Six firefighters under the command of Capt. Chris Solari responded at 12:54 the afternoon og Tuesday, Nov. 29 in IC 1 and Engine 1 to a report of smoke coming from a home in the 500 block of East Brigantine Avenue.

The initial response was only three on-duty members, due to two ambulances already treating or transporting patients from separate calls that had occurred just prior to receiving this alarm, occupying four platoon members.

Upon their arrival two minutes later, the crew found heavy smoke coming from the first and second floors of the end unit of an attached three-story condominium at 500 E. Brigantine Ave., with heavy fire venting through the rear second-floor sliding glass door and rear window. The structure was unoccupied.

Capt. Solari stretched a fire attack line to the rear of the structure and began to keep the fire in check from outside until more members arrived on scene to commence the initial interior fire attack.

A second alarm was requested for off-duty members, and shortly after the arrival of the platoon members who were on the other BLS alarms, entry was made through the front door and the fire was extinguished. A search was conducted, and smoke and hot gasses were ventilated.

The fire was declared under control in less than 10 minutes. Atlantic City Electric cut off electricity, and acting Lt. Mike Lange began an investigation. The cause appears to be electrical.

While members were still on the scene, thirteen minutes after the initial report of the structure fire, members at Station 1 responded to a natural gas leak inside a structure, and to a diabetic emergency about 30 minutes into the fire. Both alarms were handled by off-duty members who had reported to the station.

Members stayed on the fire scene for about 90 minutes, searching for hidden fire, performing salvage and overhaul, and assisting with the investigation.

The residence sustained an estimated $90,000 in fire, smoke and heat damage on the second floor.

Nine additional off-duty firefighters were called in to assist on the call and to cover the rest of the island while the fire was in progress.

For the last two weeks of November, the fire calls included a brush and grass fire, an electrical fire in a home heating furnace, a motor vehicle accident with injuries, multiple residential and commercial fire, smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, the odor of smoke inside a building, natural gas leaks inside of structures, a water leak, assisting the public and assisting with EMS calls.

The EMS calls included cardiac and respiratory emergencies, medical emergencies includingloss of consciousness, altered mental status, stroke, pregnancy complications and diabetic emergencies, multiple overdoses, multiple traumas, psychiatric emergencies, carbon monoxide poisoning, fall victims and assisting with lifting and moving patients.

On Tuesday afternoon, Nov. 22 the members of “A” Platoon responded in IC 1, Engine 1, and BLS Rescue 2 under the command of Lt. Dan Hurtt to a report of a motor vehicle accident with injuries in the 4700 block of Atlantic-Brigantine Boulevard in which a car struck a utility pole.

The pole broke in two places. Firefighter-EMTs Worthington and Hardiman treated and stabilized two people who were injured and continued treatment during transport to Atlantic Care Regional Medical Center.

The Engine 1 crew cleaned up and secured the scene until the utility lines could be secured and the vehicle towed.

On multiple occasions over the last two weeks, firefighter-emergency medical technicians responded to reports of opioid overdoses where patients were found to be unconscious and unresponsive, with shallow respiration and weak pulse. They provided oxygen and administered Naloxone, and in each incident the patient was conscious and breathing without assistance when they arrived at the hospital.