Welcome to Jackson Station 55

Stove Top Fire Damages Kitchen of Gomberg Avenue Home

A Gomberg Avenue home was damaged by a fire that started on a stove top range on Wednesday evening, May 25, 2011.  Firefighters from the Jackson Volunteer Fire Company No. 1 Station 55 were in the process of a training drill at the main fire station less than one mile from the home when the fire occurred.  Station 55 fire crews quickly picked up from the drill and responded to the fire.  As per standard protocol for a structure fire in the township, two fire companies were dispatched, in this case Station 55 and the Jackson Mills Fire Company Station 54.  Chief Timothy J. Carson 5500 and Assistant Chief Mike Waters 5510 were the first to arrive.  Fire Command was established and Engine 5541, Engine 5521, and Rescue 5503 were on the scene in minutes. Jackson Mills Engine 5411 stood by at the nearby hydrant position for water supply if needed.

The fire was confined to the stove, an overhead range vent/fan unit, and the adjacent kitchen cabinets.  Firefighters from Stations 55 and 54 checked the entire kitchen for fire extension and any other heat damage.  Fire crews remained on the scene for about 30 minutes clearing the home of the smoke and also carbon monoxide which is produced by fires.

Jackson Mills Fire Official John Burmeister 18407 responded to the scene for the fire investigation.  The Jackson First Aid Squad and Jackson Police Department also responded.  There were no injuries.

Station 55 volunteers handled a record 31 emergency calls in about 12 hours during a ferocious winter storm on Saturday March 13 that saw high winds, heavy rain and just generally bad weather pummel the township. Starting around 1230 hours on Saturday afternoon, Ocean County Fire dispatched Station 55 on a succession of emergency calls that ranged from trees, poles and wires down, leaking roofs, smoke in residence, flooded basements, Carbon Monoxide, and building fire alarms.

At one point, the National Weather Service stated that peak wind gusts exceeded 75 miles per hour in the local vicinity. Street signs were flattened, roof flashing materials torn up, and wind-driven rain resulted in a tremendous volume of calls for service from local residents and business owners. Even the Post Office suffered damage from a leaking roof with water seeping into electrical fixtures. Many other residents lost electrical service due to the number of primary and secondary power lines being knocked down by falling trees and branches.

At numerous times during the 12 hour period, every piece of apparatus operated by Station 55 and even fire district pick-ups were all dispatched and assigned to emergency calls. The Jackson Office of Emergency Management assisted the Ocean County Fire dispatchers with logistics and emergency communications as the call volume increased significantly during several peak hours of storm activity. Each emergency agency in the town — Police, First Aid Squad, Quality EMS, CERT, and all four town fire departments worked together to ensure the safety of the residents of Jackson.