Joint Effort Expands Summit Firefighters' Auto Rescue Training

Summit and Millburn Fire Departments recently teamed up with Newark Fire Department to use their facilities and equipment for four days of specialized vehicle extrication and rescue training.

Summit Fire Chief Joseph J. Houck said Summit and Millburn have worked closely together for many years and have participated in an annual joint training for the past seven years, which has only benefited the firefighters since they often work together. But since neither department has the proper facility for quality auto extrication training and only get that experience on the highway, they partnered with Newark to use their facility. 

“[Newark Fire] Chief [John G.] Centanni and the special operations group were more than willing to not only provided us with cars, but provide us with a state-of-the-art facility,” Houck said during the last common council meeting. “We had an opportunity in the morning to run a few evolutions and really get a refresher of not only our tools, which we use on a regular basis, but we got the opportunity to use the different brand tools that Millburn uses and some of the specialized rescue equipment Newark has.”

All three departments are located close to Route 78 and are sometimes called to the same scene to get people out of their vehicles after an accident. 

“It wasn’t too long ago we had a complicated extrication on Rt. 78 and sure enough, we had Millburn as we normally do, Springfield, Elizabeth,” Houck said. “Eventually it wound up [being] a hot day and we had Newark Special Operations come up and assist us.”

Houck said the instructors at the Newark facility did an outstanding job, making each drill tougher for the next crew.

“A drill of this magnitude would have never been pulled off in Summit,” he said.

Millburn Fire Chief Michael Roberts said his department and Newark have a close working relationship, although not as close as the relationship with Summit. Regardless, Roberts said Chief Centanni spearheaded a new paradigm for how different fire departments can work together.

“We’re the envy of area departments that just don’t have this opportunity,” Roberts said. “I only look as good as the people I work with, and I have an outstanding training captain. I do want to thank the City of Summit for their support.”

Chief Centanni said the drills took place on hot days and he expected the drills to be stopped. However, once he went down there, he found that the drills were still going and no one made any complaints.

The Newark Fire Department has done a lot of collaboration with area departments over the years, and it hasn’t always been recognized, Centanni said. 

Newark Fire Department also has a regional response responsibility due to their location, size and some of their homeland security commitments, Centanni said, so it only helps to collaborate with other departments in the area.

“Seeing as that we’re able to be here in front of you, and I saw some of your faces down there, that’s good for the fire service,” Centanni said. “Myself and my fire director and our administration feel that whenever we have the opportunity to do joint training and the ability to have boots on the ground working together, it’s only going to help everybody in the region.”

Centanni said he is looking forward to working with Summit and Millburn Fire departments again in the future.