Firefighters drill at local plant

Repeat, just a test — firefighters simulate handling an explosion and fire

HARDYSTON — Just after 9 a.m. on Sunday morning, July 29, Hardyston residents may have heard emergency tones ringing through the air.

Hardyston dispatch sets off the tones to inform the members of Hardyston Township Volunteer Fire Department of a simulated explosion and fire at the North American Sterilization and Packaging Company at 19 Park Drive.

Fire Chiefs 1 and 2 immediately responded and they were followed shortly by the Hardyston firefighters with their apparatus, according to Frank Lacatena of the Hardyston Township Volunteer Fire Department.

"Arriving at the scene of the simulation, Chief 1 quickly assessed the scene and called for a second alarm," Lacatena reports. "This calls for additional apparatus and manpower from neighboring mutual aid departments. Five NASP employees were reported as missing (for purposes of the simulation) prompting a thorough search of the facility until the missing employees were located, removed from the facility and their simulated injuries were attended by the first aid squads."

Practicing their tasks
During the search operation, a firefighter was reported as down inside the facility, requiring an additional simulated rescue. When all were accounted for, the simulated fire was completely extinguished. The exercise ended at 10:30 am.

After that all participants converged at company 2 firehouse for a review of the simulation.

The project involved local squads who also benefited from the practice. In addition to the response from Hardyston Fire Department, Hardyston First Aid, Hamburg First Aid and Hardyston Police, apparatus and manpower responded from the Sussex fire department, McAfee fire department, Franklin fire department and the Byram rescue/air truck. Hamburg and Highland Lakes fire departments provided stand-by support. The Sussex county fire marshal was on scene.

And, helping out in the simulated emergency, staffers from North American Sterilization and Packaging acted as the injured missing employees, including Fred Kirk, Cristian Zamfir and Jon Hendricks, whose cooperation, said Lacatena, made it possible for the firefighters to conduct this exercise.

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