Ridgewood NJ, perfect weather for opening day at Graydon Pool was dampened by incident in which a child was apparently seriously injured while swimming in the pool’s “shallow” area. Ridgewood Police, Ridgewood Fire, and Ridgewood Emergency Services personnel rushed to assist in the child’s safe removal from the pool and transfer to a waiting ambulance. A paramedic team from The Valley Hospital assisted Ridgewood EMTs. The victim was transported by ambulance to The Valley Hospital. The child’s guardians/parents were at the pool when the incident occurred.
photos courtesy of Ridgewood Professional Firefighters FMBA Local 47
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, the Northwest Bergen Mutual Aid Association presented the members of B Shift of the Ridgewood Fire Department with a Unit Citation for their actions at a fire in a mixed occupancy in the Ridgewood business district. An occupant of a third floor apartment was trapped by fire. FF Mike McLaughlin was additionally present with a Distinguished Service Award for entering the apartment from the bucket of the RFD tower ladder and rescuing the trapped individual.
Ridgewood NJ, Ridgewood Police, Ridgewood Fire Department, and Bergen County Hazmat personnel investigated a diesel fuel spill in the 300 block of Knollwood Road on Saturday morning. The spill was reported by a resident who was walking her dog in the area.
Ridgewood NJ, both drivers of two (2) SUVs that collided at the intersection of Linwood Avenue and Northern Parkway on Thursday afternoon, 05/20, were shaken up quite a bit, but declined ambulance transportation after being evaluated at the scene by Ridgewood EMTs, Ridgewood Police, Ridgewood Fire Department, and Ridgewood EMS responded to the incident. Both heavily damaged vehicles were towed away from the scene .
Ridgewood NJ, Ridgewood Fire Chief Van Goor divulged some interesting information to combat the rash of misinformation circulating in the mainstream and over social media about the per diem EMT issue . The Chief in an EMT FAQ rattled off a litany of Firefighter qualifications , who responds to emergency medical calls and yes, the modifications have already been tested in February 2021 when no per diem EMT’s were available .
Ridgewood NJ, The Village of Ridgewood, civilian per diem paid daytime EMS program has been in existence since the early 1990’s. This civilian per diem paid daytime EMS program supplements the 30 EMT Volunteers who respond to calls 7 PM to 6 AM, weekends and general alarms. In 2020, there were over 1300 EMS calls and 440 Emergency Services calls in the Village. The Volunteers donated over 18,000 hours, not including training.
Ridgewood NJ, at Wednesday Council meeting, Mayor Susan Knudsen read a written statement that, defending her position to reduce the role of emergency services and shift daytime emergency medical services coverage to the Ridgewood Fire Department. The latest budget calls for the addition of two more firefighters.
Paramus NJ, Ridgewood firefighters extricated the adult female driver of an SUV that crashed into a single family home in the 0-100 block of West Linwood Avenue, Paramus on Sunday afternoon, 05/02. A 911 caller who was unfamiliar with the area had reported the crash to Ridgewood Police, hence Ridgewood Police, Ridgewood Fire Department, and Ridgewood EMS units were the first to arrive at the scene. The victim was transported by a Ridgewood EMS ambulance to The Valley Hospital. A tow truck removed the heavily damaged vehicle from the scene. Damage to the structure required evaluation by a Borough of Paramus building inspector. Paramus Police , Paramus Fire Department, and the Paramus Rescue Squad also responded to the incident.
Ridgewood NJ, according to the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office Sharon Maes, 66, was found dead in the living room of her North Pleasant Avenue home,in Ridgewood. The fire started in the kitchen at around 1 a.m., but the cause remains under investigation. The prosecutor’s office stated fire does not appear to be suspicious.
Ridgewood NJ, Ridgewood Police units and Ridgewood Fire Department personnel were dispatched to assist the driver of a refrigerated box truck that became entangled in a communications cable serving a multi-use building located at 305 East Ridgewood Avenue on Friday morning, 04/23. No injuries were reported in the mishap and damage to the building and cable was very minor.
Ridgewood NJ, Firefighters from Ridgewood Police quickly knocked down a fire in a detached garage located in the 100 block of Avondale Road, Ridgewood, on Monday morning, 04/05. No injuries were reported in connection with the blaze, which severely damaged the structure and caused minor smoke damage to the adjacent single family home. Ridgewood Police and Ridgewood Emergency Services personnel assisted Ridgewood Fire Department at the scene.
Last night we learned of a plan to disband the Ridgewood per diem EMS program, a program which has served the Village for over 30 years, via Chief Van Goor’s budget proposal to the Council. This decision appears to be not just a budgetary measure, but a retaliatory attack against Ridgewood Emergency Services and its EMTs. We feel you should be fully informed of this matter, as this is not a decision which should be taken lightly. We want to make it very clear:
Ridgewood NJ, in regards to your post today about Ridgewood EMTs – this is an issue manufactured by the Fire Chief in a time that they have been responding to less and less fires. These issues started in 2019 when we made a presentation to Susan Knudsen, who saw the writing on the wall that the fire department is too expensive when compared to EMS. She is working to protect her son’s job on the fire department. A letter was sent to the Village Council the day after the Chief of Emergency Services was blindsided at the public budget meeting. This will not provide 100% coverage of EMS, as the Fire Department has provided no plan of who would respond to EMS calls in town or handle fire rehab if there is a working fire – the firefighters are still being assigned double-duty on fire apparatus and ambulances, which has already caused issues in the past. Also, this will not be cost savings as stated by the manager. All per diem EMT salaries combined are under $70,000 a year ($20.83 max pay per hour, not all employees at max × 13 hours a day × 5 days a week × 52 weeks a year) while the announced salary of the new firefighters would be $37,000 × 2, plus pensions, benefits, and training costs, with raises up to $110,000 a year each for these positions, making them the most expensive EMTs in the state – triple the average EMTs salary. I would be happy to provide a copy of the letter via email if you contact me with a good address to reach you.
Ridgewood NJ, Ridgewood Police, Ridgewood Fire Department, and Ridgewood EMS personnel responded to a single vehicle, Sunday afternoon, 02/28, crash at the underpass complex of NJ Transit’s Bergen/Main Line railroad. Both occupants of the crashed vehicle refused ambulance transportation to a local hospital. A flatbed tow truck removed the wreckage. Ridgewood Fire Department, personnel attended to a crash related fluid spill, and also secured loose wiring associated with a damaged street lamp. From the photos its does appear the car may have been going the wrong way. No word on what caused the crash, nor whether any summonses were issued in connection with the mishap.
Ridgewood NJ, a tree toppled by high winds Thursday morning on Knollwood Road. Several homes in the area are without power. Property damage appears to have been confined to one (1) automobile. Ridgewood Police , Fire and Emergency Services on location. No injuries reported. The power outage seemed to be interfering with several, residents remote work routines .
