Extreme weather and low staffing: NJ firefighters face series of new challenges

When two firefighters died in a blaze that ripped through a massive cargo ship docked at Port Newark in July, it served as a sobering reminder of the extreme difficulties that departments across New Jersey face.

In addition to sparking investigations and questions into what happened during the Port Newark fire, the deaths of Augusto "Augie" Acabou and Wayne "Bear" Brooks Jr. underscored the strain on many departments that suffer from smaller and smaller staffs, exacerbated by a brutal stretch of hot weather.

At a press conference held by the Newark Firefighters Union in the wake of the Port Newark fire, union President Michael Giunta recalled a phone conversation he had with President Joe Biden.

"President Biden has called me three times," Giunta said. "And he talked about ... that the only thing that saves firefighters are more firefighters."

The number of firefighters in the United States has been decreasing in recent years, and the same seems to be true in New Jersey.

Anthony Tarantino, a Newark fire captain who has been with the department for more than 34 years, said at the July 11 press conference that the ideal number for every firehouse is one captain and five or six firefighters, citing National Fire Protection Association standards. He said that number is currently one or two firefighters for most of the Newark Fire Department. The same is true in other New Jersey departments.

Fire department staffing issues

Steve McConlogue, president of the Professional Firefighters Association of New Jersey, said staffing is the one of the biggest issues that the union tries to address and is the thing that makes the biggest difference at the scene of a fire.

"If you pull up with a poorly staffed engine company with, say, three total personnel on it, they now have to perform all these tasks that require four or five firefighters to perform," McConlogue said.

The city of Newark says it has 435 firefighters, though city fire union officials say that number is lower. Either way, Newark had around 600 firefighters in 2000, despite now having a bigger population.

Smaller staffs make it harder to rotate firefighters at a scene, which in turn requires more alarms and more time spent at a given fire. Having fewer firefighters stretches departments thin, ultimately turning staffing into a safety issue.

"Staffing is always a hotbed issue. Staffing always comes into negotiations," McConlogue said

It's hard to pinpoint why staffing numbers are down, for both volunteer and career departments.

The Bergenfield Fire Department, like most in New Jersey, relies predominantly on volunteer firefighters. According to the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs' Fire Safety Division, 78% of the state's firefighters are volunteers, which is above the national average.

Bergenfield Chief Steve Naylis said his department, which has a small professional firefighting staff supplemented by dozens of volunteers, has about 70 members. But given the reliance on volunteers who work other jobs, he said, it's likely only about 20 are able to respond to a fire on a given day, particularly in the summer, when many go on vacation.

"Generally we have an idea and understanding that there's not going to be a lot of members around," Naylis said. "So we rely heavily on mutual aid."

Mutual aid means requesting help from surrounding towns. In Bergenfield's case that means career departments like Teaneck and Englewood and other volunteer departments like Dumont. Those municipalities are able to provide Bergenfield with necessary help for something like a house fire, though Naylis acknowledges that other departments are also in need of more firefighters.

The Passaic Fire Department, one of New Jersey's career fire departments, currently has around 100 firefighters, Chief Patrick Trentacost said. It is waiting for the state Civil Service Commission to approve a list of eligible recruits so it can hire more

"After COVID, we've seen a rash of retirements," Trentacost said. "None of the police and fire are staying until 30 years anymore."

He estimates that "99%" of New Jersey fire departments are looking to hire more personnel, saying funds are tough to come by.

Until federal grant money comes through, Passaic and other departments will have to continue to ride short, increasing the strain that already has them wearing thin.

"We're riding three personnel on an apparatus," Trentacost said. "NFPA recommends four and five. I haven't had four in an apparatus in over a year."

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Heat exacerbates difficulties

The recent wave of intense heat did not made life any easier for New Jersey firefighters. Trentacost is cognizant of the danger facing his members.

With the amount of gear firefighters must wear, extreme heat can be even more physically taxing on responders wearing many pounds of equipment.

Firefighters can't control the environment and the heat. But there are things that can be done to prepare as well as possible. When Passaic firefighters come in to start their 24-hour tours at 8 a.m., Trentacost immediately tells them to start drinking water.

"You can't start drinking water and preparing yourself for the day at the fire," the chief said. "That's too late."

Every Passaic fire apparatus is stocked with coolers, ice and water, in 5-gallon jugs and bottles. Volunteer units also provide, water, ice, misters and other refreshments at fire scenes.

When responding to fires in the heat and humidity, it is crucial that firefighters are rotated out of the blaze frequently, because of the increased danger for heat exhaustion. As such, the Passaic Fire Department will call for more alarms in hot weather in order to bring more responders to the scene.

Trentacost said his firefighters are rotated out every 15 minutes, to limit exposure to extreme heat.

Last month, a house fire in Passaic sent four firefighters to the hospital with heat exhaustion. They had to be removed from the building after a mayday call went out. All four were eventually released.

"Having the resources on scene as soon as possible, having backup fire equipment in your firehouses, notifying your fire coordinator — this is all stuff that we prepare, that we plan," the chief said. "Depending on the weather, anything changes."

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The Passaic house fire, which occurred on July 12, is believed to have been caused by an electrical issue with the home's air conditioner, Trentacost said. It's another example of how the extreme weather can lead to more fires, and thus more stress on departments.

Passaic Mayor Hector Lora said he urges his residents to be careful about overusing air conditioners, even when the temperature is brutally hot.

"There's no malice; there's no nefarious involvements," Lora said of increased air conditioner usage. "It's just individuals are trying to make it through a tough season when it's overwhelmingly hot and you're in your home in the summertime and your kids are hot."

Lora said to make sure to give air conditioners a break, to protect the circuits from potential malfunctions, which could cause fires.

Training concerns

One of the key concerns addressed by the Newark Firefighters Union at its July 11 press conference was what it called a lack of proper training for a fire at the port. Tarantino, the 34-year veteran, said the department has not trained at the port in his entire tenure, and he contrasted that with Bayonne, which has a standard operating procedure for ship fires.

But an unusual fire like the one at Port Newark is not easy to train for, especially for the volunteer departments that make up the majority of New Jersey's fire response.

Naylis said he and his father, a former fire chief himself, attend national training conferences every year. But volunteer firefighters don't often have the luxury to take time off work to go to one.

Naylis referred to last month's crane fire in New York City as an example of an unusual fire that many departments wouldn't know how to fight.

"I've never had a crane catch on fire," he said. "Where would I go? How do I do that? I don't know."

The same was likely true for many of the Newark firefighters who responded to the Grande Costa D'Avorio. The entire response is still under investigation.

Newark firefighters' union officials noted that when crews arrived at Port Newark, it was not known if anyone was trapped onboard. It turned out no one was.

As fire departments grapple with lower staffing levels and brutal heat, it can be difficult to keep firefighters safe. At fire scenes, Naylis said, it's important to get the judgment calls right, particularly when no lives are in immediate danger.

"The property can be fixed; a house can be rebuilt," Naylis said. "But the ultimate goal is making sure people are safe."

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: NJ fire departments smaller staffs make for greater difficulty