0b4ac4cc1adbf1e6f0709d81e789f683.jpg

CRANBURY: Fire department hosts open house

By Amy Batista, Special Writer
CRANBURY — The Fire Department hosted an Open House and invited children of all ages to participate as they promoted Fire Prevention Week on Oct. 11.
"Practice fire safety every day," said Cranbury Volunteer Fire Company Chief Michael Kervan.
Despite the rain, residents came out to support the event.
Since 1922, Fire Prevention Week has been observed the week of Oct. 9, according to the National Fire Protection Association website.
The message of this year’s week, working smoke alarms save lives, encourages children and adults alike to implement behaviors that prevent fires and strategies to use in the event of a fire.
The open house was held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 2 South Main Street during which apparatus where on display, safety literature, refreshments and giveaways were available for all.
Firefighters provided a tour of the firehouse, apparatus, and museum. Children and adults had the opportunity to climb in and out of apparatus and get a hands-on experience.
"This is all our firefighting equipment," said Firefighter Joe Buonavolonta, as he opened compartments on the trucks to show guests on the tour. "These are all our nozzles, axes, rescue bags, extinguishers, chainsaws, and generators."
Next, he pointed out to the pumps on the trucks.
"This is where we pump," he said. "This is our pump station for the truck."
Resident Ernie Cornell asked what the different colored hoses mean on the truck mean.
"Different size lines," said Firefighter Buonavolonta.
Mr. Cornell just recently moved to the area and brought his grandsons over to visit the firehouse.
"The boys wanted to come over and see it," he said. "It’s impressive to see that it’s an all volunteer organization and that it’s this sophisticated."
There’s a lot of pride, you can see that, he added.
Next, the group went across the parking to the firehouse museum where they were about to see and learned more about the old fire trucks and equipment from Firefighter Gregory DeAngelis.
"When I joined the company 20 years ago I was amazed at how much stuff was in the basement just kind of stacked away," said Firefighter DeAngelis.
He explained how the fighters back in the 1800s would notify the firemen in town there was fire by banging a sledge hammer on the steel rim (a railroad wheel) that is on display in front of the firehouse where the fires were.
They would run into the barn and would grab this (a hose jumper) and would drag it by hand to the fire, he said.
"The first firehouse was built in 1898 over on Maplewood Avenue," he said. "It cost $118 to build. This firehouse was built in 1922 then the new firehouse was built in 1994."
The museum upstairs featured handmade pipe poles made by a blacksmith in town which date back to the 1800s and handmade ladders, he said.
"The fire hydrant on the side came from the World Trade Center," he said, adding it weighs about 400 pounds.
When the fire company first started it did the first aid in town, he said, adding that was before they had the first aid squad until 1959 when the first aid squad started.
Zachary Duck, 8, and his brother Collin Duck, 5, of Hamilton enjoyed climbing in the new trucks.
According to the National Fire Protection Association, working smoke alarms give an early warning so residents can get outside quickly.
Smoke alarms should be installed inside every bedroom, outside each sleeping area and on every level.
They should be connected so when one sounds, they all sound. Most homes do not have this level of protection.
In addition, people who are hard of hearing or deaf can use special alarms. These alarms have strobe lights and bed shakers.
Roughly two out of three fire deaths happen in homes with no smoke alarms or where the alarms are not working, according to the website.
National Fire Prevention Week is the longest running public health and safety observance on record, according to the National Archives and Records Administration’s Library Information Center.
In addition, the department received a new truck, a new special services unit on Oct. 9.
"It’s a 2014 KME special services unit," Chief Kervan said. "It’s replacing a 1999 suburban, a 1985 ambulance, and a 1982 pumper. So we are replacing three trucks with one."
He said it is going to hold extrication, water rescue, ice rescue, rope rescue, hazardous materials, and water evacuation equipment.
"It will probably be in service by the beginning of Nov.," he said.
Some of the equipment was ordered and expected to arrive in Dec., he added.
It will hold five fighters.
"The town bought the truck and we’re supplying the equipment," he said, adding that he believed the bid came in around $392,000.
The firehouse was also open to recruit members.
The department has 38 members and junior firefighters can join at the age of 16.
For more information, visit their website at www.cranburyfire.org or call 609-395-0633.