Tag: Ridgewood Firefighters

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Ridgewood Firefighters Sue fire truck, siren makers over ‘irreversible’ hearing loss

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N.J. firefighters suing fire truck, siren makers over ‘irreversible’ hearing loss

By Craig McCarthy | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
on December 08, 2015 at 8:47 AM, updated December 08, 2015 at 5:00 PM

Bayonne Fire Department fire truck leaves the firehouse on Avenue C by City Hall.Jersey Journal file photo

More than two dozen New Jersey firefighters are suing five fire truck manufacturers and a siren maker alleging the noise from the emergency vehicles’ sirens have lead to an “irreversible” loss of hearing.

The lawsuit was removed from state Superior Court and filed in federal court in Newark on Dec. 4 on behalf of 34 current or former firefighters in Elizabeth, Linden, Bayonne, Union, Ridgewood, Kearny, Cranford and West New York. The suit names American LaFrance LLC, Kovatch Mobile Equipments Corp., Mack Trucks Inc., Pierce Manufacturing Inc. and Seagrave Fire Apparatus LLC, as well as the siren maker Federal Signal Corp.

The lawsuit alleges the firefighters, who were each employed by the departments for decades, “have suffered irreversible hearing loss and a permanent decrease of their hearing” making them unable “to enjoy life’s pleasures.”

https://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2015/12/nj_firefighters_suing_fire_truck_siren_make_over_h.html

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Ridgewood firefighters Respond to a Sunday Morning kitchen fire in the Village

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July 6,2015
the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, Ridgewood firefighters responded to a two-alarm fire in the village late Sunday morning, and quickly extinguished the blaze.

No injuries were reported but there was some damage to the home owners kitchen .

According to the Ridgewood News ,”Ridgewood Fire department was on the scene at the Beveridge Road residence at 11:22 a.m., said Ridgewood Fire Department Capt. Scott Schmidt.The kitchen “cooking” fire damaged several appliances and cabinetry, he said. But it was contained to that room and didn’t spread to the rest of the home, Schmidt said, so the house is habitable”.https://www.northjersey.com/news/ridgewood-firefighters-put-out-two-alarm-blaze-1.1368988

Again from the Ridgewood News ,”Firefighters had the fire under control very quickly, and were done at the scene shortly after noon, Schmidt said.
An ambulance squad looked at the homeowner for smoke inhalation but she declined medical attention, he said. There were no firefighter injuries.https://www.northjersey.com/news/ridgewood-firefighters-put-out-two-alarm-blaze-1.1368988

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Ridgewood firefighters set to compete in World Police and Fire Games

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file photo by Boyd Loving

JUNE 24, 2015, 3:46 PM    LAST UPDATED: WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24, 2015, 5:33 PM
BY STEFANIE DAZIO
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD

Forget chasing fires. Three Ridgewood firefighters will be chasing gold medals at the World Police and Fire Games for the next week.

Capt. Chris DuFlocq, Lt. Brendan Corcoran and Fireman Brian Peacock are among the 12,000 international athletes — all police officers and career firefighters from 70 countries — competing in the Olympics-style games in Fairfax County, Va., that begin Friday and run through July 5.

DuFlocq, a 56-year-old Midland Park resident, placed an ad in a union magazine in 2011 to pull together a soccer team. Firefighters and cops from all over the state responded. “It was more successful that I thought it would be,” he said.

The team — dubbed “N.J. Guns and Hoses” — went on to win national gold medals in 2013 and 2014. More than a dozen players practice once or twice a week and they play in tournaments throughout the year.

“We’ve got national, now we want to see if we can compete with the world,” DuFlocq said. “It’s going to be a struggle. It’s going to be some tough games.”

Corcoran, 37, of Ridgewood said he has already broken two world records. He has smashed the Guinness World Records for one-mile and half-marathon runs in full firefighter gear but he is waiting for it to be made official. He ran in 25 pounds of gear to raise awareness for firefighter fitness, as well as raise money for Code 3 for a Cure Foundation, a national non-profit charity that supports firefighters with cancer.

 

https://www.northjersey.com/news/ridgewood-firefighters-set-to-compete-in-world-police-and-fire-games-1.1362096

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Ridgewood firefighters cook up camaraderie

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file photo of Ridgewood Fire department in action Boyd Loving

Ridgewood firefighters cook up camaraderie

AUGUST 19, 2014    LAST UPDATED: TUESDAY, AUGUST 19, 2014, 10:43 AM
BY JODI WEINBERGER
STAFF WRITER

Firefighters are notoriously resistant to change, according to Ridgewood Fire Capt. Christopher DuFlocq.

He gives a few historical anecdotes to back up that claim: “The horses don’t know where they’re going,” the men protested when animals were brought in to replace carrying gear on foot.

It was another battle when automobiles took over. “We can depend on the horses to start up every time,” they balked.

Now younger generations of firefighters are attempting to cross another frontier of doubt with the older crowd: healthier food for dinner. Yet somewhat surprisingly, most say the shift is easier to swallow.

“I eat dinner here that I normally wouldn’t eat at home,” admits DuFlocq, a 28-year career firefighter. “They’re always trying something new and most of the time I like it.”

He gives examples, “turkey burgers, different kinds of rice…”

From the kitchen of the East Glen Avenue firehouse, Firefighter Tom Shortway rolls his eyes. They can’t tell the difference, he insists, on whether beef or the lower-fat turkey goes into the meatloaf that he makes.

– See more at: https://www.northjersey.com/news/ridgewood-firefighters-cook-up-camaraderie-1.1069497#sthash.8FtDo2Px.dpuf

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Ridgewood firefighters work to free hydrants from deep, hard packed snow

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Photo credit: Boyd A. Loving
Ridgewood firefighters work to free hydrants from deep, hard packed snow
Febuary 15th 2014
Boyd A. Loving
1:29 PM

Ridgewood NJ, Fire departments throughout Bergen County have dispatched firefighters with shovels to free fire hydrants from the mounds of deep, hard packed snow created when snowplows cleared main road and side streets.  Here, a team of Ridgewood firefighters assigned to Engine Company #35 free up a hydrant located near the corner of Spring Avenue and Hope Street at the start of Saturday’s snow storm.

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Photo credit: Boyd A. Loving

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Ridgewood crash pushes Audi into snowbank; driver freed by firefighters

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Photo credit: Boyd A. Loving
Ridgewood crash pushes Audi into snowbank; driver freed by firefighters
Boyd A. Loving
February 14,2014
3:24 PM

Ridgewood NJ, Ridgewood firefighters required shovels to free the driver of an Audi sedan who was trapped inside of her vehicle after it was broadsided by a BMW SUV on Friday afternoon, and pushed into a snowbank.  The accident occurred at approximately 2:20 PM in front of 81 North Maple Avenue, Ridgewood.  No one was injured in the collision, but the Audi and BMW both sustained major damage and were removed by separate tow trucks.  One summons was issued to the BMW’s driver in connection with the crash.  The BMW was exiting the King’s Shopping Plaza and collided with the Audi, which was traveling northbound on North Maple Avenue.

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Photo credit: Boyd A. Loving

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