Neptune Fire Commissioner Doug Rowell spoke about Fire Prevention Month, which is observed during the month of October. He began by relating the significance of this month as the anniversaries of the Great Chicago fire and the Peshtigo fire, both of which occurred in October 1871, resulting in thousands of fatalities and massive destruction.
He encouraged us to Look/Listen/Learn to help prevent fires in our homes and businesses:
Look – pay attention to the top 3 causes of fires; cooking, heating systems, and electrical
Listen – smoke alarms should be tested every month, the battery replaced every year, and completely replaced every 10 years
Learn – have at least 2 ways out of each room
He also shared photos of the causes and results of some local fires, which went a long way to motivate us all to take a good look around our homes with an eye towards fire prevention.
Our members making a difference by volunteering at fulfill (Foodbank of Monmouth/Ocean county).
What an honor it was to welcome Sgt. Rich Ashkar of the New Jersey State Police. Sgt. Ashkar has been a Trooper for 11 years, and is currently a training instructor at the New Jersey State Police Academy located in Sea Girt. In its 97th year as an organization, the Police Academy is a stress-inducing environment that prepares men and women to respond appropriately in their protection of our citizens. The importance of discipline in everything from how laundry is folded to thoroughly investigating crimes is taught and evaluated in every student. Sgt. Ashkar is the boxing instructor. The rationale for the student to be in the boxing ring has to do with his/her response to situations during an adrenaline rush, which boxing induces. These rushes can obscure the thought process and creates tunnel vision, and instructors must know how each recruit responds. A student must complete two bouts using technique and defense, even if they don’t win the bout. His explanation of how a law enforcement officer must respond to an accelerating situation was extremely helpful and he probably had much more to share with us had time allowed. (Shouldn’t we have him back?)
