Manalapan Township Fire Co. #1 Trains Weekly to Serve Community

The Manalapan Township Fire Co. #1 gathered on Monday, Oct. 17, for their weekly department training session, and Patch was invited as part of their new Community Outreach Program. 

During these sessions, the volunteer firefighters engage in lifelike situations that prepare them for scenarios where their services are needed.  According to Fire Chief Ryan Perrone, who has been at the fire department for 20 years, these simulations can include anything from impaired vision to smoke and actual fire.  These training sessions are refresher courses for some and new experiences for others.

During the training session on Monday, Capt. Mike Gesualdo, First Lieutenant Mike Auletta, and Second Lieutanant Elliot Belote set up a room where the firefighters were to work in teams of two to overcome several obstacles.

The firefighters were dressed in full gear and used oxygen tanks to breathe.  Crumpled wax paper was also placed inside of their masks to simulate smoke, which would impair their vision.  Each team was able to successfully complete the drill.

With around 30 active members, the team has been working hard to protect their citizens all year, which was exceptionally busy because of Hurricane Irene, according to Perrone, “that definitely shot the call volume up.”

On Halloween, the team is planning on “reverse trick-or-treating”, where they will be riding around in a fire truck handing out candy to children.  “We’re trying to make more of a presence in the community,” said Belote.

In the past, the company has hosted blood drives averaging around 100 pints an event, visited schools to demonstrate at-home-fire-safety, and held fire extinguisher training for adults.  The team hopes to keep getting more involved in the future.

They also hosted their annual open house during the first week of October, which has been going on for 10 years.

At the end of the session, the members gathered to discuss how the drill went.  Gesualdo lead the discussion with constructive criticism as well as compliments, followed by a group dinner.

Overall, the firefighters were pleased with the outcome of the drill.  As Gesualdo said “Everybody came together and got it done.”