EAST ROCKAWAY, N.Y. – The Incorporated Village of East Rockaway approved the East Rockaway Fire Department to offer mutual aid and assistance to fellow suburban New Yorkers fighting wildfires in the Lower Hudson Valley. The deployment was coordinated through the Office of the Nassau County Fire Marshal.
Mayor Gordon Fox advised that ERFD was part of a task force sent to Orange County on Friday, November 15, 2024 with potential ones possible in the future given the severity of the wildfire and the needs of neighbors. Vigilant Engine Company No. 1 deployed Engine 404 along with additional assets and personnel from the Baldwin Fire Department, Elmont Fire Department, and Oceanside Fire Department.
“Mutual aid is a cornerstone of the volunteer firefighting community. The Village of East Rockaway and our brave firefighters are proud to assist many of the same communities and volunteer fire departments that came to the aid of East Rockaway neighbors after Superstorm Sandy. This collaboration ensures that no community stands alone in times of crisis, and we are committed to doing our part to protect fellow New Yorkers’ lives and property across the Metro New York area,” Mayor Fox said.
East Rockaway Fire Department Chief Shane Vesce noted that Ex-Chief Gene Torborg led the East Rockaway contingent of numerous volunteer firefighters who crewed Engine 404. The engine departed Main Street early in the morning on November 15. It took over an hour and a half for the engine to arrive safely to the staging area. After an operations briefing was assigned, ERFD personnel took the apparatus to the provided location to provide structure protection with other mutual aid engines.
The first responders from Long Island worked in unfamiliar land which they had trained for: severe undulations in the terrain provided unique challenges to the crews as they set up for operations. They performed well, assisting the local departments throughout the entire day protecting structures and assisting in hitting hot spots in difficult to reach areas.
