THE WESTWOOD FIRE DEPARTMENT ANSWERS 48 EMERGENCY CALLS DURING JULY 2025
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HIGHEST TOTAL ALARMS IN RECENT MEMORY
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The Westwood Fire Department led by Fire Chief Brian Kronewitter and the Board of Fire Officers, were
called 48 times for emergency assistance during the month of July 2025. Chief Kronewitter reports that
none of the calls turned out to be a serious fire in Westwood, although a dumpster fire and fireworks
burning on the ground were quickly extinguished by firefighters. A small stove fire occurred and was
contained to the stove top. On the evening of July 3 an underground high tension electric failure
occurred and resulted in a power outage in town. At the same time a high-tension wire came down near
Broadway. Fire crews responded to both areas, kept people at a safe distance and awaited Public
Service Electric crews.
These 48 emergency calls, three training drills and three work/maintenance sessions
required over 480 hours of volunteer time.
The Westwood Fire Department was called out of town for six incidents. To assist the Washington Twp.
Fire Department on two occasions, the Hillsdale Fire Department on three occasions and once each to
serious house fires in River Vale and Woodcliff Lake. The Westwood Fire Department received mutual
aid assistance on two occasions from Hillsdale and River Vale.
Automatic fire alarms were received twenty times in July. Although no fires existed at any of these
incidents, a full fire department response is required. Firefighters check the entire building to determine
if an actual fire exists. Seven times alarm system malfunctions required the fire department to respond.
No cause was found at five alarm activations. Different circumstances caused the remainder of the
alarm activations: contractors working in buildings and dust in detectors each caused two calls. Citizens
unknowingly activated pull stations on two occasions and vaping near a detector and an unintentional
sprinkler activation each caused one response.
Five calls were for a smell of natural gas, the fire department responded and investigated. No gas was
found on three occasions. Low gas readings were found at one call. Westwood Fire Department
standard policy is to turn these problems over to Public Service gas technicians. Fire crews also assisted
PS Gas technicians on another call.
Three Carbon Monoxide (CO) calls were received. Readers are reminded that CO is an odorless and
colorless gas caused by malfunctioning heating or cooking equipment. 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. No CO readings were found at two of the incidents. At the third call minimal readings were
found. Fire crews vented the CO and turned the scene over to PSE&G gas technicians, like natural gas
calls this is standard policy.
A burning fan belt on a rooftop Heating ventilating air conditioning (HVAC) unit started to burn. Fire
crews responded, climbed to the roof, shut the power and ensured the burning did not spread. The
occupant was advised to have repairs made by a qualified technician. Also, the Westwood fire
department was called on one occasion to assist a local Emergency Medical Services (EMS) crew.
Three incidents involved citizens who were reported to be stuck in elevators. One occasion the occupant
was out before fire fighters arrived. At the two other incidents fire recue crews shut power to the
elevators and used elevator mechanic’s tools (carried on the rescue truck) to open the elevator car
doors and remove the people.
This month’s fire safety message comes from Underwriters Laboratories (UL) Fire Safety Research
Institute (FSRI). Citizens are urged to take C.H.A.R.G.E. of battery safety. UL/FSRI urges citizens to:
C CHOOSE certified products, when purchasing lithium-ion battery-powered devices, look for products
that are listed or safety certified by a nationally recognized testing laboratory to ensure they meet
important safety requirements.
H Handle with care: Follow the manufacturer’s instructions. Only use the charging equipment that
comes with the product.
A Always look for warning signs: Check battery-powered devices often for damage or abuse such as
swelling or punctures. Listen for unusual hissing or popping sounds.
R Recycle batteries and devices properly: Responsibly dispose of old or damaged batteries by taking
them to the nearest battery recycling center. Never discard batteries, chargers, or battery-powered
devices in regular trash bins.
G Get out quickly if there’s a fire: Know the warning signs to look and listen for and get out if you see –
or hear – them. Follow your home fire escape plan to leave immediately and call 9-1-1.
E Educate others about battery safety. Now that you know what actions to take, spread the word about
lithium-ion battery safety and help protect your friends and loved ones.
Readers are urged to visit www. batteryfiresafety.org for further and more detailed information.
This article was submitted by the Westwood Fire Department. Any Fire Department related questions
can be e-mailed to wwfdchief@westwoodnj.gov 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.