Northern New Jersey: Flood Rescues

BY ALFRED GERBER III

The media had been warning the entire east Coast about Hurricane Sandy with such hype that, when the storm finally struck, everyone thought they were ready. The local Office of Emergency Management (OEM) was preparing a relocation center and a place where citizens could get provisions as well as coordinate with the county OEM for any long-term needs and assistance. The local first-aid corps was making sure its members had enough equipment on high ground, and fire departments were prepped with boats and pumps alongside their firefighting and rescue tasks. Each agency had numerous safety meetings prior to the beginning of the storm; it seemed as if it would just be a long, hard night.

On October 29, 2012, at around 4 p.m., 12 hours of high winds ranging from 40 to 75 miles per hour (mph) with gusts of more than 90 mph started sweeping the area. As a result, fire departments began responding to down wires, fallen trees, and transformer explosions and fires. Just when we thought we had it all under control, another series of high winds kept us busy throughout the night. The real trouble started after the winds began to diminish; they had created a tremendous surge along the coastline, and the ocean poured into the bay. The bay then poured into the rivers, and the rivers began to expand into the local communities along their banks.

(1) Union Avenue in Little Ferry, one mile from the Hackensack River, 2½ days after the storm. (Photos by author.)

By 10 p.m., Main Street in Little Ferry, New Jersey, had become a tributary of the Hackensack River; it flowed through the streets and into backyards and basements. Moonachie experienced the same effects: Water streamed through the industrial section of town and into its residential areas.

Little Ferry and Moonachie are approximately one square mile each and are privy to the effects of Mother Nature; both are in the Hackensack Meadowlands area along the Hackensack River. Unfortunately, Mother Nature released her fury as never before, and the two towns became disaster areas.

As previously mentioned, both towns are no strangers to flooded streets and basements or the occasional need to relocate citizens. Their fire departments are well versed in the basement pump-out detail. But this time, thousands of people were relocated, and more than half of the emergency responders wound up with their own devastating situations in their own homes. Some lost everything and will never be able to return. One Little Ferry Fire Department (LFFD) firefighter was almost trapped in his below-grade basement after the window blew in from the pressure of the water outside his house. Meanwhile, his wife was in the garage when the garage overhead door failed; the immediate rush of water knocked her down and threw her against the back wall. Both were extremely fortunate to get out.

Prior to the water rising, another LFFD firefighter stopped by his home for assurance, but moments later he was evacuating his family as water began to fill his apartment, submerging everything and causing so much damage that he was forced to relocate permanently.

Many people cannot explain their experiences without becoming emotional. We hear about bad situations all the time, and the firefighters are always prepared to assist in any way possible. But this time, we were the victims. In less than five minutes, the streets went from being wet to in some places being more than five feet deep with a combination of fresh, salt, and sewer water.

I am a 35-year fire service veteran, and I have frequently dealt with challenging situations that test knowledge and skills to the utmost, but this time, only five minutes after water began to inundate the neighborhood, there was an overwhelming feeling of defeat as never before. It was time to just let Nature take its course and get out of its way.

The next day provided a tremendous sense of hope, as people worked together to help each other out just as the emergency services do; towns from as far as 30 miles away assisted in the evacuation efforts. Fire, EMS, local and state police, and the National Guard were all working together under the guidance and dispatch of the county OEM that had organized its command center in Teterboro, just west of Little Ferry. Other resources such as the Red Cross and Salvation Army were helping bring in provisions for victims, and many church groups were offering assistance in the victims’ cleanup efforts.

(2) The kitchen of the Little Ferry Hook and Ladder #1 after the cleanup began and crews started rebuilding.

Reality did not set in for many of the residents of the two submerged towns until the cleanup began. In the past, storms have left much of the area underwater, but never had there been such devastation and destruction, which was magnified with the loss of all communications. Many questions went unanswered until the cell towers were back in service days later. Electrical power was out in most of the area for two weeks; some residents were without power for more than a month.

A glimmer of hope came as the first adjusters started to arrive. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) representatives went house to house explaining to residents the procedures for filing a claim. Surprisingly, the first to act were the auto insurance adjusters; there were an estimated 10,000 vehicles in Little Ferry damaged by the storm and more than 250,000 throughout the state. One adjuster stated, “You can’t get back on your feet if you can’t get to work. I’m going to get you there.” It was a statement that proved to be very positive for many people. Other adjusters left many residents frustrated; the adjusters claimed the reason they were there was to look for wind damage; they were not concerned with the damage caused by the storm surge. There is a legitimate reason for carrying flood insurance because just about every home and business affected by the storm needed a new heating system and water heater.

(3) Besides destroying everything in the firehouse, the high water caused the mandatory removal of all wall coverings. The walls were covered with paneling and pictures of the history of the firehouse and its members.

In the emergency services, we commonly refer to our neighboring services as mutual aid. We help each other and never think twice about it. We realize that we are not the only users of mutual aid; a tow truck driver who was picking up vehicles in one small area was from Kissimmee, Florida, and many of the adjusters were from Texas and Colorado.

LFFD members own the two fire stations that house the town’s equipment and, like the residents, are on their own in an attempt to rebuild the fire stations. The members of each house-Hook and Ladder Company #1 and Hose Company #1-treat these stations as their homes. For 27 of the 60-member department, the devastation was doubled; they had lost basements and/or first floors of their own homes as well as their vehicles and other possessions.

HOW DID THE LFFD HANDLE THE SITUATION?

LFFD Chief Floyd Novak was prepared for the worst as he addressed his members prior to Sandy’s arrival. Earlier in the day, he ordered the ladder company to relocate to the higher-elevated engine company, and he had instructed all to go home and prepare their homes for the storm.

LFFD members assembled at the engine company at around 3:30 p.m., and the winds were just starting to pick up. By 4:00 p.m., the storm hit like a freight train. The first emergency call came moments later, making it official. For the next 5½ hours, the department did not stop working. The winds were causing havoc with electricity poles, wires, and trees. The winds subsided for a brief time at around 10:00 p.m., but then the surge hit the borough. Reports were coming in that there were white caps in the streets. One police patrolman reported that it looked like a tsunami was rolling up Main Street.

Many members were now getting frantic cell phone calls to return to their homes. Most were unable to return to their duties, so Novak initiated the mutual-aid request for assistance. This was not an easy task; the storm was doing damage to every town on the eastern seaboard, and the requests would need to reach towns farther away, which would cause longer response time. By this time, the fire department was forced to evacuate the engine company and work out of the municipal parking lot, from where it would have to evacuate just a short time later.

(4) Three days after the storm. This firehouse is approximately one quarter of a mile from the Hackensack River. The water did not recede for another two days and reached 4½ feet deep inside the firehouse.

Because of the speed at which the saltwater was rising, Novak ordered apparatus drivers not to drive in the water. Everything that had some sort of electrical system or any type of fuel-powered engine that became submerged was totaled. For example, battery-powered flashlights that were not waterproof disintegrated internally once saltwater got inside. Unfortunately, two chief’s vehicles and the department’s utility pickup truck were destroyed.

LFFD Deputy Chief John Ruff evacuated people from the homes that were in the path of the flood waters so they would not become trapped. By the time he responded to his own home, the water had already done its damage. And the worst was yet to come.

Both chiefs’ priority was maintaining the safety of their members. However, the fire service’s duty is to serve the community, and the community was in trouble. However psychologically challenging this was, the chiefs ordered an all-stop and regrouped. This is typically done at a working fire when all firefighting efforts are faltering and no headway is being made. The chiefs were in a “stop, look, and think” mode that, in the long term, kept their troops from getting in harm’s way. The chiefs gave the order that no firefighter was to walk in the water; every action was to be taken by boat. Staffing was the next issue, and Little Ferry’s two boats were not going to get the job done.

Help arrived from outside of the mutual-aid zone from towns that had boats or vehicles designed for high water. The New Jersey State Police arrived with numerous military vehicles, and Virginia US&R personnel were among the many that assisted the two fire departments in their rescue efforts. By this time, the dispatch center had been relocated to the Bergen County Technical High School in Teterboro and was operated by the Bergen County OEM.

Once the storm had passed, the real problems started. This was not the typical “search and rescue and extinguish the fire” situation. We were unable to gain access in any direction without being challenged by numerous hazards such as older homes with furnaces or boiler units with older pilots that did not shut down when submerged, which eventually filled buildings with natural gas; generators improperly wired, causing electrical hazards; missing manhole covers in the streets; unstable structures; and floating debris from miles away. Other hazards included falling trees, wires, and wind-beaten objects.

Panicking residents posed perhaps the most frustrating problem. The ability for most people to use common sense was obscured by the magnitude of the situation; many were bailing out their basements with buckets only to have water rush back in, and there was no other place for the water to go until it naturally found its way back to the river, which would take days.

(5) Prestorm precautions such as raising objects that could be lifted did not prove helpful. The water rose above the level of the kitchen counters and stove in the firehouse kitchen.

To the residents of Little Ferry and Moonachie, the two communities were destroyed, and there was no hope until reports started to come in from the Jersey Shore area regarding how people lost their homes by factors other than water and wind damage. The storm had literally left an empty, wet void where the homes once stood. Reports of deaths and injuries were devastating, and the memories of childhood times on the boardwalk became just that; the reports of its destruction affected all who heard the news. One would say the State of New Jersey was defeated, but New Jersey residents are a special breed of people who started to realize that it could have been worse-much worse-and we were lucky to still be standing on our property and breathing the now salty air.

As the water in the streets started to recede, the sidewalks began to fill with debris, and town administrations ordered open-top dumpsters to be placed on the streets for the residents to fill. While the residents were starting their cleanup, the emergency services were still helping residents to evacuate and make their homes safe.

Without power, the sound of generators filled the air, and the number of orange extension cords streaming from house to house and across the streets was countless. One good neighbor who had the foresight to rent a generator prior to the storm was able to supply six houses with enough power for the refrigerators and pumps. The only problem here was fueling the generator; every gas station in the immediate area was closed because of the power outage. However, with the help of some gas cans and some diligence, the generator never failed in the 12 days it was needed.

Fire department officers who were contacted by members who suffered damage to their homes told them, “Your family comes first. Do not report back until you and your families are taken care of, and do not hesitate to call us if you need assistance.” I was contacted by so many fire service members asking if they could assist in any way that I lost count. Every call I received made a huge difference; it lifted my spirits and made me realize that I am part of the most powerful group of people anyone could imagine.

BROTHERS HELPING BROTHERS

Firefighters from all over were grouping together and responding to the two storm-beaten towns, helping clean out homes and firehouses. Two retired Hackensack (NJ) Fire Department firefighters, one of whom traveled from his home in South Carolina, helped our engine company respond to emergency calls. As previously mentioned, Virginia US&R personnel were in place and ready to respond prior to the storm’s arrival.

The damage to the LFFD and the Moonachie (NJ) Fire Department (MFD) firehouses was extensive; each wall needed to be removed, and everything inside was destroyed. The firehouses are not owned by the municipalities, making members responsible for the repairs. After the water receded and the firefighters’ homes were being repaired, the members began the long, arduous task of assessing the firehouse damage. The main priority was making it possible to get the apparatus back inside. For the LFFD truck company, this meant repairing the overhead doors that had been crushed inward from the water pressure.

The power of the water literally turned the inside of the firehouses upside down. The mixture of the saltwater, sewage, and other materials such as petroleum made the water toxic to anything with which it came in contact. LFFD Hook and Ladder members discovered that all metals were rusting and all paint was peeling away.

The water consumed everything and, unlike past floods, it did not recede into its river. As a result, the firehouse was destroyed. Our first task was to remove the building’s contents so an assessment could be made. After expecting the worst, we found just that, and the members began ripping out the walls. Every wall removed revealed more damage, as mold was already growing inside. The more mold we found, the more walls we had to remove.

Do not think that you cannot do anything to improve the firehouse prior to the insurance adjuster’s inspection; there are many things that can help mitigate problems. For example, power wash anything that can harbor mold. You will not create any more damage, and you will make the demolition a little safer. Do not remove any insured items such as the furnace or stove; you can make the areas safer by eliminating corrosive water and tripping hazards.

The rebuilding starts with assessing what needs to be removed and then replaced. Most importantly, know your funding, and create a budget; volunteer firehouses not owned by the municipality put the entire burden on the membership of each house. The task to acquire funding may take as long as, if not longer than, the rebuilding itself.

Some volunteer organizations such as Habitat for Humanity and Rebuilding Together Bergen County help residents rebuild their homes after natural disasters strike. The latter is comprised of contractors who donate their time and skill in an attempt to get people back on their feet. Local Rotary Clubs assemble the contractors and help get local businesses to donate supplies needed for the contractors to get the job done. They have graciously helped repair LFFD Hook and Ladder’s water-damaged electrical system and interior walls; this is the first firehouse this organization is rebuilding. Once they have completed the wiring and walls, LFFD members will have a clean slate with which to make the firehouse functional again. Once finished with the Hook and Ladder firehouse, the organization will move on to the LFFD’s Hose Company and start the process all over again. The Rebuilding Together Bergen County group is also rebuilding more than 20 Moonachie homes and countless homes along the New Jersey shore.

Just two weeks after the storm ripped through the area, the Lodi (NJ) and Wallington (NJ) Fire Departments (LFD and WFD) announced that they were running a benefit beefsteak fundraiser for the Little Ferry and Moonachie emergency services. The benefit was held just six weeks later in the Lodi Boys Club and drew more than 500 people. On January 12, 2013, the officers and members of the LFD and WFD turned over the proceeds of the event to the two stricken towns earmarked for the repairs of their buildings.

Assistance from as far away as California is making its way to the emergency services. Life Gear has made a donation of blankets and flashlights to LFFD members, and International Association of Fire Fighters locals are helping the volunteers to get back on their feet with physical and monetary help.

Firefighters are a breed of their own. No matter what the situation is, they are there to assist not only the residents of their communities but also each other. Many articles and books can be written and read regarding the brotherhood to describe its power and to tell the many stories, but one will never be able to appreciate the true power of the brotherhood until one is on the receiving end of trouble. It’s a tremendous feeling to be the one who is there to help others and be part of a solution to a problem, but it is most humbling when the brotherhood is there for you.

There will be times when you may not be able help your brother or sister in need. I ask you to understand the power of communications. Your physical presence may be impossible, but being able to talk to someone is sometimes more powerful than you may think. We are all human, and every little bit helps.

● ALFRED GERBER III is a 35-year fire service veteran and the safety and training officer with the Little Ferry (NJ) Hook and Ladder Company #1. He is also a former chief of the department. Gerber is a senior fire instructor for the Bergen County Law and Public Safety Institute in Mahwah, New Jersey, where he has spent the past 25 years creating and delivering fire safety programs for the fire service, industry, and the general public. Gerber has also presented several programs at FDIC.