2018 - PATERSON, NJ FD

Notable 2018 Incidents

Incident Number: begins with last two numbers of the year (i.e., 18 for 2018) followed by sequential numbers. For instance the third incident of the year 2018 would be # 180003

January 7, 2018: #180253 @ 1133 Hrs 178 Fulton Street 2nd Alarm Tour 3 Wood Frame

Jersey Firefighters Now Winter 2018

1st Responder News March 2018

Chris Tompkins photo

Bill Tompkins photo

January 17, 2018: #180527 @1119Hrs 571 East 25th Street 3rd Alarm
   Tour 1 2 1/2 story vacant wood frame
   First 3rd alarm for Chief Brian McDermott & first fire for new Ladder 1
   Video    Additional Photos

January 18 Herald courtesy Dennis Morrison

Upon arrival of the 1st due ladder, the captain reported a working fire, a large 3 story frame dwelling. Heavy fire was showing from the 2nd floor rear extending up and into the attic, as hand lines were stretched into the building the roof was opened and primary searches were conducted. A 2nd alarm was requested for manpower and as heavy fire started breaking through the roof, command ordered all co's out of the building and set up for a defensive attack, Ladders 1 & 3 put their elevated streams in service, E-1 used their deck gun and several 2-1/2" hand lines were also operated. A 3rd alarm was requested by Deputy Chief Henderson with all co's engaged, after approximately 1 hour, the main body of fire was knocked down and co's re-entered the building to perform overhaul. No injuries were reported and the fire was placed under control at 1321. An investigation into the cause of the fire was conducted by the on duty investigator along with the Passaic County Prosecutors Office. This was the 1st fire that L-1's brand new Pierce 95 ft tower ladder operated at.

Jersey Firefighters Now Winter 2018

Ladder 1 (Pierce) Peter Danzo Photo

Ladder 1 Peter Danzo Photo

Chief Brian McDermott & DC William Hendersen -- Peter Danzo Photo

Ladder 2 -- Peter Danzo Photo

Ladder 3 -- Peter Danzo Photo

November 2018 Cover

Photo Legend in Firehouse Magazine

January 22, 2018: #180623 @2207 Hrs 23-2 Alois Place Tour 2 Working 1 alarm fire
2.5 story apartment complex

First Responder News March 2018

First Responder News March 2018 - Chris Tompkins photo

January 27, 2018: #180702 @1836 Hrs 226 17th Avenue Working 1 alarm Tour 3

On the evening of January 27th, 2018 at just before 18:30 hours, Paterson NJ Fire Alarm started receiving calls for a possible building fire on 17th Ave. Battalion 1 quickly arrived and reported a working fire in a vacant 3 story wood frame building. Heavy fire was showing from the Bravo and Charlie sides of the building on the 2nd floor extending into the 3rd and heavy black smoke was pushing from the front 2nd floor windows and from the roof. Multiple hand lines were stretched into the building for a very aggressive offensive attack as the roof was opened for ventilation. and additional hand line was put in service protecting the Delta exposure. At 18:40 Deputy Chief Del Valle reported co's making good progress and at 19:05 reported all visible fire knocked down. The fire was placed under control at around 20:00 hours, 2 squatters who were in the building were transported to the hospital with non life threatening injuries and no firefighters were injured. The cause of the fire is unknown.

E 1 - Peter Danzo photo

Ladder 2 - Peter Danzo photo

DC Murray - Peter Danzo photo

Peter Danzo photo

L2 Tower - Peter Danzo photo

February 4, 2018: #180837 @ 0109Hrs 50 Clinton Street 3rd Alarm Tour 2
Multiple dwelling (arson)

First Responder News April 2018

Ladder 3 aerial - Bill Tompkins photo

February 5, 2018 #180871 @2333 Hrs 268 Main Street 5th alarm Tour 4
Video - Click here 2 1/2 story mixed occupancy Additional photo

L2 - Bill Tompkins photo

New L1 - Bill Tompkins photo

Chief Brian McDermott - first 5th alarm on his watch. Also BC A.J Ricciardi & DC Mike Fleming - Bill Tompkins photo

Spare L3 (on loan to Passaic) - Bill Tompkins photo

Engine 2 - Bill Tompkins photo

Photo by Tariq Zehawi/NorthJersey.com

Bill Tompkins Photo

February 7, 2018: #180903    @ 2059 Hrs 518 Summer Street 4th alarm    Tour 2
   Exposures 514, 516, 520 Summer Street    2.5 story wood frame
2 firefighter injuries Additional photos
   For video Click Here and scroll down

Bill Tompkins photo

Ladder 1 - Bill Tompkins photo

Engine 1 - Bill Tompkins photo

Engine 3 - Bill Tompkins photo

Chief Brian McDermott and Tour Commander DC Frank Calamita - Ron Bombaro photo

Engine 4 - Bill Tompkins photo

Engine 7 - Bill Tompkins photo

E1 Danzo photo

Danzo Photo

February 7 Herald courtesy Dennis Morrison

February 12, 2018: #181005 @ 1522 Hrs 39 Richmond Avenue 2nd Alarm Tour 3
2.5 story wood frame (dog rescue)

Ron Bombaro photo

TAP into Paterson News

E7 - Ron Bombaro photo

L2 - Ron Bombaro photo

Tour Commander William Henderson - Ron Bombaro photo

Rescue 2 - Ron Bombaro photo

Fire Scene - DC Hancock at rear center - Ron Bombaro photo

L1 - Ron Bombaro photo

February 16, 2018: #181082 @0521 Hrs 37 12th Avenue 3rd Alarm Tour 2
2-1/2 Story vacant wood frame with minor extension to D exposure Additional Photos Click

First Responder News April 2018

First Responder News April 2018 - Bill Tompkins Photo

Bill Tompkins Photo

February 19 Herald courtesy Dennis Morrison

March 23, 2018: #181755 @1709 Hrs 189 Lilly Street 2nd Alarm Tour 2 Multiple dwelling
March 28, 2018: #181835 @1504 Hrs 296 Union Avenue (at Ryerson Ave)
2nd Alarm Tour 3 3 story wood frame dwelling

April 14, 2018: # 182132 @1623 Hrs 470 River Street 3rd Alarm Tour 4
3 story wood frame

Chris Tompkins Photo

April 16, 2018: #182176 @1623 Hrs Temple (AKA lower Main Street) Street Bridge Tour 2

Herald courtesy Dennis Morrison

From northjersey.com April 18, 2018

April 21, 2018: #182229 @0439 Hrs 42 Hopper Street 3rd Alarm Tour 2
Extension to 40 Hopper street and #46 (siding) 2-1/2 story wood frame dwelling Additional Photos: CLICK HERE

Fire News - October 2018 Issue

Bill Tompkins photo

Chief of Department Brian McDermott - BTF Photo

E-One Spare 1 - Haledon Avenue - BTF photo

April 21, 2018: #182261 @2217 Hrs 26 Piercy Street (at Holsman Street)
2nd Alarm Tour 3 4 story vacant mill Additional photos: CLICK HERE

Bill Tompkins photo

April 22, 2018: #182265 @0007 Hrs 440 Union Avenue 2nd Alarm Tour 3
2-1/2 story Mixed-use occupancy Additional Photos: CLICK HERE

Chris Tompkins Photo

Chris Tompkins photo

Ladder 2 - BTF Photo

Ladder 3 - BTF Photo

April 24, 2018: #182319 @1111 Hrs Barbour's Pond on 25th Tour 2 Negative search

April 25, 2018: #182338 @0946 Hrs Body recovery Tour 3

Todd Hollritt photo

May 1, 2018: #182435 @1314 Hrs Passaic River body recovery Tour 1

The Record May 2, 2018

North Jersey News

Ron Bombaro photo

May 7, 2018: #182533 @0453 Hrs 20 Seeley Street One alarm Tour 2 Vacant 2-1/2 story wood frame Additional photos CLICK HERE

Bill Tompkins photo

Ladder 3 Pierce Arrow - Bill Tompkins photo

May 16, 2018: #182713 @0850 Hrs 85 Presidential Boulevard (2nd floor - Apt 2E)
2nd Alarm Tour 4 Apartment fire

May 18, 2018: 7:45 AM 64 Albion Avenue Dwelling

May 26, 2018: #182934 @1646 Hrs 56 North 5th Street 2nd Alarm Tour 2
2 1/2 story wood frame dwelling Addition Photos CLICK HERE

L2 and E2 Bill Tompkins photo

Bill Tompkins photo

E 7 Bill Tompkins photo

June 13, 2018: #183243 @1100 Hrs. 73 Mercer Street Working fire Tour 4

The Record

Battalion 3 with Ladder 3 in rear

Engine 5

Spare 1

Ladder 3

Tiller of Ladder 3 at left and Ladder 2 at right

Rescue 2 - L-R FF Martin Torres, FF Erik Diaz, FF Ryan Higgins, Captain Scott Parkin, B/C John Henz Batt. 3 and Rob Zeidler of R2

July 13, 2018: #183843 10:59 Hrs Mutual Aid Battalion 1 and Unit 57 with SCBA to Union City 5th alarm fatal fire

Ron Jeffers Photo

July 16, 2018: #183912 22:20 Hrs Mutual aide Passaic Engine 3 sent to Hope Ave FH & @ 22:30 sent with Unit 57 to fire scene at 72 Lexington Avenue 5th alarm Additional Photos

Unit 57 Bill Tompkins photo

Engine 3 Bill Tompkins photo

July 18, 2018: #183955 @1515 Hrs 406 Ellison Street
Minor extension to 402 Ellison (D exposure) 2nd Alarm 3 story wood frame dwelling

Bob Connell photo

Bombaro photo

August 12, 2018: #184471 @1150 Hrs Rescue 2 saves Passaic Falls dog Tour 4

Herald News

Paterson Rescue Co 2 Tour 4 Members - F/F Ryan Higgins, F/F Rob Zeidler, F/F Erik Diaz Paterson the dog, Captain Scott Parkin, F/F Mike Payne and F/F Dave Leporini

From NorthJersey.com: Firefighter rappels to base of roiling Great Falls, rescues stranded dog in Paterson

A firefighter rappelled down to the base of the Great Falls in Paterson on Sunday and, with the roiling brown water of the Passaic River rushing by, rescued a stranded dog that was trapped on a bushy ledge just feet from the water. Fire Captain Scott Parkin, a 25-year veteran and chief of Paterson's Rescue Company 2, managed to lure the dog toward him with some food and then got the dog into a large net-like bag, which other firefighters on a bridge high above the river pulled up. The Great Falls is nearly 80 feet tall. The dog was relatively unscathed, and was taken to the local animal shelter to be examined before being put up for adoption. The dog had a collar but no tag, and Mayor Andre Sayegh said he named the dog Paterson.

When Parkin first reached the skittish pit bull, it started to edge out on a thin ledge of rock jutting toward the water. “I was hoping he wasn’t going to get too skittish and go over the edge but he’s smart enough to know if he goes in the water he’s got no place to go,” Parkin said.
But Parkin, the owner of multiple dogs himself, lured the animal back toward him. “He seemed to settle in. I coaxed him over,” Parkin said. “He got right in the net for me, which I was surprised at. I was able to cinch the net up around him. He poked his head out at the last minute so I had to push him back in and recinch the net, but he was okay with it. I think dogs are a lot smarter than we give them credit for,” he said. “They know when we’re here to help and he knew it. He knew he was in trouble. I think he realized, this is it, I can’t go any further, so let me try this idea, and he came to me.“He seems like a good boy," Parkin said. "He wasn’t aggressive, just scared." Dogs, he said, “are the best - sometimes better than people.”

Parkin's father, Joseph Parkin, a longtime Paterson firefighter, had rescued two dogs at the Great Falls in 1976. “I got to repeat my father’s performance from 1976,” Parkin said. “That’s quite a family notch in our belt. I can’t wait to give him a call and tell him.” "Like father, like son," Sayegh said. "Rescuing dogs from the Falls runs in the family."

A woman had called Paterson animal control Sunday to report that a dog was stuck on an outcropping just a few feet above the Passaic River, said John DeCando, Paterson's longtime animal control officer. Otherwise officials never would have known. DeCando said there have been seven or so animal rescues over the past three decades — some dogs, and a few deer.

“These guys are phenomenal,” Parkin said of his crew. “We train for this all the time. I trust these guys with my life. I’d go off any structure at any height with the trust I have in these guys and the work they do." Firefighters originally planned to try and rescue the dog by boat. “But the water was just so fast today that it would have washed the boat to the side, so we took the more cautious approach,” McDermott said. Parkin, he said, “is the most experienced rescue captain we have.” "This rescue gives new meaning to the phrase 'Paterson's bravest,' " Sayegh said. "We commend Captain Parkin for his courage, and he has made Paterson proud."

Statement from Captain Parkin: "In our profession you often hear the phrase "I trust these guys with my life" but we rarely get opportunity to test that statement. I myself have said it many times. On August 12th, 2018 I was given the chance to back up these words. Without hesitation I stepped off the edge of a catwalk nearly 80 feet above the Great Falls in Paterson clipped only into a main line with a safety backup for the rescue and removal of a stranded dog below. That was the easy part. You only have one chance in situations like this to get it right. This high angle operation could have only took place because dedication, knowledge and countless hours of training endured over many years by the men of Paterson Rescue Co. 2. Their poise under pressure exemplifies the word professionalism. To say I am proud to be the Captain of this company and work with these men I not only call my friends but Brothers is an understatement. Thank you for keeping me safe and executing a successful rescue operation. You guys are awesome!!!!"

Animal Control Officer John DeCando

Mayor Sayegh and Captain Parkin

TV Interview with PFD

Bergen Ramapo Animal Rescue awards dinner May 2019

 August 18, 2018: #184575 @0813 Hrs Falls rescue Tour 2
FF Justin Angelica with rappelling equipment saved a man clinging to the rocks. Captain Frank Liscio, Rescue Co. 2, Engine 7 and Ladder 2.

PATERSON (from NorthJersey.com)— An unidentified man was rescued from the base of the city's historic Great Falls on Saturday after he fell attempting to retrieve his cell phone, authorities said. Onlookers near the base of the falls lined up on McBride Avenue to catch a glimpse as two dozen fire fighters, police and other first responders pulled the man, who police identified as a middle-aged

city resident, up a sheer concrete wall just before 9 a.m. Missing his shoes and wearing only one sock, the man had hung on to some rocks and vegetation at the base of the concrete wall for at least an hour, onlookers said. Jerry Speziale, Paterson police director, said the man told authorities he fell off the footbridge above the chasm of the falls while trying to grab a dropped cell phone. "The cell phone fell onto a small ledge in what is called the chasm. The man attempted to get his cell phone and fell over," Speziale said. "So, it's not someone with a mental illness."

Joseph Santiago, a local resident, said he was walking home from work at about 8 a.m. when he saw a few police cars arrive at the scene. Within minutes, he said, the area was swamped as authorities converged on the man's location near the fenced construction site that is Overlook Park. Fire officials had to cut a hole in a high chain-link fence near the output of the hydroelectric plant to extract the man at about 8:30 a.m. By that time, more than two dozen onlookers had arrived at the vantage point on McBride Avenue. Some stopped briefly while putting their hazards on mid-lane to a chorus of honks from trailing motorists. Others walked to the spot or were dropped off at the corner. Most were guessing how the man got there. I don't think he was fishing, the water's too rough," said Errol Johnson, one of the onlookers. "Maybe he slipped from someplace upstream. In any case, I think he wanted to be saved."
After the man was given a rope and life vest to provide more security, firefighter Justin Angelica donned his repelling gear to harness the man under the direction of fire Capt. Frank Liscio, Speziale said. Just before 9 a.m., first responders hauled both men up using a pulley system. When the men crested the concrete wall, an audible scream could be heard hundreds of feet away. The man was put on a stretcher and transported from the scene by ambulance minutes later. Speziale said the man was likely injured but was sent to nearby St. Joseph's Hospital as a precaution due to prolonged exposure to the rushing water. "A fall like that, I'm sure they're injuries to some extent. It's not life threatening," he added.

Prior to the rescue, some onlookers feared the man would lose his grip due to the rushing current and fatigue. "I'm still shocked that he made it to that wall without drowning," Santiago said. Tamiko Powell said she habitually wakes up early on Saturdays to stroll in the mist of the tranquil park. This Saturday, she woke up a little late and was confronted with more action than she expected. "I come here to find peace," she said after the rescue was complete. "I think I can do that now."

August 22, 2018: #184649 @0753 Hrs 229 Totowa Avenue Tour 2 Accident
Ron Bombaro photos

Ladder 2

Ladder 2 and EMS

Ambulance A96

Rescue 2

Engine 2 - ngine 2 - Captain Jorge Perez at left and FF Lamont Garnes at right - Tour 1

Ladder 2 and rescue 2 arriving

September 4, 2018 #184931 @0820 Hrs Tour 3

September 5 article

Captain AJ Woods R2 & Tour 3 crew

October 2, 2018: #185487 @0322 Hrs 757 East 27th Street 2nd alarm 2.5 Story Wood Frame Additional photos CLICK

October 3 Herald

Bill Tompkins photo

Ladder 1 - Bill Tompkins photo

October 7, 2018: Passaic River rescue (Presidential Blvd & Temple Street)

October 9 Record

October 16, 2018: #185773 @0710 Hrs 181 Pearl Street All Hands 2 1/2 Story wood frame Vacant - Minor extension to B exposure For additional photos CLICK