BERKELEY – It’s in a firefighter’s blood to race to the scene of a fire and help those in need. Sometimes that takes them across the country.
Two members of the Bayville Volunteer Fire Company, Chief John McKay and firefighter Antonio Nieves, travelled to California on January 27 to help with the Palisades Fire and the Eaton Fire.
They are part of the New Jersey All-Hazards Incident Management Team. This is a highly trained statewide group administered and managed by the New Jersey Office of Emergency Management that responds to complex incidents and events nationwide.
McKay served as Operations Section Chief while Nieves served as Finance Section Chief. Rather than fighting fires, their job is strategic planning, organization, and coordination – helping local, state, and federal agencies manage long-term recovery efforts and ensure communities have the resources they need to rebuild stronger than before.
They are part of a team overseeing the removal of debris and the reinstallation of critical infrastructure such as utilities, McKay said. They are also making sure homes are safe before families return to look for valuables. A house could have household hazardous materials like propane tanks that are vulnerable and could cause injury. There are a lot of electric cars and the batteries are dangerous when damaged.
About 18,000 structures were affected by the fires, McKay said in a phone interview in early February while still on site.
There are a lot of hands on deck right now, including the Federal Emergency Management Agency, California’s emergency crews, the Army Corps of Engineers, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and more.
“It’s good to see county, state and federal resources working together and helping each other,” he said.
The departure of the team from all throughout New Jersey is a powerful reminder of the sacrifices first responders make – leaving behind their families, friends, and daily duties to serve wherever they are needed most, McKay said. While they will be miles away, their courage, dedication, and compassion will be felt both in California and here at home, where their selfless service makes us all proud.
