PARSIPPANY — The days of fire departments only responding to fires is a thing of the past. Today, fire departments are adapting to the community that they serve to ensure they are ready to respond to any emergency that may occur at a moment’s notice.
All six Parsippany Fire Districts have taken that challenge head on and are beginning to bring their plans to a reality.
After Hurricanne Irene and Superstorm Sandy, Parsippany-Troy Hills saw some of its worst flooding ever with numerous streets under feet of water. Immediately departments that were directly affected started the process of preparing themselves to respond at an even higher standard than they did then.
Districts 4 and 5 purchased Military Surplus vehicles that are now used as high water rescue vehicles. These vehicles can drive into flood waters to assist in performing rescues of flood victims. These vehicles staffed with trained personnel ensure the community that Parsippany firefighters are ready to respond to any emergency that is presented to them.
In addition to purchasing vehicles, members of Parsippany Districts 4, 5, and 6 have begun the process of certifying approximately 25 members to be trained in Swift Water Rescue. Many firefighters in Parsippany have received training to the awareness level. These 25 firefighters have attended the Operations level class during the past six months and will attend the Technician level training in September.
Plans are also in the works to certify additional firefighters from Parsippany in the upcoming year, as well creating a fire department swift water rescue team for oour community.
The Swift Water Operations class was a two day, 16 hour class that was broken up into two parts. Day one consisted of testing to ensure the participants were able to meet the requirements necessary for the class. The remainder of the first day was then utilized for classroom based lecture that covered all topics needed for this level of training and then a hands on portion that prepared the participants for the practical day that followed. On the second day, participants had the opportunity to put the skills they learned in the classroom portion to use in a day of hands of training in Southern New Jersey. Participants faced numerous stations that tested their swimming capabilities as well as potential life threatening scenarios for both responders and potential victims.
Our firefighters have committed to the residents of Parsippany to be able to respond to any emergency that may arise. The Swift Water Rescue Team is just one step to ensuring the continued safety to the residents that they serve. Parsippany firefighters will continue to train and work together to provide the highest level of service to the residents of Parsippany.
