WESTWOOD FIREFIGHTERS ANSWER THIRTY-TWO EMERGENCY INCIDENTS IN FEBRUARY.
Under the command of Fire Chief Bryan Wiecenski, the Westwood fire department was called
31 times for emergencies in February 2026. None of the calls turned out to be a serious fire in
Westwood.
These 31 emergency calls and three training drills required over 430 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 seven times to assist neighboring fire
departments. Responding four times to River Vale and once to Hillsdale and on two occasions
to assist the Oradell fire department during serious structure fires.
Thirteen automatic fire alarms were received in the month. 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. None of the
automatic alarms in February turned out to be an actual fire. A variety of causes were found.
Alarm malfunctions caused four responses. Cooking caused five alarm activations. Contractors
working in buildings set off alarms on one occasion. Dust in a building set off a smoke detector
causing one response.
Five times calls for Carbon Monoxide (CO) alarms 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. Malfunctions caused
three incidents. Contractors working in buildings set off an alarm one time and a water heater
problem activated a CO alarm on one occasion. At this incident fire crews shut the gas to the
heater and ensured the problem was isolated to the heater.
On two occasions calls were for smells of natural gas. The fire department responded and
investigated each. No gas was found at one call and a defective stove at one call caused one
response. Again, fire crews shut the gas to stop the smell/leak of gas. Westwood Fire
Department standard policy is to turn these gas and CO problems over to Public Service gas
technicians for further investigation.
Several other calls were received in February:
Fire rescue crews responded to one motor vehicle crash. No extrication was needed but
firefighters stabilized the vehicle to make the scene safe and assisted emergency medical
personnel.
A call for an outside grill fire required a fire department response, the grill fire was out prior to
FD arrival but firefighters checked the grill and surrounding area to ensure the rea was safe for
the homeowner. An additional odor of gas call was investigated by the fire department but was
determined to be a skunk in the area. Fire crews also investigated a smell of smoke that was
determined to be a defective HVAC unit. Fire crews shut the power to the unit and determined
the area was safe and the unit needed repairs.
With spring approaching the Westwood Fire Department and Fire Prevention Bureau would like
to point out that this is the time of year when you can “Spring Clean” certain fire hazards in
your home.
Take the time to go through the attic, basement, or cluttered closets and donate, recycle,
and/or throw away any unneeded, accumulated items such as newspapers, magazines,
packaging, boxes, and clothing, all of which become potential fire hazards when stored in large
quantities. Never store combustibles close to the water heater or furnace. Three feet away is a
good rule of thumb.
While often overlooked, not cleaning the clothes dryer vent can pose a significant fire hazard.
When the highly combustible lint accumulates, it reduces the airflow, which can increase the
temperature enough to ignite it!
Test all windows, not only to ensure that their locks are working properly, but that they can be
quickly and easily opened from the inside, should you need to use one as an emergency exit. In
many situations the window is your second way out if the first way out (a door) is blocked by
fire or smoke. And most important: have working smoke detectors in the home.
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, NOT FOR FIRES OR EMERGENCIES. FOR FIRE, POLICE, AMBULANCE EMERGENCIES
CALL 911.