At 09:56 hours the FD was toned out for a reported activated fire alarm at 401 West Madison Avenue coming from Apartment #4.  The location is a garden apartment style complex.  Chief Byrd arrived first on scene and was met by FF Stevens who was nearby when the call went out.  The owner of the complex reported the alarm to dispatch and told Chief Byrd that the occupant was most likely home.  Nothing was showing from the exterior of the building but as Chief Byrd attempted to make entry he noticed an odor of smoke coming from the apartment and the windows blackened up.  Chief Byrd and FF Stevens made entry to the apartment and were confronted with a heavy smoke condition banking down that appeared to be coming from the rear room.  Chief Byrd updated all in coming units that this was going to be a "working fire" and requested headquarters to fill out the alarm assignment.  Engine 4 arrived first due and was ordered to stretch a line into the fire apartment and conduct a primary search.  Engine 4's crew under the direction of FF Holtje located a male victim deceased in the hallway of the apartment.  Engine 4's crew also located heavy fire damage in the living room of the apartment that had burnt itself out upon arrival due to lack of oxygen.  Squad 1 arrived second due and secured a water source.  Engine 3's crew cut utilities to the apartment.  All other units stood fast as Engine 4 knocked down remaining hot spots and secured the scene for investigators.  The Bergen County Arson Squad (Prosecutor's Office) along with the Bergen County Sheriff (BCI Unit) and County Police with the Medical Examiner's unit responded and handled the investigation and removal of the remains.  Mutual Aid responding to the scene was Tower 2 from Tenafly as the FAST Truck, and Ladder 742 from Bergenfield (Covering Ladder Company).  Cresskill Engine 1 covered the East and New Milford Engine 32 covered the West.  Chief Byrd was command and the cause of the fire is still under investigation.

Thanks to Chris Denton of www.boxalarmproductions.com for his photos. 

The General Tones sounded reporting an odor of something burning at 3 Monroe Avenue.  Chief Byrd arrived on scene and assumed command.  D/C Banta arrived and went inside to investigate.  An odor of something burning was detected on the second floor as well as the wall being hot to the touch in a front bedroom.  First due Engine 4 came in to investigate further.  With the use of the thermal imaging camera a large amount of heat was detected in the first floor ceiling directly below the bedroom with the hot wall.  Engine 4's crew began opening up the ceiling and located fire running in the beams.  D/C Banta requested a line to be stretched to the first floor and an additional crew to open up the second floor bedroom.  Engine 4's crew began knocking down the fire with water cans.  Truck 2's crew began providing ventilation as Company 3's crew secured the utilities and assisted in opening up the second floor.  Squad 1's crew conducted a primary and secondary search of the home (negative).   The fire was knocked down quickly and the home was turned over to the residents.  The fire was caused by an electrical short. 

At 11:47 hours the tones sounding reporting a smoke condition in the basement of 150 Washington Avenue, Brielle's Boutique.  Car 212 (DC Banta) arrived and reported smoke showing from the rear of the building and confirmed a working fire in the basement of the one story commercial building.  Car 210 (Chief Byrd) arrived and requested the full working fire assignment bringing a FAST Team from Tenafly.  Truck 2 arrived and began opening up the structure.  Engine 4 arrived first due and stretched an attack line into the basement.  Engine 4 also secured their own water supply.  Engine 3's crew stretched a second line to the top of the basement stairs.  Engine 4's crew located the fire in a work shop room of the basement knocking it down quickly.  Squad 1's crew went to work assisting the Truck in opening  up the structure.  The basement had no windows and only one means of egress.  A hole was cut in the first floor to assist with venting the basement of the heavy smoke still present.  Special called to the scene on top of the working fire assignment was a Ladder 742 from Bergenfield and Rescue 746 from Bergenfield.  Crews opened up the basement fire room and checked for extension.  A Cresskill Engine stood by at Company 3 and a New Milford Engine stood by at Independent Hose to cover the borough.  All units were clear of the scene by 14:00 hours.  Chief of the Department Glenn Byrd was command.  Thank you to Brett Dzadik for his pictures.  Please click on the link below to see more of his pictures on his website!

The Dumont Fire Department was invited to participate in this years "Mychal Judge Walk of Remembrance" to mark the ten year anniversary of the passing of the FDNY Chaplain killed on 9/11. 

The reason Dumont was invited is because the town officials along with Chief Byrd and the members of Independent Hose Company decided to donate their 1984 Gruhman Engine 4 to Mutual Aid America's.  M/A America's is a non-profit organization started and ran by FDNY Battalion Chief Daniel Sheridan.  Their mission is to provide training, equipment and fire trucks to departments in Latin America and elsewhere around the building.  They want to bring up the level of firefighting in Latin America up to a US NFPA standard by providing quality used equipment and training.  For more information you can reach out to them via email at daniel@mutual-aid.org .

Engine 4 is going to take a special place in Mutual Aid America's.  Although it is now the first piece of apparatus they have received to donate, it is the first one being named after an FDNY Firefighter that was killed on 9/11.  BC Sheridan wants to name a donated truck after each one of the 343 brothers taken, and Engine 4 has been named "The Mychal Judge Truck" after the FDNY Chaplain who was officially recorded as the first death on September 11, 2001.

The members of DFD went to NYC on September 4th and celebrated a mass in Father Judge's honor at his Church.  Then followed the same route that Father Judge took on 9/11 from his Church to the site of the WTC.  Along the way, walkers stopped at various FDNY Firehouses and NYPD Precincts to say prayers and bless them.  Finally ending at ground zero where a plaque was dedicated in Father Judge's Honor. 

On Friday night, Independent Hose Company took delivery of their 2011 KME Engine.  Independent hosted an open house inviting the rest of the department, their families and various borough officials to their firehouse for the delivery.  Congratulations to Chief Byrd, Captain Gracey, Lieutenant Byrd and the rest of Independent on their new engine. 

On Monday morning the Dumont Fire Department payed tribute to all of our courageous Veterans.  Some of those honored never made it back from battle, others did permanently scarred and the remaining came home safe and sound tasked with the job of always showing their lost Veterans that they will never be forgotten.  The Fire Department gathered at the Dumont Borough Hall in front of the Firefighter's Memorial to honor our brother firefighters that are no longer with us.  From there the Department participated in Dumont's Memorial Day Parade, marching the route saluting our Veterans.  A special addition to this years parade was Hose Company 3's antique Engine 214.  For the last few years Firefighter's Jim Molinaro, Patrick Conner and Peter Daniele have worked day and night, through all four seasons bringing this piece of history back to working order.  It was great to see it in the parade driving the route with the town's current apparatus!

Thank you to Teaneck FD Lieutenant Wagner for the pictures!

Members of Independent Hose Company's truck committee will be making a trip on May 17 for the final inspection of Engine 4.  After that the truck may be arriving in Dumont as early as Friday May 20.

Shortly passed 20:30 hours the Rescue was requested by the River Edge FD to stand by at their Company 1.  Rescue 3 along with Chief Byrd (Car 210) responded and stood by for just under 2 hours.  River Edge units were battling a fire in the 400 block of Kinderkamack Road in a strip mall complex.  Rescue 3 along with apparatus from Maywood and Paramus provided the cover up. 

At 11:01 hours the DFD was toned out for a reported basement fire at 3 Teak Road.  Police units arriving on scene confirmed a fire in the basement.  Chief Byrd arrived on scene assuming command.  PD units on scene began knocking down the fire with a Dry Chem before the FD's arrival.  Engine 3 arrived first due and its crew knocked down remaining fire with a water can.  Engine 5 secured water supply.  Truck 2's crew arrived and began ventilating the structure.  The fire began when house hold cleaners and chemicals mixed and spontaneously combusted.  The smoke condition was mixed with a heavy chemical odor throughout the basement.  Once the fire was extinguished and the building ventilated the Truck Company applied absorb-all to the area of the basement that the chemicals spilled.  All other units stood fast until being released shortly after 11:30.  Remaining units cleared the scene by noon. 

Thank you to Bergenfield Firefighter Alex Kneisler for his pictures!!!

Update progress!