher Buffi to 2nd Lieutenant. “We are very excited to promote Chris,” said LHFD Chief Brian Stitzel. “He is highly qualified for this role and we have all the confidence in his skills and leadership abilities.”

Looking for a New Year’s resolution that will give you the opportunity to not only change your life, but make a positive impact in the lives of others? Consider volunteering with LHFD, like Kyle Fisher and Nick DiGrigorio, who both embody LHFD’s slogan, “Don’t Wait for a Hero. Be One.”

Happy Veterans Day! Today, we say thank you to all who served in the US military, including one of our own, Bill Reid!

Laurence Harbor Fire Department Volunteers Prepared for Unique Summer Challenges While residents of Laurence Harbor and other nearby towns enjoy the community’s beach in the summer months, the fun and excitement of summertime comes with certain risk factors, and therefore a variety of fire and rescue calls for the Laurence Harbor Fire Department. Members of Laurence Harbor — made up of all volunteers — must be capable of both water rescue missions and fire suppression if and when a call comes in. “As a department, we face interesting challenges geographically,” Chief Brian Stitzel said. “We’re in close proximity to major cities, popular shore towns and of course our own beach community, so we see a variety of water emergencies.” Rescue and fire suppression drills are held annually, typically early in the summer. The drills are to help ensure that the department as a whole is prepared for any calls that come in from the shore. Laurence Harbor members will change into a water suit on the way to the call and are ready to jump onto a rescue boat and dive into the water if necessary. Members need to be capable of running hoses down from the fire engines on land to the docks to put out the boat fire, as well as able to run the fire pump. Navigating Rescues by Boat Besides the water rescue and fire suppression training, some members need to be trained to operate the actual rescue vehicles. Laurence Harbor has two boats – Marine 1, which is a 23-foot center console boat used for water rescue and fire suppression, and Marine 2, a 16-foot AB boat used for water rescue only. The department as a whole must be fully prepared for calls that come in from the shore, which means that a certain percentage of members need to be qualified and ready for each task. “It’s a totally different aspect of fire service,” Stitzel said. “There’s various weather factors to worry about.” The weather — hot, cold, windy — and water conditions such as current and water temperature can all effect navigation during rescues. Other factors of a rescue or fire suppression are the amount of people who need to be rescued as well as the other boats that may be nearby. The department recently received a call for a boat taking on water — the boat was having engine difficulties — 10 people were on a boat regulated for no more than five people. The call came in at night, which affected the ability to see while navigating to the boat. Fortunately, with the help of other nearby teams in the surrounding area, everybody was brought to safety and there were no injuries or casualties. Fighting Forest Fires Another unique aspect of being a Laurence Harbor firefighter is fighting forest fires. Unlike water rescues, forest fires are most prevalent in the spring and the fall, though Stitzel said this summer has been an exception because of a lack of rain. The New Jersey Forest Fire Service holds a hands-on training course every year for new firefighters that is dedicated to preventing a brush or forest fire from expanding. Firefighters are trained on how to eliminate any potential items that would fuel a fire, such as dead leaves, pine needles, grass clippings or branches. These items are all forest fuels and result in a bigger, stronger fire. There’s also a course dedicated to providing structural protection to buildings or homes that are in the vicinity of an active wildfire. Situational Awareness Saves Lives The general public can help out by always being aware of their surroundings. Stitzel says that those who own boats should have the knowledge and ability to operate their boat, and also pay attention to regulations (such as weight limit or boat capacity). “Always be aware of your surroundings and be careful. Don’t operate a boat unless you are trained to do so,” said Stitzel. And when it comes to fireworks, the chief says to leave it to the professionals. There are plenty of great firework displays in the area throughout the summer. The department received a call on the Fourth of July; sparks from illegal fireworks caught brush behind somebody’s home and caught a large amount of dead leaves that were dumped. Fortunately, no houses caught fire, but it very well could have been worse. “Dropping grass clippings, leaves and branches in your backyard is stacking additional fuel. If there’s a fire, there is more of a chance that it will get bigger and expand,” Stitzel explained. A Call for Volunteers Laurence Harbor Fire Department is seeking motivated individuals to join as volunteer firefighters. Volunteers can expect to participate in training sessions and contribute to administrative duties across the department. Visit www.lhfd1.com- to learn more and complete an inquiry form . “We offer the best training for any emergency, and we look forward to welcoming new volunteers to the department,” Stitzel said.

Drill nights bring the volunteer firefighters of Laurence Harbor Fire Department together for training and refresher courses. The group will practice their craft and discuss what to do in specific scenarios, all with the goal of becoming proficient and prepared for any situation that arises. Laurence Harbor held a mandatory Self Contained Breather Apparatus (SCBA) refresher training in March. They simulated Firefighter Assist and Search Team (FAST) and Rapid Intervention Team (RIT) drills. All volunteers had their face masks blacked out with wax paper to simulate the vision struggles of an actual fire call. The drills require the volunteer firefighters to get to a “downed firefighter” (a dummy), hook up a breathing apparatus, and drag them out to safety. “When we have a confirmed structure fire, we call for a RIT or a FAST team to be on standby outside the building in case one of our firefighters gets hurt or can’t get out,” Laurence Harbor Fire Chief Brian Stitzel said. Stitzel and his training officer, Bill Naused, explained the task at hand to his team. Officer Naused conducted a walkthrough on how to use the necessary equipment. Stitzel reminded his team to use search ropes inside the building and tie relay knots approximately every 20 feet. “We get a game plan together, explain to all the members what we’re doing, what our tasks are, and what’s expected,” said Stitzel. While a drill will never fully prepare firefighters for actual fire and real-life scenarios, it’s vital to be prepared for every possible scenario, and that proficiency comes through practice. “Let’s hope we never have to, but it’s something you need to get familiar with,” Stitzel explained to his team shortly before the drills began. “It’s not a race. Let’s do it right and do it safely.” Volunteer and Laurence Harbor Engineer Justin Mui echoed Stitzel’s sentiment, noting training and refresher courses are highly necessary, but nothing will fully replicate experiencing the unknown of an actual fire situation. “You won’t know the layout of the building or how many victims are inside,” Mui said. “Always expect the unexpected.” One of the focuses of this particular drill for Stitzel and his officers was how his team hooked up the breathing apparatus with their thick, heavy gloves. “What we noticed over time is that the guys have a hard time performing tasks with their gloves on, so we’ll have them do drills in practice,” Stitzel said. We wanted to get the guys to a ‘downed’ firefighter and practice hooking up that extra air bottle with their gloves on.” Chief Stitzel and officers will discuss aspects of the training that went well and build a plan to address areas that need improvement in future training sessions. Drills nights such as the SCBA refresher usually take place once a month on Tuesdays, which is Laurence Harbor’s firehouse night. Past action drills have included live burning and water rescue training. Firehouse nights usually consist of meetings, firehouse maintenance, or a tabletop discussion on how to respond in a specific scenario. Through firehouse nights, the volunteers establish more than just proficiency in firefighting skills and knowledge — they develop teamwork and camaraderie. Tim Moley has been with the department for seven months. He says that he’s settled in well and that his fellow volunteer firefighters feel like family. “Being a volunteer firefighter has been a pretty good experience so far,” Moley said. “It’s made me a better person and helped expand my skillset.” Also in attendance was retired former Laurence Harbor Chief Lee Wurst, who often stops by training sessions to give the young firefighters some advice and catch up with his longtime firefighting family. “I’m just here to watch and help the young volunteers,” he explained. “I served with some of the older guys as well as some of the younger guys’ fathers.” After the March training session concluded, the volunteers went back to the firehouse and enjoyed light-hearted conversation and laughter over pizza. Many of the volunteers worked their full-time job earlier that day and the following day, but still found some time to bond before heading home for the night. “We’re very big on camaraderie at the firehouse,” Stitzel said. “This is our second family.” About Laurence Harbor Fire Department Laurence Harbor Fire Department is seeking motivated individuals to join as volunteer firefighters. Volunteers can expect to participate in training sessions and contribute to administrative duties across the department. Visit lhfd1.com to learn more and complete an inquiry form.

Laurence Harbor Fire Company is ringing in Fire Prevention Week by teaming up with the National Fire Protection Association® (NFPA®) — the official sponsor of Fire Prevention Week for more than 90 years —to promote this year’s Fire Prevention Week campaign, “Learn the Sounds of Fire Safety!” from Oct. 3-9. According to the NFPA, fire and Carbon Monoxide alarms save lives and reduce the risks of fatality in a home fire by half. All alarms should be installed and maintained properly in every home, and should reflect the needs of everyone in the home, including those with disabilities. “Taking a few minutes to ensure all alarms are functioning properly can be the difference between a safe escape from a fire, and a tragedy,” said Chief Brian Stitzel. “Fire safety is an important lesson to learn, and it starts at home.” Laurence Harbor Fire Company encourages community members to adopt this year’s Fire Prevention Week theme, and wants to share safety tips to help you and your family “Learn the Sounds of Fire Safety” A continuous set of three loud beeps—beep, beep, beep—means smoke or fire. Get out, call 9-1-1, and stay out. A single chirp every 30 or 60 seconds means the battery is low and must be changed. All smoke alarms must be replaced after 10 years. Chirping that continues after the battery has been replaced means the alarm is at the end of its life and the unit must be replaced. Make sure your smoke and CO alarms meet the needs of all your family members, including those with sensory or physical disabilities. If fire safety and giving back to the community sounds interesting, consider volunteering with Laurence Harbor Fire Company as a volunteer firefighter. “Our fire company welcomes anyone who is looking to make a difference in someone’s life,” said Stitzel. “You’ll learn life-saving skills and receive high-quality training that applies to any situation that may arise.” To learn more about Laurence Harbor Fire Company and becoming a volunteer, visit LHFD1.com to fill out an inquiry form.