Welcome to our News & Events section. Check this page often for our most up-to-date news and current events.
With summertime and beautiful weather here we all like to enjoy our outdoor living space. With the enjoyment of these outdoor retreats also comes the responsibility of maintaining them. Some things to remember when we are taking care of our landscapes are that there are possible fire hazards associated with maintaining our outdoor spaces. Most of our equipment such as lawnmowers, weed whackers, and blowers etc. usually use a gasoline engine. Fueling this equipment can be potentially dangerous. When you are fueling such equipment keep in mind some general rules like, never storing gas indoors or where there is open flame or spark. Never smoke while filling the gas tank. Always use an approved container to store your gas in. Never remove the gas cap or fuel your equipment while it is running, wait for the engine to cool down before fueling. If you accidently spill any gas wipe it up immediately and move away from the area of the spill before you attempt to start the engine. Also when you are filling up your gas can never fill the can while it is inside a vehicle or in the bed of a truck, always place containers on the ground and away from your vehicle before filling. Following these few tips will help you use your maintenance equipment safely. Our outdoor spaces usually include areas with trees and shrubs that are landscaped with decorative stone or mulch. If your landscaping includes mulch in your planting beds remember that mulch can cause dangerous fire conditions if not properly cared for. Mulch that is piled up to deep, more than a couple of inches can build up extreme heat and begin to smolder. Decorative lighting placed to close to mulch can cause excessive heat as well. Other contributing factors include below average rainfall, extremely dry conditions, hot weather, and high winds. The most common cause of mulch fires however is human carelessness. Smokers often discard smoking materials, including matches, into the landscape areas as they enter/exit a building. If you smoke, try to use proper smoking receptacles located outside of most buildings. Fires that start in the mulch can quickly spread to the shrubs and then into the home or building. Some things you can do to help prevent mulch from catching fire are first to keep the mulch moist. This will help to prevent the mulch from building excessive heat. Providing clearance between mulch beds and combustible structures such as walls and decks will help to stop the spread of fire. Also be aware if you see or smell smoke near landscaping beds contact 9-1-1. Following these few tips can help keep your landscaping beautiful and keep you safe during the summer months.
SUMMERTIME BBQ GRILL SAFETY
Summer is here and it’s time to get out those BBQ grills and enjoy the outdoors. Here are some safety tips and reminders to keep you, your family and your home safe through this summer season. The first thing to remember when cooking with your grill is to make sure that it is clean and that there is no grease buildup. Enforce a “safety zone” of 3 feet around your grill keeping it clear of combustible materials and have a fire extinguisher nearby. Location of the grill is very important in keeping a safe cooking environment. You should always keep you grill at least 5 feet away from any combustible structure or wall. Remember that a wooden deck is combustible. Make sure that you are using the proper utensils when cooking that will keep you a safe distance from the flames. When lighting a propane or natural gas grill always make sure you keep the lid open, if the lid is closed gas could build up and possibly cause an explosion when the grill is ignited. Also make sure that you check all the hoses for cracks and leaks and check the burner tubes for obstructions. Never store propane tanks in the home or garage, they can leak and create a hazardous condition. For charcoal grills, use ONLY charcoal starting fluid and do not add starting fluid once the coals have ignited. For storage of the charcoal keep briquettes in a sealed container. It will keep your charcoal dry and fresh and it will avoid any accidents from occurring. If a fire in your grill should occur be prepared! For propane grill fires shut off all burners, if you can safely reach the tank valve, shut it off. If the fire involves the tank, leave it alone; evacuate the area and call 911. For charcoal grills make sure you keep the lid nearby and if a fire occurs place the lid on the grill. For fires on electric grills make sure you disconnect the power. Never try to extinguish a grill fire with water, it can cause a flare up and make the fire bigger. Always use an approved extinguisher.
If you live in one of the many multiple family dwellings in the township of Woodbridge keep in mind that cooking with an open flame on a combustible porch, balcony, deck, or within 5 feet of combustible construction is prohibited by the New Jersey edition of the international fire code. Electric grills are permitted in these occupancies. You are also permitted to use an open flame grilling device as long as you are at least 5 feet away from a combustible structure. Remember if there is any types of fire that threatens your safety or endangers property always call 911. Follow these tips to have a fun and safe grilling season.
FIRE PREVENTION OPEN HOUSE
The Woodbridge Fire Prevention Bureau would like to thank everyone who participated in making this years fire prevention open house one of the largest events we have done and a great success. The bureau would also like to extend a sincere thanks to the Woodbridge Board of Fire Commissioners for allowing us full use of the fire house to conduct the event and also to members of I.A.F.F. local 290 and the Woodbridge Volunteer Fire Company for all their help.You can check out the pictures in our photo gallery section!
HYDRANT LOCATIONS GO ON THE MAP
Home News Tribune Online 05/24/06
By REBECCA LERNERSTAFF WRITER
WOODBRIDGE — One by one, the location of each of the 3,000 fire hydrants in the municipality has been beamed to outer space, triangulated upon by floating satellites and sent back to Earth to be stored in a hand-held GPS device, an expensive item carefully operated by two firefighters.
The eight-week, $4,000 project is the beginning of the township's larger plan to enter the entirety of its infrastructure — every street, building and manhole cover — into a Geographic Information Systems map, Mayor Frank Pelzman said.
"This is going to help the town tremendously," he said, adding the endeavor will put vital information "at the fingertips" of emergency-management and homeland security personnel.
The fire-hydrant project will be ready for use in September or October, said Chris Andreasen, director of engineering for Middlesex Water Co.
It will aid firefighters by giving them fast access to key information, Fire Commissioner John Kenny said.
They'll quickly know the location of hydrants near a fire, the distance between two hydrants, which water main powers each hydrant, the strength of a hydrant's water pressure, and more, he said.
"It makes our job faster and easier," Fire Commissioner Patrick Kenny said.
Presently, firefighters have to manually consult paper street maps to find fires and hydrants before responding to emergencies, he said.
The hydrant project is a partnership between the township, Middlesex Water Co. and Woodbridge District 1 Fire Department. The water company is providing the GPS equipment and the fire department has provided two workers, Fire Inspectors Matt Lokos and Tom McNamara.
The water company plans to share data with the fire department and the township, said Dennis Doll, Middlesex Water Co. president.
The full township-wide GIS program is expected to be completed within two to three years, the mayor said. Two of the five phases of the project have already been completed, he said, and the remaining projects are up for bid. Money for the program comes from the township's Capital Improvement Fund, he said.
Doll said the water company plans to extend the GPS project to the other municipalities it serves, including Avenel, Carteret, Colonia, Edison, Fords, Hopelawn, Iselin, Keasbey, Menlo Park, Metuchen, Port Reading, Sewaren, South Amboy and South Plainfield.
"GIS is something that us utilities are focused on across the country," the water company president said. "It has critical value."
Home News Tribune Online 04/11/06
WOODBRIDGE — WOODBRIDGE AND SEWAREN residents can get the benefits of a trip to the firehouse with just a click of the mouse now that the Woodbridge Fire Department has launched a Web site.
The site, www.woodbridgefireprevention.org, offers downloadable applications for event permits, home-safety checklists, home fire-escape plans and fire-safety information for youngsters.
The site also offers forms for businesses to update emergency contact information, and evacuation forms residents can fill out to notify firefighters — who have access to laptop computers in fire trucks — if someone in the home has a medical condition and needs assistance getting out. The forms must be returned to the Woodbridge Fire Department once completed.
Arielle Levin Becker
