Tuesday, February 5, 2013
Michael Dingelstedt takes oath of office at Maplewood Township Committee meeting; also sworn in are new deputy chief and captain.
Michael Dingelstedt offically became Maplewood's new fire chief at Tuesday night's Maplewood Township Committee meeting. Township Clerk Elizabeth Fritzen gave the oath of office to Dingelstedt as his family, friends, and fellow Maplewood firefighters looked on. Dingelstedt, who said he was "overwhelmed," thanked his wife, Nancy and daughters, who were in the audience. He also expressed gratitude to outgoing Chief Joseph Richardella, for his leadership and friendship throughout the years. Dingelstedt said he and Richardella have been friends since high school. Also sworn in were Capt. Joseph Callaghan to Deputy Chief (replacing Dingelstedt), and William Heerwagen, Jr., a firefighter who was promoted to captain. Callaghan thanked his …
Wednesday, January 30, 2013
Fire causes minor damage to new Maplewood restaurant; no injuries reported.
An early morning grease fire caused smoke damage to a Springfield Avenue restaurant early Wednesday morning, according to Capt. Joseph Callaghan of the Maplewood Fire Department. Heavy smoke billowed through Soul Terrific at 1553 Springfield Ave., said Callaghan, requiring evacuation of residents from the second-floor apartments at the rear of the building. There were no injuries reported. Firefighters quickly extinguished the fire, which was caused by a deep fat fryer that had been left on, Callaghan said. Maplewood firefighters were assisted by the South Orange and Irvington Fire Departments. Reached by phone, Soul Terrific owner John Williams said there was a lot of clean up, but no significant damage. "We will be closed for a few …
Tuesday, January 22, 2013
Michael Dingelstedt will be sworn in on Feb. 5.
Recently, Deputy Chief Michael Dingelstedt was chosen to be the Maplewood Fire Department's new Chief. He will replace Fire Chief Joseph Richardella, who will retire on Jan. 31. A 31-year veteran of the Maplewood Fire Department, Dingelstedt recently was honored by the department for his service and for his role helping the families of injured or deceased firefighters to navigate the pension and benefit system. Dingelstedt will be sworn in as Chief at the Maplewood Township Committee meeting on Feb. 5, along with Joseph Callaghan who is being promoted to Deputy Chief and William Heerwagen Jr. who is being promoted to Captain. Patch recently interviewed Dingelstedt by email and phone. Here are his responses. 1) What changes do you plan …
Thursday, January 10, 2013
Driver escapes with minor injuries; passenger is uninjured.
A woman was injured when a car she was driving veered off the road and struck a tree at Parker Avenue and Peachtree Road early Thursday morning, according to Capt. Joseph Callaghan of the Maplewood Fire Department. The woman and a passenger were on their way home from work when the car, a Honda Accord veered off the road, struck a tree and overturned, said Callaghan. The passenger was able to get out of the car through the rear window, but the driver was trapped in her seat, he said. The Fire Department, Maplewood Police Department and Maplewood First Aid Squad responded to the scene, and were able to remove the driver from the car without using pneumatic rescue tools. The driver might have fallen asleep at the wheel, said Callaghan, who…
Saturday, December 29, 2012
No major injuries reported, according to Fire Department.
Four people suffered minor injuries when two cars collided early Saturday morning, sending one car careening into a house on Rutgers Street, according to Capt. Joseph Callaghan of the Maplewood Fire Department. The cars crashed into each other on Rutgers Street near Lexington Avenue at 3:30 a.m. on Saturday, said Callaghan. One car careened into a house, while the other came to rest on a lawn next to the same house, he said. The fire department and the Maplewood First Aid Squad helped the four people out of the cars, said Callaghan. All four people had minor injuries and were transported to a nearby hospital for evaluation, and the house suffered minor damage, he said.
Wednesday, December 5, 2012
Annual awards are given out at Tuesday's Township Committee meeting
Tuesday night's Maplewood Township Committee meeting was filled with proud family members of two kinds: the wives and children of the firefighters being honored, and the tightknit "family" of the Maplewood Fire Department. "I appreciate the sacrifices the families (of the firefighters) make," said Fire Chief Joseph Richardella, who called the firefighters "everyday heroes." Richardella noted the "unprecedented disaster" of Superstorm Sandy, "but no matter what was thrown at us we handled it." "Firefighters are reluctant to accept recognition for merely doing their jobs," said Capt. Joseph Callaghan, who presented the awards. The members of Platoon 2 -- Peter Lee, Alex Colatruglio, Rick Salkowski, Kevin Hayes and Ron Silbernagel -- were…
Tuesday, December 4, 2012
Two Toyota Corollas collide at same intersection where pedestrians were hit last week.
Two cars collided at the intersection of Boyden Avenue and Parker Avenue at around 10:45 Tuesday morning, according to the Maplewood Fire Department and the Maplewood Police Department. Firefighters rescued the driver of a grey Toyota Corolla —a woman — from the car with the jaws of life. She complained of neck pain and was transported to University Hospital. "It took a little while to get her out, because of the damage to the car," said Fire Capt. Joseph Callaghan, who was on the scene. Callaghan said the impact had thrown the woman from the driver's seat to the passenger side of the car. The other driver, a man who was driving a blue Toyota Corolla, was not injured, said police. The woman was driving south on Boyden Avenue and the man …
Friday, November 2, 2012
Maplewood Fire Chief gives tips about generators, candles.
Maplewood Fire Chief Joseph Richardella offered the following key tips on how to stay safe in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy. Generators: Hot Water Heaters and Stoves: Fireplaces/Candles: Also, a reminder: Sunday is the end of Daylight Savings Time, where we turn clocks back one hour. It is also a good time to remember to check the batteries in your smoke detectors.
Thursday, October 4, 2012
Firefighters urge residents to "Have Two Ways Out" in case of fire.
- POLICE & FIRE
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Thursday, October 4, 2012
The following is from the Maplewood Fire Department: If you woke up to a fire in your home, how much time do you think you would have to get to safety? According to the nonprofit National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), one-third of Americans households who made and estimate they thought they would have at least 6 minutes before a fire in their home would become life threatening. Unfortunately, the time available is often less. That’s why the Maplewood Fire Department is teaming up with NFPA during Fire Prevention Week, October 7-13, 2012, to urge residents to “Have Two Ways Out!” This year’s theme focuses on the importance of fire escape planning and practice. In 2010, U.S. fire departments responded to 369,500 home structure …
Saturday, September 22, 2012
Fire department removed two people from vehicle and put out engine fire.
A car crashed into a residence on Valley Street near the corner of Parker Avenue across from Columbia High School this afternoon, injuring the driver and causing minor damage to the building, according to police and fire officials. The accident occurred at 2:32 p.m. on Friday, shortly before high school dismissal. The car went over the sidewalk under the cyclone fence of a vacant lot next door to the multi-family house on the 400 block of Valley Street, striking the front porch and setting the engine compartment on fire, said Deputy Chief Walter Nugent of the Maplewood Fire Department. Engine 32 and Rescue Squad 37 responded to the scene. The South Orange Fire Department provided mutual aid. Fire fighters quickly extinguished the engine …
James Lawson
2:18 pm on Friday, January 25, 2013
I think that this was a great decision. He is a great guy. more ›