WESTWOOD FIREFIGHTERS RESPOND TO THIRTY-SIX INCIDENTS IN DECEMBER 2025
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Under the command of Fire Chief Brian Kronewitter, the Westwood fire department was called 36 times
for emergencies in December. None of the calls turned out to be a serious fire in Westwood.
These 36 emergency calls, two training drills and one work/maintenance session required approximately
335 hours of volunteer time. Please note: these hours consist of staff hours where firefighters actually
responded to or attended events, not stand by or on call time.
The Westwood Fire Department was called out of town five times to assist neighboring fire departments
under the mutual aid agreement. Responding four times to River Vale and once to Hillsdale.
Automatic fire alarms were received fourteen times in December. Westwood fire department standard
operating procedures require a full fire department response to any fire alarm received. Firefighters
check the entire building to determine if an actual fire exists. After fire crews check the entire building at
each incident none of the automatic alarms in December turned out to be an actual fire. Alarm
malfunctions caused four responses. Cooking caused three alarm activations. Other alarms were set off
by a variety of reasons: a furnace malfunction, a child pulling a fire alarm box, a defective fluorescent
light ballast, smoke from a fireplace, incense burning in a building and a broken sprinkler system pipe.
On three occasions Carbon Monoxide (CO) calls were received. Readers are reminded that CO is an
odorless and colorless gas caused by malfunctioning heating or cooking equipment among other causes.
It can be lethal at high levels. Again, each of these calls require a full fire department response. Fire
crews check the entire building with meters. A citizen changing the detector batteries set off one alarm
that required the fire department to respond. Cooking smoke and a furnace malfunction caused one
response each.
On six occasions citizens called for possible natural gas emergencies. The fire department responded
and investigated each. On four occasions building occupants left stove top burners on by mistake. A
broken gas pipe and a furnace malfunction caused two other incidents. At these calls fire crews shut the
gas supply to the broken pipe and the gas feed to the furnace. Westwood Fire Department standard
policy is to turn these gas and carbon monoxide problems over to Public Service gas technicians for
further investigation.
Other calls during December were: arcing electrical wires near a borough home. At this call fire crews
shut the power to the house, ensured that the arcing did not spread to the building and stood by until
Public Service electric crews arrived. On two occasions fire crews were called to car fires, one turned out
to be a broken coolant line that the caller thought was smoke and a small fire in the engine
compartment of an auto that was extinguished by a neighbor before firefighters arrived. However, fire
fighters investigated to ensure the fire was definitely out. The Westwood fire department was also
called to the scene of a motor vehicle crash. At this call Fire Chief Kronewitter arrived and consulted with
police and emergency medical services on scene and determined that no fire department action was
needed.
FIRE SFAETY TIPS FOR THE NEW YEAR
The Westwood Fire Department and Fire Prevention Bureau urges residents to start off the new year
thinking about fire safety. Citizens are reminded that smoke detectors are very important for your
safety. Install one on every level of the home. Also, have a fire escape plan for your particular home, the
plan must show at least two ways out of every room. Practice exit drills with your family. Crawl low in
smoke. If a door is hot, do not open it, use the secondary exit. Have a meeting place outside your
home, make sure everyone is out, do not go back inside for any reason. Call the fire department, from
outside the home, call 911.
This article was submitted by the Westwood Fire Department. Any Fire Department related questions
can be e-mailed to westwoodfdchief@gmail.com or by calling 201-664-0526. The fire prevention bureau
can be reached at dblankenbush@westwoodnj.gov or by calling 201-664-7100 ext 308. PLEASE NOTE;
THESE PHONE NUMBERS ARE BUSINESS/NON-EMERGENCY PHONE NUMBERS, FOR FIRES/EMERGENCIES
CALL 911.