At 0935Hrs EBFD#1 was dispatched in the area of Old Stage Rd. & New Brunswick Ave. for a possible house fire.  Asst. Chief Twomey (750) arrived to find a single story house with a fire in the attached garage.   E707 (Casterline) arrived first and went in service with an 1 3/4" hand line.  E701 (Droz) arrived shortly after, securing a water supply for E707 and pulling a second 1 3/4" hand line.After confirming a working fire Chief Twomey requested a R.I.T. Team from the Spotswood Fire Dept. bringing E71-4 (Drako) to the scene.. The fire was quickly knocked and overhauled with no extension to the interior of the home.  Other units on scene  included E706, R704, Car 780 and Chief 71.  Units operated for just under an hour before turning the scene over to District # 1 Fire Prevention.   

Approximately 1620Hrs, EBFD#1 was dispatched to the area of Old Stage Rd. & Helmetta Blvd for an MVA with entrapment.  Asst. Chief Twomey (750) arrived on Helmetta Blvd to find a single vehicle off the roadway.  Spotswood EMS was already on scene removing one patient and confirming there was another entrapped.  R704 (Bassano) was given the update and upon arrival placed its Hurst rescue tools in service.  E706 (Droz) arrived and assisted with the extrication as well as remove several small trees that were blocking access to the car from the roadway.   Once the extrication was complete including a full roof removal the patient was transported to Robert Wood Johnson hospital by Spotswood EMS & RWJUH MICU.  Units operated on scene just over 30 minutes before clearing.

The members of EBFD#1 would like to thank everyone that came out for a successful comedy show put on by the Laughter Saves Lives foundation.  The night was a great success and everyone had a great time.  Donations can still be made to help Tommie by sending checks to the

Tommie Lukowski Fund

5 Pine Street, East Brunsick, NJ 08816

Approximately 1345Hrs EBFD#1 was dispatched for an activated fire alarm on Elkins rd. in Dist 2's area.  Safety Officer Hoover (780) determined the cause of the alarm to be from large amounts of smoke blowing into the building from a truck fire on the turnpike where Dist. 2 was operating.  While returning from the alarm E707 (Bassano) was requested to the scene of the NJTP.  Upon arrival E707 was utilized as water supply as well as assisting with fire suppression.  The fire was a result of a collision between a tractor trailer and dump truck.  The crew from E707 remained on scene to assist with overhaul and was later utilized for the use of its hydraulic rescue tools in order to remove part of the truck.  The engine crew operated for just over 3 hours before being released by command.

A Comedy Fundraiser to benefit East Brunswick Firefighter Tommie Lukowski. Tommie is a 22 Year old Fire Fighter with Cancer and has mounted a considerable amount of medical bills. Please join us for this great show in East Brunswick New Jersey. Starring Rescue Me's Adam Ferrara, hosted by John Larocchia with other special guests. It's going to be a great night of comedy and special surprises. Sponsors are needed, please contact me for info. Thanks to D. Ruocco Jewelers you'll even be able to sell your gold and silver right at the show and get cash! THIS WILL SELL OUT! GET YOUR TICKETS EARLY BY VISITING THEIR WEBSITE. http://laughtersaveslives.org/

On January 15, EBFD1 was dispatched to Huron Court for a possible structure fire.  Assistant Chief Twomey arrived and confirmed he had a fire in the garage area of the structure.  Engine 707 arrived and deployed a primary line shortly followed by Enginge 706 who deployed a secondary line.  Truck 709 arrived and assisted with quickly knocking down the fire. The fire was quickly knocked down and contained to the garage area.

After 52 years of service to East Brunswick Fire District 1 Old Bridge Volunteer Fire Company, Ex-Chief and Senior Life Member was laid to rest today. AGE: 80 • East Brunswick Francis G. Zeller, died Wednesday, November 30, 2011, at Brethren Village in Lancaster, PA. He was 80. Born in Brooklyn, NY, he resided there before moving to East Brunswick in 1954. Prior to retiring in 1990, he was a maintenance foreman for Kimberly Clark Company, Spotswood, where he worked for 35 years. A Navy veteran, he served during the Korean Conflict. Mr. Zeller was a communicant of St. Thomas the Apostle RC Church, Old Bridge. He was an ex-chief for the Old Bridge Volunteer Fire Company, East Brunswick, where he was a member for 52 years. Additionally, he was a member of the Molly Pitcher Yacht Club in Red Bank. Mr. Zeller was predeceased by his wife Arlene Brunner Zeller in 2011; and his brother Raymond. Surviving are his son Richard F. Zeller of Richland, PA; 2 brothers, Richard and Donald Zeller; and a sister Rita Ploss , all of New York; 2 grandchildren, Jamie Lynn and Clayton; and 3 great grandchildren, Alex, Dom and Ella. Funeral services will be held on Tuesday, 8:15 AM in The Brunswick Memorial Home, 454 Cranbury Road, East Brunswick, followed by a 9:00 AM Mass of Christian Burial at St. Thomas the Apostle RC Church, Old Bridge. Interment will follow at Chestnut Hill Cemetery, East Brunswick. Friends may call at the funeral home on Monday, 5-8 PM. For directions, please visit www.brunswickmemorialhome.com Memorial contributions may be made to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital , Memorial & Honor Program, 501 St. Jude Pl., Memphis, TN 38105 (www.stjude.org).

At 0653 EBFD# 1 was dispatched to Cranbury Road and Helmetta Boulevard for the accident with entrapment. Rescue 704 along with Engine 706 and Truck 709 responded and removed the driver door from the van. The patient was turned over to EMS and the units cleared after securing all the vehicles.

AT 1700 HRS EBFD1 was dispatched to Highway 18 southbound in the area of Rues Lane for a MVA with a rollover. Safety Officer Hoover (780) arrived to find one vehicle on its side, and advised incoming units that there was one victim entrapped. Engine 706(Schlusselfeld) and Chief Twomey (750) arrived shutting down the highway and began stabilizing the vehicle. Rescue 704(Bassano) arrived and placed the hydraulic tools as well as paratech struts in service. The roof of the vehicle was removed from the vehicle and the rest of extrication was completed in just less than 15 minutes. The victim was transported to Robert Wood Johnson Hospital in New Brunswick with critical injuries. Units operated on scene for approx 1.5Hours E706 remained on scene to assist EBPD with lighting. Other units on scene included E701, E702, Trans Med BLS, and RWJUH MICU.

At 13:42Hrs on Monday EBFD1 was dispatched to the parking lot of Burger King on Rt 18.  Chief Booke(700) Arrived on scene to find a horse trailer with the rear leg of a horse kicked through the rear door of the trailer and entrapped.  Rescue 704(Bassano) was advised of the situation en route and upon arrival immediately put the hydraulic rescue tools in service.  The window bars were able to be spread and the door was cut off of the trailer, freeing the horse.  The owner of the horse was able to give the horse sedatives and calm the horse during the process.  The horse received no further injuries.  Units operated on scene for less then an hour.

Early Friday morning EBFD#1 was dispatched to the NJ Turnpike in the area of mile marker 80 near the Joyce Kilmer rest area for a truck fire, where EB Independent FC had already been operating.  Chief Booke (700) and Engine 707 (Bassano) responded directly to the scene of a Gasoline tanker and double tractor trailer MVA that resulted in fire involving all three.  The crew from Engine 707 was used to operate multiple handlines.  The crew remained on scene for several hours before being released to cover calls in the township.  Other agencies operating included Brookview Fire Company (Dist 3), Milltown fire, South River Fire, Carteret Fire, Monroe Sta 23, Monroe EMS, Middlesex County Hazmat, Middlesex County Fire Coordinators, and NJSP 

Approximately 11:30Hrs Dist 2. East Brunswick Independent Fire Co received a report of a possible structure fire on Cornwall Dr.  After receiving multiple calls, Assistant Chief Zelehoski(850) arrived at 4 Cornwall Dr and confirmed a working fire on the roof at the AD corner of the building.  850 requested one engine and one ladder from Dist 1 to respond.  E806(Adams) arrived first due and went in service with an 1 3/4" Hand line.  E702(Avantagiato) arrived second due and layed into E806 and also layed a second supply line for L801.  Being T709 was out of service for maintenance E701 also responded.  Crews operated with L801 and went to the roof and "opened up."  E702 & E701 operated just over an hour before being released.  The cause of the fire is under investigation by Dist. 2 Fire Prevention.  

For July's monthly drill members of Dist #1 trained using a window prop.  The prop was used to simulate entering and exiting a basement using only common hand tools.  The members also went to work as a RIT (Rapid Intervention Team), having to remove a down firefighter through the basement window.

June's monthly drill organized by Lieutenant Casterline had members of Dist 1 train on forcible entry.  The members were instructed on multiple ways of forcible entry by Mike Donahue from Progressive Rescue.  The members were given multiple scenarios where they were forced to use different tools and modify your typical forced entry.  Following, teams of two were paired together, the teams were tasked with forcing two different types of doors, breaching through a wall, and bailing out of a window. 

Dist 1 would like to give credit to the photos provided to Progressive Rescue and thank Mike Donahue for a great drill!

Progress continues on station 2. Projected completion date is October 2011.