TWENTY-TWO ALARMS KEEP WESTWOOD FIREFIGHTERS BUSY IN NOVEMBER 2025

​

Westwood Fire Department Fire Chief Brian Kronewitter reports that the fire department was called 22
times for emergencies in November. None of the calls turned out to be a serious fire in Westwood.
These 22 emergency calls, two training drills and three work/maintenance sessions required
approximately 275 hours of volunteer time.
The Westwood Fire Department was called out of town four times to assist neighboring fire department
under the mutual aid agreement. Responding once to River Vale, once to Woodcliff Lake and twice to
Hillsdale. Westwood received mutual aid assistance at one call.
Automatic fire alarms were received seven times in November. 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 November turned out to be an actual fire. Alarm
malfunctions caused three responses and steam, cooking smoke, a hair dryer and smoking caused one
alarm each.
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. An aerosol spray cleaner too close to a detector caused
one alarm and at one incident fire crews detected slight readings. This incident was turned over to
Public Service Gas company technicians for further investigation.
On one occasion a citizen smelled natural gas. The fire department responded and investigated each.
No gas was found at this incident after fire crews checked the entire building with meters.
Other calls during November were: two calls for tree limbs contacting high tension wires causing arcing.
At these incidents fire crews assisted the police to block off the area and await Public Service Electric
crews. A smell of smoke required a fire department response but after a thorough investigation no
cause or fire was found. An overheated electric motor was isolated by firefighters and the building was
turned over to the building occupant for repairs to be made. Also, one occasion fire crews were called to
assist emergency medical personal. A thermostat/boiler malfunction was turned over to gas company
techs after fire crews assessed the situation.