Category Archives: Prevention
WFD Open House
On Wednesday, October 12th, the Woodbridge Fire Department and Fire Prevention Bureau hosted their annual open house, welcoming the public to Woodbridge Fire Headquarters located on School Street for a night of fun, food, and fire safety education. Members of the Department, along with some of the most recent graduates of the Woodbridge Junior Fire Academy, displayed the dangers of and techniques to extinguish cooking fires, performed a live motor vehicle extrication drill, held hose lines with children in attendance that wanted to flow water from a real fire hose, handed out fire safety information on a wide variety of topics like carbon monoxide detectors and Halloween safety, and attendees were able to enjoy complimentary hot dogs and Italian ice along with receiving balloon art and airbrush tattoos. The night wrapped up with a magic show full of fun illusions and lessons on how to be fire safe. This is a night that the Department looks forward to each year, most notably by the Fire Official, Captain Robert Fizer.
“Fire Prevention Open House is one of the most important events that we get to put together. It brings to light all of the most current and vital fire safety and prevention methods to date and allows the public to interact with our members on a more personal level,” says Fizer. “Community outreach is always a priority for us here at Station #1, but being able to educate the public on how to prevent fires as much as possible or safely escape them when they occur is paramount.”
Commissioner Jeff Moran agrees. “We’re here to serve the residents of Fire District #1, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. That doesn’t only mean during emergencies. Ideally, we would like to help prevent fire emergencies from happening and performing Fire Prevention Week shows at the district’s childcare facilities and schools as well as events like Open House are a perfect opportunity to do so.”
The Woodbridge Fire Department would like to extend a heartfelt “thank you” to all that attended and helped making this year’s Open House a success and look forward to seeing everyone again at next year’s event!
WFD 2022 Open House
Woodbridge Fire Department POAC Walk
‘I realize that in an emergency, everyone will react differently, but an individual with special needs may react in a way that some may not expect at all,’ Fizer said. ‘As fire, police, and EMS personnel, we always try our best to expect the unexpected in any situation. These stickers are just an extra step for first responders to better understand the scene and to be able to more effectively execute their response.’
Chief John Golden agrees and is outspoken in his support of this new program. ‘The Administration at Woodbridge Fire commends Fire Official Fizer for addressing this and for taking the initiative to further connect the Woodbridge Fire Department to its community. With every positive step taken by our members, we expand our unity with and ability to protect the residents of Fire District #1.’
While they state that it is always an honor being asked to participate in the multitude of events they are involved in throughout the year, this event is particularly close to home for Woodbridge Fire. Deputy Chief Robert Paul is an active member not just of the Department, but in the community as well as the POAC Walk. His son Ryan has autism and he knows first-hand just how important these types of programs can be. “Captain Fizer’s initiative to further protect children with special needs in town is incredibly important and deserves every ounce of gratitude and appreciation it has received not just from myself and my family, but from the community as a whole. It’s an added measure taken to ensure crews know what to possibly expect when they arrive on scene.’”
IMPORTANT LIFE SAFETY NOTICE TO HOMEOWNERS…
“With the tragic recent events that have unfolded in both New York and Philadelphia, the New Jersey State Fire Marshal’s office has issued safety tips on fire prevention and actions to take should a fire occur to increase the chances of saving your homes and families. As always, ensuring you have functional and reliable smoke detectors in every bedroom, outside of each separate sleeping area, and on each level of your home including your basement is paramount. If your smoke detectors use batteries, it is recommended to change the batteries every six (6) months (an easy way to remember this is to change the batteries when you change your clocks to observe Daylight Savings Time) and if you have sealed units, to replace the entire smoke detector after no more than ten (10) years. If your smoke detector is chirping abnormally and changing the batteries (in unsealed units) does not resolve the issue, replace the entire smoke detector completely. It’s imperative to have a home escape plan to ensure that all occupants of the home know where to meet in a safe and distanced location from the home should a fire occur. This helps with accounting for everyone that may be in the structure and will aid firefighting personnel in knowing if anyone has not evacuated. Should space heaters or any other heating equipment/appliances be needed during winter months, it’s important to ensure at least a three (3) foot clearance from any combustible or flammable materials and objects. Finally, it is best practice to start closing interior doors within the home before retiring for the evening. Doing so actually helps to keep toxic smoke from entering these rooms, can delay or completely keep out fire from spreading into these rooms, maintains more oxygen to breathe within that area, and can actually hold back heat from the fire keeping the temperature of the room under 100°F! Should a fire occur, closing doors behind you as you exit the building can aid in slowing the fire spread as well.
There is more useful and important information located in the publication from the Division of Fire Safety (DFS) through the Department of Community Affairs (DCA) in the link below. Please review this information and enact the recommendations from the DFS in your homes to expand your fire safety knowledge, awareness, and preparedness while also keeping your families as safe as possible!”
https://www.nj.gov/dca/news/news/2021/approved/20220112.shtml
Woodbridge township holiday stroll and light parade
On Saturday, November 27th, members from the Woodbridge Fire Department and Fire Prevention Bureau participated in the 14th annual Woodbridge Township Holiday Stroll and Light Parade. This year, members set up and monitored fire pits while they handed out marshmallows for attendees to roast while enjoying the festivities. After the Holiday Stroll, a decorated and festive Engine 1 took part in the Light Parade that started on Main Street in downtown Woodbridge and traveled throughout the entire township to spread holiday cheer to all Woodbridge Township residents. On behalf of the Woodbridge Fire Department, we wish everyone a happy, healthy, and safe holiday season!
Holiday stroll fire pits 
Engine 1 lights parade
Woodbridge Junior Fire Academy
Woodbridge Junior Fire Academy recruits learning how to care for a choking patient. Students also learned about the use of AED’s (Automated external defibrillator)
Woodbridge Junior Fire Academy recruits learning how to establish a water supply from a fire hydrant.