From Fires to Floods: Inside Brigantine’s 24/7 Emergency Response

Brigantine Fire Department and EMS provides all hazard response services for residents and visitors alike.

text ANTHONY J. MAZZIOTTI III • photos PROVIDED BY FIRE DEPARTMENT AND KELLY & CRAIG PHOTOGRAPHY

The protective helmet worn when physically fighting firess isn’t the only hat that members of the Brigantine Fire Department wear. In fact, to say that the members of the fire department are "just fire fighters" would be a disservice to all those who put on the uniform.

"We're an all hazards department," Chief Paul Fuller explained. "If something happens, you're calling the fire department."

Truth is, there's no call too big or small for the Brigantine Fire Department. Smoke alarm on the fritz? Call the fire department. Need a lift assist? You know who to call. Gas leak? Arcing wires? A rescue mission on the water? Brigantine Fire Department is there around the clock.

"If you have an issue we're going to come out and help figure out what we need to do," Fuller said. "Even if it's minor. Someone once called for ducks in a storm drain - we came out and got the ducks out safely."

The Brigantine Fire Department is made up of 35 full-time members who work in four platoons of eight on a 24 hour on, 72 hour off schedule. Each member is also a certified EMT as well - from the chief to the newest recruit, they are all combination firefighter-EMTs. Some members are certified divers and operate a dive team, whereas others are certified fire inspectors, investigators or instructors.

"We're cross trained in a lot of areas," Fuller added.

Being an all hazards response team backed with full-time members available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year makes for an elite service to the island.

"If you call 911, someone will be there to answer. We take pride in that. We're a service to the residents and all its visitors." He explained.

While Fuller and his team pride themselves on being jacks of all trades, they are still masters of one - fighting fires. To keep their skills sharp they participate in an annual live burn training at the Atlantic County Fire Academy.

The live burn training sounds like exactly what it is - there is a building at the fire academy that is specifically designed to be burnt and it gives the firefighters an opportunity to train with real fire and smoke in dangerous conditions.

"It's something we do to maintain our skills. It gets to be more muscle memory, you become more proficient, faster and better at your job," Fuller said.

The live burn training allows the members to build communication with each other, it gives them an avenue to understand how to run and connect their hoses to make sure the water is pumping where it needs to be in a situation where the stakes are as high as they would be in real life.

Keeping your skills sharp to be more proficient is truly the name of the game when fighting a fire. According to Fuller, a fire doubles in size every minute.

"It can get out of control pretty quick," he explained. "Time is of the essence; you can't get time back."

At the end of the day it's all about providing the best service to the citizens of Brigantine and its visitors. Whether it's an annual live burn training to make sure their skills are sharp when it comes to fighting fires or hosting a CPR class to make sure as many residents have a basic understanding of CPR to assist in case of a heart attack - providing top notch service in any situation is what the Brigantine Fire Department hangs their hat on.

"We make sure we're highly trained and efficient in what we do," Fuller said. "It goes back to servicing the community. We're not just here for emergencies, we're here to help and educate."