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State investigation comes to a close
(by Karen F. Mrnarevic - November 07, 2007)
The State of
New Jersey has concluded its investigation of the Emerson Volunteer Fire Department’s mishandling of a live fire drill on April 20, 2006.
The incident, which did not result in any injuries, occurred when a small fire got out of hand during what was supposed to have been a “smoke drill” training exercise in the abandoned California Farms at the
Emerson
Shopping Center on Kinderkamack Road, which had been slated for demolition.
Due to a number of procedural oversights on the part of the firefighters in charge, including failure to obtain proper permits for live fire training, The New Jersey State Division of Fire Safety is suspending the Incident Management certifications of Firefighter Richard Solimando, Chief Thomas Carlos, and Assistant Chief Mark Savino.
According to Borough Administrator Joseph Scarpa, the borough made the decision not to impose any additional punishment on the firefighters, concluding that the state’s sanctions are sufficient punishment.
Solimando, who was acting as a training officer and set up the exercise, faces suspension for a period of six months, effective immediately; Carlos will be suspended for one year, effective Jan. 1, 2008; and Savino’s suspension began Oct. 1 and is in effect until Dec. 1. All three will continue to serve on the Fire Department, but will be restricted from supervisory positions. There has been no motion to replace Savino as assistant chief in the interim, but a replacement for Carlos will be chosen by the department as the commencement of his suspension nears.
According to the Department of Community Affairs, the three firefighters violated “N.J.A.C. 5:73, Standards for Fire Service Training and Certification,” when they engaged in live fire training without obtaining a permit. New Jersey Administrative Code (N.J.A.C.) 5:73 establishes standards for fire service training and certification. They were also found in violation of the Department of Environmental Protection’s open burning regulations and National Fire Prevention Association code 1403, “Standard for Live Fire Training Evolutions”, which provides specific training rules and instructions. These include preparation and certification of drill instructors, analysis of the building materials and dimensions of the training structure, proper ignition and location of the flame source and appropriate flammable materials to be used.
The NFPA developed the standard after a 1982 training accident claimed the lives of two firefighters, asserting that “the benefits derived from live fire training can be negated by the injuries and deaths suffered by fire fighters under unsafe and poorly supervised training conditions.” The standard is revised on a continuous basis.
Carlos said in a September interview that the Emerson Volunteer Fire Department now conducts all firefighter training at the Bergen County Police and
Fire
Academy in Mahwah. Carlos also verified that the department no longer conducts live fire training, but does practice smoke drills in which a non-toxic, synthetic smoke is used.
According to a report issued by the U.S. Fire Administration, volunteer firefighters are statistically more likely to die on the job than professional firefighters. In 2006, of 106 firefighters killed on the job in the , 77 were volunteer firefighters, and nine of the 106 firefighters died during training activities.
The Dumont Fire Department recently fell under scrutiny after an improperly conducted training operation resulted in the injury of five firefighters. The September training exercise, which took place in a residence that had been slated for demolition, went awry when the fire department’s smoke machine, similar to the kind now used in training by the Emerson Fire Department, malfunctioned, and supervisors decided to employ smoke bombs. Five firefighters were not wearing masks and suffered from smoke inhalation. As a result, the department’s chief, Jason Dalton, was immediately suspended.
Phone calls to the Emerson Fire Department were not returned.
Karen F. Mrnarevic's e-mail address is Mrnarevic@northjersey.com
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