photo courtesy Oakland FD website
There were no reported injuries at the fire in Franklin Lakes which began in a garage and spread to the house. The Franklin Lakes Fire Department was assisted by firefighters from Wyckoff FD and Oakland FD. This area of Franklin Lakes has limited access to fire hydrants and tanker trucks were employed to fight the fire. The Wyckoff FD website reports that over 6700 feet of 5 inch hose was needed to reach the nearest hydrant.
The majority of American towns are protected by volunteer firefighters like those servicing the FLOW townships. In 2006, fire departments responded to 412,500 home fires in the United States. This is the highest number of fires in the last ten years, but the lowest number of people being killed or injured. 2,580 civilians died in fires and 12,925 were injured during the 2006 period. This number does not reflect the 106 firefighters who died in 2006.
Deaths from fires and burns are the fifth most common cause of unintentional injury deaths. In 2006, someone in the United States died in a fire about every 162 minutes, and someone was injured every 32 minutes; and, most fire deaths occur in the home. Communal thanks to all the volunteer firefighters who put their lives on the line to keep our communities safe.
The history of volunteer fire departments in America can be traced back to men like Ben Franklin and George Washington who both took active roles in establishing volunteer fire departments in their communities. All three towns in the FLOW area are seeking members; readers can learn more by visiting the links on this page.