Our recruitment drive is live!

The Ship Bottom Volunteer Fire Company is proud to announce the kickoff of our new recruitment website! We are very lucky and humbled to have received the SAFER Grant that allows our members to staff our apparatus every weekend as well as a pay per call incentive. This grant has many other perks to it as well. Big thank you to Firehouse Grants for aiding us throughout the grant process and Communications Solutions for knocking our Media Marketing out of the park! Our department has various skill sets outside of just fighting fire. If your interested in being apart of our team go to our new recruitment website shipbottomfirefighters.org and click join us! Opportunities present themselves everyday is this an opportunity you’d take?!

The company would like to recognize our two newest state certified firefighters who graduated from the Atlantic County Fire Academy last night. Firefighter Dave Emhardt and Firefighter Bill Mccallion are both extremely involved in our company and we thank them for their commitment to service!

Fire prevention day at Long Beach Island School 

Today we had the pleasure of presenting to the students of the Long Beach Island grade school in ship bottom for fire prevention day. Fun was had by students, staff, and firefighters alike!

It’s a special community we have here. Two of the firefighters presenting today are alumni of LBI schools, and 20 of the students in attendance have parents that are either volunteer firefighters or EMTs here in the community.

Special thanks to lbi schools, surf city fire company and Barnegat light fire company for their assistance today
-President Rick McDonough

Island Fire and First Aid Companies Drill Ahead of Hectic Summer Season

Our volunteers do more than just handle calls. We recently participated in this island-wide drill, and utilized our rescue swim skills and surplus acquired humvee vehicles to successfully transport the “victims” off of the beach to awaiting ambulances.

Thanks for your support, we’re always here to assist the community!

Thanks for the coverage, The SandPaper!

 

Island Fire and First Aid Companies Drill Ahead of Hectic Summer Season

Jun 21, 2017

Photo by: Ryan Morrill

Practice makes perfect, and that was the goal of a mutual aid drill involving multiple swimmers in distress on Surf City’s Fourth Street beach earlier this month. Adding to the authenticity of the drill were the staggered response times to the event to test the real-life challenges that face fire and first aid companies on the Island, especially in summer.

The drill was a joint training exercise with Barnegat Light, Beach Haven, and Ship Bottom’s volunteer fire companies. Barnegat Light and Beach Haven first aid squads also participated, as did the Surf City police department and Goodwill, Surf City Volunteer Fire Co. Chief Mike Wolfschmidt said. In total, more than 50 volunteers participated.

“I put it together because throughout the spring, summer, and early fall our company is frequently requested for swimmers in distress when the beach patrol is off duty,” Wolfschmidt said.

In real life, Barnegat Light and Beach Haven fire companies are automatically called to any water-rescue event because they have teams trained specifically for water rescue, he said. They participated in the June 8 drill along with the Ship Bottom Volunteer Fire Co., which has several firefighters who are rescue swimmers and two military-style Humvees that can transport patients off the beach, Wolfschmidt said.

The scenario for the June 8 drill included five swimmers in distress in the rough surf off the Fourth Street beach in the borough, he said. Ship Bottom Fire Co. rescue swimmers, equipped with lifeguard cans, were the first in the water and made contact with the victims. They kept them afloat until the Barnegat Light Volunteer Fire Co. responded with its Jet-Skis, and Beach Haven rescuers could safely bring them to shore, Wolfschmidt said.

“Each ‘victim’ had a pre-determined medical complaint, or injury and vitals,” he said. “Once they were on the beach, our EMTs and firefighters worked together to quickly triage, assess, treat and transport the victims off the beach as needed.”

Like real-life situations, the drill included a twist: Toward the end, a CPR dummy dressed in a wetsuit was dropped facedown on the beach to simulate a rescue swimmer suddenly going into cardiac arrest, Wolfschmidt said.

“The crews acted in real time, had to cut the old wetsuit, dry the dummy off,” he said, explaining AED pads won’t stick to a person’s wet chest, “and provide CPR. I am happy to report the dummy made a full recovery and is back living at the firehouse.”

Wolfschmidt called the drill “a positive learning experience.” During the post-event debriefing, participants discussed best practices and lessons learned to improve upon future rescues, both real and in training scenarios.

That weekend, June 9-11, Island volunteer first-responders answered three water-rescue calls, according to Bob Selfridge, a lieutenant with the Barnegat Light First Aid Squad. He said water rescue calls account for about 25 percent of calls for the Barnegat Light First Aid Squad, with many coming in early spring or the fall when lifeguards are not on duty. Still, it can happen in the summer after hours, he said.

Selfridge said people come down on a Friday, and around 6 p.m. they decide they want to go for a swim. The trouble is the beaches are guarded from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. throughout most Island communities.

“It’s imperative we consistently (work) with our mutual aid companies for this type of call, especially when multiple victims are involved,” Wolfschmidt said, adding how quickly rescuing, triaging, and treating multiple victims can become complex. “It’s my priority to put our victims first so they have the best possible outcome.”

Having a great working relationship with neighboring fire and first aid squads is a big part in achieving that priority, he said.

“It provides the public with the best service possible,” Wolfschmidt said, noting Surf City has a great relationship with all the fire and first aid squads on the Island and in Stafford Township.

Gina G. Scala

[email protected]

Gas leak at mixed use Ship Bottom location

Last night at 23:13 hours Stations 46 & 49 were dispatched to a possible gas leak. 4620 & 4900 went Enroute, Upon the arrival of 4620 a strong odor of natural gas was in the air and NJNG was notified. 4602 & 4913 went Enroute and arrived on location simultaneously as well as 4900. Crews from 4913 went to the meter on the side of the Structure while 4900 and the crew from 4602 entered the Structure and checked the interior apartments on the 2nd floor. 4913 crew located the Gas leak at the meters on the side of the building. Crews awaited NJNG, NJNG arrived on location and all units were released by 4620.

Welcome new engine 4611!

ENGINE #4611

Our new Rosenbauer Engine

Specifications:

Body: EXT Tank Cap: 750 

Pump Model: Q-MAX 

Pump Mfr: Hale 

Pump Cap: 1,750 

Foam Cell: N/A 

Engine: Cummins 

Engine Model: ISL HP: 330 

Transmission: Allison EVS 3000 

Warning Lights: Whelen LED 

Generator: Rosenbauer Green Star 

Chassis: RBM Commander

 Pump Mount: Side 

Axles: Single