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Laurence Harbor, N.J. - While residents of Laurence Harbor and other nearby towns enjoy the community’s beach in the summer months, the fun and excitement of summertime comes with certain risk factors, and therefore a variety of fire and rescue calls for the Laurence Harbor Fire Department.

Members of Laurence Harbor — made up of all volunteers — must be capable of both water rescue missions and fire suppression if and when a call comes in.

“As a department, we face interesting challenges geographically,” Chief Brian Stitzel said. “We’re in close proximity to major cities, popular shore towns and of course our own beach community, so we see a variety of water emergencies.”

Rescue and fire suppression drills are held annually, typically early in the summer. The drills are to help ensure that the department as a whole is prepared for any calls that come in from the shore.

Laurence Harbor members will change into a water suit on the way to the call and are ready to jump onto a rescue boat and dive into the water if necessary. Members need to be capable of running hoses down from the fire engines on land to the docks to put out the boat fire, as well as able to run the fire pump.

Besides the water rescue and fire suppression training, some members need to be trained to operate the actual rescue vehicles. Laurence Harbor has two boats – Marine 1, which is a 23-foot center console boat used for water rescue and fire suppression, and Marine 2, a 16-foot AB boat used for water rescue only.

The department as a whole must be fully prepared for calls that come in from the shore, which means that a certain percentage of members need to be qualified and ready for each task.

“It’s a totally different aspect of fire service,” Stitzel said. “There’s various weather factors to worry about.”

The weather — hot, cold, windy — and water conditions such as current and water temperature can all effect navigation during rescues.

Other factors of a rescue or fire suppression are the amount of people who need to be rescued as well as the other boats that may be nearby.

The department recently received a call for a boat taking on water — the boat was having engine difficulties — 10 people were on a boat regulated for no more than five people. The call came in at night, which affected the ability to see while navigating to the boat. Fortunately, with the help of other nearby teams in the surrounding area, everybody was brought to safety and there were no injuries or casualties.

Another unique aspect of being a Laurence Harbor firefighter is fighting forest fires. Unlike water rescues, forest fires are most prevalent in the spring and the fall, though Stitzel said this summer has been an exception because of a lack of rain.

The New Jersey Forest Fire Service holds a hands-on training course every year for new firefighters that is dedicated to preventing a brush or forest fire from expanding. Firefighters are trained on how to eliminate any potential items that would fuel a fire, such as dead leaves, pine needles, grass clippings or branches. These items are all forest fuels and result in a bigger, stronger fire.

There’s also a course dedicated to providing structural protection to buildings or homes that are in the vicinity of an active wildfire.

The general public can help out by always being aware of their surroundings. Stitzel says that those who own boats should have the knowledge and ability to operate their boat, and also pay attention to regulations (such as weight limit or boat capacity).

“Always be aware of your surroundings and be careful. Don’t operate a boat unless you are trained to do so,” said Stitzel.

And when it comes to fireworks, the chief says to leave it to the professionals. There are plenty of great firework displays in the area throughout the summer.

The department received a call on the Fourth of July; sparks from illegal fireworks caught brush behind somebody’s home and caught a large amount of dead leaves that were dumped. Fortunately, no houses caught fire, but it very well could have been worse.

“Dropping grass clippings, leaves and branches in your backyard is stacking additional fuel. If there’s a fire, there is more of a chance that it will get bigger and expand,” Stitzel explained.

Laurence Harbor Fire Department is seeking motivated individuals to join as volunteer firefighters. Volunteers can expect to participate in training sessions and contribute to administrative duties across the department. Visit www.lhfd1.com- to learn more and complete an inquiry form. “We offer the best training for any emergency, and we look forward to welcoming new volunteers to the department,” Stitzel said.

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