Friday, April 19, 2013
Police said the woman's injuries were not life threatening.
An 81-year-old Hillsdale resident was hospitalized Friday afternoon after she accidentally drove her car through a support column and the back wall of her garage, according to Hillsdale Police Officer William Diedtrich. It was "just a simple mix-up between the gas and the brake," Diedtrich said. The woman's injuries were not life-threatening, he said. The Washington Township Ambulance Corps transported her to an area hospital. Neighbors said the woman was "just shook up." Firefighters from Hillsdale and Westwood responded to the scene and were constructing an ad-hoc column so the car could safely be removed. A building inspector was at the Drake Drive townhouse where the incident occured, but did not immediately announce a determination on…
Thursday, January 31, 2013
Three flood-prone homes purchased by the borough with grant money have been made available to firefighters for drills.
The Westwood Fire Department has begun holding drills in the first of three flood-prone homes on Harding Avenue set for demolition. The three homes were purchased by the borough earlier this month with grant money from FEMA and the Department of Environmental Protection. Firefighters were practicing raising ladders to second-flood windows to gain access to 46 Harding Avenue and pulling dummies from the house Wednesday night, according to Fire Chief Jaymee Hodges. They started training in that house first because it is the scheduled to be demolished first, Hodges said. Prior to the drills, officials spoke to nearby homeowners to warn them about the plans. "We try to be sensitive to the neighborhood," Hodges previously said. "We don't want …
Friday, January 18, 2013
The borough used grant money to purchase three flood-prone homes on Harding Avenue.
The Westwood Fire Department will be holding drills in three homes the borough recently purchased as part of a flood buyout program. Firefighters will practice putting up ladders, stretching hoses and crawling through the dark in their gear — with their masks blacked out to simulate smoke conditions — at the three houses before they are demolished, according to Fire Chief Jaymee Hodges. Hodges told Patch that they hope to begin using one of the houses next week. Before they begin the drills, Hodges said they would speak to nearby homeowners about the plan. "We try to be sensitive to the neighborhood," Hodges said. "We don't want to be a nuisance." The drills would last a couple hours on evenings, and possibly also on a Saturday. It is …
Tuesday, December 18, 2012
A fire started in an office and storage building Tuesday afternoon.
Firefighters from seven towns worked together to quickly extinguished a fire in Westwood Tuesday afternoon. The fire "of fairly good volume" started shortly before 3 p.m. in the ceiling of a building on Woodland Avenue used as rental offices and storage, according to Westwood Fire Chief Jaymee Hodges. The Westwood Fire Department was joined by firefighters from Emerson, Oradell, River Vale, Woodcliff Lake, Hillsdale and Park Ridge. Firefighters from Old Tappan were also standing by at the Emerson Fire Department. Firefighters opened up the roof of the building to reach the fire. It ended up taking them between 20 and 25 minutes to knock down the flames, Hodges said. There were no injuries. The exact cause of the fire had not yet been …
Friday, December 14, 2012
Firefighters cut open the car to free the woman.
Westwood firefighters freed a woman who was trapped in her rolled-over car late Friday morning. The woman was driving eastbound on Harrington Avenue at about 11:50 a.m. when she swerved and glanced off a tree near the corner of Berkeley Avenue. The driver lost control of the silver Chevy, which rolled onto its side as it slid across the intersection and jumped a curb across the street, according to Police Chief Frank Regino. The driver "doesn't appear to be seriously injured," Regino said. There were no passengers in the car. Firefighters used hydraulic tools to cut open the roof of the car and free the woman, who had been trapped inside. The Westwood Ambulance Corps transported the woman to an area hospital. Have a question or news tip? …
Thursday, December 13, 2012
The man's life may have been saved by a custom roll bar he installed in the car, cops said.
A custom roll bar likely saved the life of a man who flipped his car off the road, according to Westwood Police Chief Frank Regino. The man was driving northbound on Forest Avenue at about 12:30 p.m. Thursday — and was probably speeding — when he hit a curb and flipped, according to Regino. Neighbors said they found the man crawling out the back window of the partially crushed vehicle. He suffered no serious injuries. The driver had "put quite a bit of money" into customizing the car, and a roll bar he installed probably saved his life, Regino said. The driver was not initially given any citations, but an investigation was still ongoing, according to Regino. Westwood Police, Hillsdale EMTs and the Westwood Fire Department responded to the …
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
The program for Pascack Valley firefighters will train them in rescuing people in dangerous storms and other "swiftwater" conditions.
Swiftwater training for Pascack Valley firefighters, which had been scheduled for this weekend, will not take place until next spring at the earliest, according to Hillsdale Deputy Fire Chief Jason Durie. There was apparently a scheduling issue between the Pascack Valley Fire Chiefs Association and the company which conducts the training, Durie said. The Association may choose a new date at their next meeting, but a specific one has not yet been set. The training will prepare firefighters to deal with rescues during so-called "swiftwater" conditions, such as those in the Pascack Brook during heavy rainstorms. United Water is paying for the training, according to company rep Rich Henning. Westwood Councilman Jay Sciara said at a council …
Thursday, August 9, 2012
The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
Firefighters from Westwood, Woodcliff Lake and Hillsdale responded to a call at Brookside Elementary School Thursday morning after a custodian reported a fire in a boiler room. A large commercial water heater caught fire, according to Westwood Fire Marshal Darren Blankenbush. The cause of the fire was still under investigation, but it did not appear suspicious, he said. The fire was contained to the room because school officials kept the fire door closed, Blankenbush said. A sprinkler system in the room extinguished the fire. There was no damage to any other part of the school. Principal Matt Wilson said the incident should not prevent the school from opening to students in September. Have a question or news tip? Contact editor Jim Leggate…
Friday, July 27, 2012
Westwood Firefighters, DPW and Bergen County HazMat cleaned up four containers of hydrochloric acid dropped around Westwood Friday.
Four containers of hydrochloric acid were dropped around Westwood Friday afternoon, according to Fire Chief Jaymee Hodges. Leaking acid turned the asphalt yellow at the intersection of Lafayette Avenue, Ridgewood Road and Forest Avenue. The roads were closed as officials cleaned the scene. Members of the Bergen County HazMat team, along with the Westwood Fire Department, DPW and Police Department responded to the scene. Officials used baking soda to neutralize the acid before removing it to the DPW. Three other containers were dropped around town but did not leak. Hodges said officials were unaware of who dropped the containers. Officials from the Westwood Police Department were not immediately available to say if a crime had been …
Saturday, June 16, 2012
Westwood firefighters extinguished the burning SUV Saturday.
- POLICE & FIRE
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Saturday, June 16, 2012
Patch reader Joseph Abou-Daoud shot these photos of an SUV that caught fire behind LN Grand in Westwood Saturday. Abou-Daoud called 911 and said emergency responders were on the scene within minutes. Officials from the Westwood Fire Department were not immediately available for comment.
CJandMMom
2:57 pm on Friday, April 19, 2013
take away the keys is right. we dont want any more "simple mix ups" between "stop" and "go" or "right" or "left" or "red green yellow". more ›