Albano, Milam Law Creates Firefighter Recognition Day
By Herald Staff

TRENTON — Legislation sponsored by Assemblymen Nelson T. Albano and Matthew W. Milam to honor New Jersey firefighters was signed into law Oct. 2.

The resolution (AJR-52) annually establishes Oct. 2 as “Firefighter Recognition Day” and calls upon communities to form partnerships with local fire departments to develop increased fire safety and prevention awareness.

“Firefighters throughout New Jersey are called upon to serve and protect their fellow citizens by responding to horrendous events and acting heroically to save lives in spite of clear danger to themselves,” Milam said. “They’re routinely subjected to danger and called upon to spend time away from their families and loved ones, so it’s fitting to salute our firefighters and the security they bring us.”

“Since the terrorist attacks on this nation on Sept.11, 2001, firefighters throughout New Jersey have been called upon to make even greater sacrifices to ensure the safety and security of Americans,” Albano added. “Those sacrifices have brought to the forefront their daily courage, so recognizing and appreciating the dedicated service of firefighters is the right thing to do.”

The bill passed the Assembly 76-0 and the Senate 39-0.

Erma Firefighters Art Hayden, Alex Toler, and Chris Karolyi attended a  firefighter Safety and Survival hands-on class on September 18th:
Firefighters Receive Hands-On Training at Annual Convention
By Lauren Suit

WILDWOOD — A team of two firefighters, one armed with an ax and the other with a crowbar, works quickly to force open a door outside Pine Avenue Fire Department.

Despite the absence of real flames and smoke, the scenario was intense. As part of an eight-hour training course, the exercise was designed to educate firefighters on the necessary skills to better prepare them for emergencies they may encounter.

Firefighters from three states signed up to go through a hands-on-training course on Sept. 17, before the start of this weekend's annual New Jersey State Firefighter's Convention.

A training component was added to the annual firefighters gathering last year and this year the program added a second course, both designed to help firefighters do their jobs safely.

Capt. Dan Speigel of the Wildwood Fire Department and Greg Collier, a battalion chief with the Mount Laurel Fire Department, organized the courses. The classes were offered as a joint effort between the Cape May County Fire Chief’s Association, New Jersey Division of Fire Safety and the “Everyone Goes Home” Life Safety Initiative Program.

“What we wanted was to bring training to the convention,” Speigel said. “Firefighters are now coming to the convention specifically because we offer training like this.”

Firefighters learned that the days of kicking down doors were over at the forcible entry class.

“Forcible entry when performed by a trained member or team can mean the difference between a quick knock-down or complete loss,” according to New York Fire Department Brotherhood Instructors. “Utilizing attributes such as knowledge, skill and correct technique instead of simply brute strength will allow passage through today’s forcible entry problems.”

“Some people think that firefighters just like to break stuff when they need to enter or exit a building. This course teaches the correct technique to get safely in and out,” Speigel said as took the Herald for an in-depth tour through the various forcible entry scenarios and descriptions of the “tools of the trade.”

Firefighters learned:
• Force inward and outward opening doors
• Force padlocks using a duck-bill lock breaker, a screwdriver
• Cut a padlock with a power saw
• Perform 10 cuts with a power saw to simulate the removal of window bars
• Practice through the lock techniques on hundreds of locks on display

Across town, another group was learning a self-rescue and survival hands-on-training class, specifically tailored to build confidence and education in the face of life threatening situations at a building on Lincoln Avenue.

The hands-on training simulates conditions in firefighting environments forcing firefighters to cut through walls, climb through small openings, deal with tangled wires and escape through windows.

“We're training firemen how to stay alive and get out of buildings,” said instructor Dan DiRenzo of the Camden County Fire Academy Safety & Survival Unit.

The actual business of the convention gets underway Sept. 18 and continues Sept. 19 followed by the annual parade at 1 p.m.

Services Held for 'Big Al' Christie
By Jack Fichter

ERMA- A funeral service and viewing was held Tuesday Sept. 29 for Lower Township Police Dispatcher Alan Christie.

"Big Al" served the department for 25 years and always looked out for the interest of patrol officers on the street, according to Chief Edward P. Donohue.

Christie was a past member of Townbank Volunteer Fire Department and a founding member of the County Communications Van Response Team.. He collapsed while working in the police communications center several weeks ago and passed away on Sept. 22.

An emergency services personnel, police, fire and rescue pass in review was conducted in Christie's honor  Sept. 29 at the Church of the Nazarene, 446 Seashore Road in Erma. All police, fire and rescue personnel who wished to participate were asked to gather in the church parking lot at 10:30 a.m.

Christie had no immediate family, however, he considered the emergency services personnel of the township and county as his extended family.

A funeral service was conducted at 11 a.m. followed by a procession of emergency vehicles with Christie's ashes to the west end jetty adjacent to the ferry terminal in David Douglass Park.

ERMA-- Lower Township Police are investigating a crash that occurred here at the intersection of Route 9 and Weeks Landing Road on Friday, Aug 14 at 1:40 a.m. The vehicle involved was reported to have overturned in the crash.

The Erma Fire Department and Lower Township Rescue Squad responded to the scene. No serious injuries were reports.

The Cape May County Fire Police was called to the scene to close Route 9 from Sally Marshall to Bennett Crossing while crews worked to clear the wreckage. Route 9 was reopened at 3:05 a.m., according to reports

The fire department was on scene for over four hours. No Injuries were reported.

The accident is under investigation by Lower Township Police.

ERMA-- On Saturday, July 11 at about 5 p.m., Lower Township police received a 9-1-1 call from a frantic juvenile stating that his friend was unconscious and unresponsive in the water at gravel pits behind Wuerker's Farm.

Lower Township police, fire and rescue units responded immediately to the area, however, there are numerous dirt roads leading into the area which contains several fresh water ponds. First responders had difficulty locating the exact pond, according to a Lower Township police press release.

Lower Township Police Officers Darrin Hickok and S/O Michael Iames arrived on scene and jumped in the chest deep water to assist the 14-year-old male victim who was being held in the water by a group of friends swimming with him.

Erma Fire Chief Warner Miller arrived on scene and was able to direct rescuers to the area. Preliminary assessment on scene determined that the juvenile may have suffered a neck injury while swimming.

Other juveniles at the scene advised police that when they pulled their friend from the water, he was unconscious and unresponsive. Several of the juveniles at the scene then performed CPR on their friend while he was still in the water. When officers arrived, he was semi-conscious.

The rescue effort was difficult because the victim was still in the water at the bottom of a 10-foot dirt cliff. Firefighters from Villas and Erma fire companies responded to the scene along with Lower Township Rescue and paramedics. They were able to stabilize the victim in the water, secure him to a rescue stretcher and carrying him up the face of the cliff to an ambulance waiting in the parking lot of the Cape May County Storage Bin Center located on the border of Lower and Middle Townships, off Fulling Mill Road.

Police used bolt cutters to cut a large section of chain link fence surrounding the storage center in order to give rescuers access to the ambulance.

Paramedics and Lower Township Rescue personnel worked on the juvenile who became conscious again. They requested a Medi-Vac helicopter but the mission was aborted due to mechanical problems.

The 14-year-old boy was transported by ground by Lower Township Rescue Squad to Cape Regional Medical Center and later airlifted to Cooper Trauma Center in Camden.

Lower Township Police Chief Edward Donohue, who was on scene, commend the efforts of police, fire and rescue personnel.

"Our thoughts and prayers go out to this young man and his family," he said.

Donohue wants to remind residents that freshwater ponds are unprotected and full of underwater hazards that have the potential to injure swimmers. They are also extremely difficult for first responders to access in the event of emergencies.

Police are not identifying the juvenile, stating only that he is from Middle Township

ERMA — A 5-year-old boy was airlifted to Cooper University Hospital Trauma Center, Camden, after a Friday, June 26 accident at Beachcomber Campground about 1 p.m.

According to a Lower Township police release, a report was received that a young child had been struck by a golf cart in the campground on Seashore Road.

Officers arrived on scene to render aid, and saw the young victim on the ground near the golf cart.

On investigating, it was discovered that a 4-year-old male had climbed onto the cart and caused the vehicle to lurch forward, striking the 5-year-old child.

The 5-year-old boy was pinned between the golf cart and a telephone pole lying on the ground. He sustained injuries to his head and extremities, according to police. He was conscious and alert when being transported.

Lower Township Rescue treated the boy prior to transferring him by helicopter to the trauma unit at Cooper University Medical Center, Camden.

When police investigated further, it was disclosed that the electric golf cart was p arked in the campground and the child had climbed into the cart and activated the key mechanism, which caused the accident.

Members of Erma Volunteer Fire Company and Lower Township Rescue Squad provided assistant at the scene and treated the victim.

Patrol Officer Jennifer Anzelone, Patrol Officer Robert Fessler and Patrol Officer William McPherson investigated the accident.

The flight crew reported the victim to be in stable condition with head and arm injuries.

5-1-09 Car Wash, 9am - 1pm at the firehouse Breakwater & Shunpike Rds.
(Rain date, 5-16-09)

6-13-09 Car Wash, 9am - 1pm at the firehouse Breakwater & Shunpike Rds.
(Rain Date, 6-14-09)

6-27-09 Car Wash, 9am - 1pm at the firehouse Breakwater & Shunpike Rds.
(Rain Date, 6-28-09)

March, 2009 - Dale Gentek, Art Hayden, Chris Karolyi, Brian Ladzenski, John Rogers, Bill Szemcsak, and Alex Toler attended classes sponsored by, NJ F.O.O.L.S. "One Ambition Tour".

Training was held at Groveville Fire Station in Mercer County. Training consisted of classroom as well as hands on Instruction on Large area search, Vent Enter Search, Rope Bailout, & 1st Due Engine Operations.

March 10, 2009 - COLD SPRING - Lower Township Police are investigating a single vehicle crash that occurred around 3:35 p.m. on Monday, March 10 here at Route 109 & 8th Ave.

The vehicle left the roadway striking two road signs before coming to rest between a utility pole and tree. One of the signs was impaled in the windshield of the vehicle between the driver and passenger.

Lower Township Rescue Squad, Medic 9 and Erma Fire Department responded to the scene. South Star medevac was requested to fly by Lower Rescue then latter recalled by Medic 9.

The driver and passenger of the car were both transported to Cape Regional Medical Center for non-life threatening injuries.

Firefighter Dale Gentek, Asst.Chief Art Hayden, Safety Officer Kendul Kennedy, Chief Warner Muller and Firefighter Jeff VanMourik attended a “Big Truck – Small Crew” Seminar,
conducted by Lt. Dave Gallagher (Ret) Huber Heights, OH FD, held at the New Egypt Fire Company. Sponsored by N.J.F.O.O.L.S. Fraternal Order Of Leatherheads Society.

Feb. 10th, 2009 - The following Erma Firefighters are attending the Firefighter 2 Course at the Cape May County Fire Academy:FF Chris Karolyi, FF Brian Ladzenski, FF Eric Nelson, FF Dan Rogers, LT. John Rogers, FF Bill Szemcsak, LT. Alex Toler, LT.Curtis Warburton.

Under the township's new mutual aid policy for structure fires, all three Lower Township fire companies were dispatched to the blaze. Cape May Station 51 was on location as R.I.C. team.The fire was reported under control at 4:30, and the county Fire Marshal was notified.Breakwater Road was shut down for several hours by Lower Township police due to the fire. Police evacuated homes behind the structure as a precaution.

Hayden told police he had fallen asleep and left something on the stove, according to a report. Initial investigation of the scene determined that the fire had started in the kitchen area.

Nov. 7th, 2008 - Lower Township police reopened Ocean Drive at 1:25 p.m. Nov. 7 after a fire at Lund's Fisheries, 997 Ocean Drive, reported about 12:15 p.m. was extinguished. That fire was confined largely to the roof the processing plant.

When first units arrived, they reported thick smoke showing. Many of those in the surrounding buildings were unaware there was a fire. Erma, Villas, Townbank, Cape May, U.S.C.G. Fire Dept and Rio Grande Fire companies responded to location. As well as Lower Twp. Police and Rescue Squad. The Cape May County Fire Marshal's Office was notified. Initial investigation says a welding accident may be to blame.

All Lower Township firefighters and companies were dispatched to 928 Shunpike Road at 3:44 p.m. Friday, Nov. 14 for the report of a structure fire. First responding units reported the structure was fully- involved in flames with heavy smoke showing.

In addition, the rapid intervention unit from Cape May was ordered to the scene. Lower Township police and rescue units were also on scene.

ERMA -- An 80-year-old woman was in critical condition after striking a utility pole at Route 9 and Bennett Crossing, Tuesday, Nov. 25 about 7:15 p.m. Firefighters worked about 30 minutes to free the trapped victim.

Erma Fire Department requested a second extrication team from Villas Fire Department to assist with extricating the victim. Lower Township Emergency Medical Service requested Medic 9 and South Star medevac to the scene.

The woman was flown to AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center in Atlantic City with chest trauma and a broken ankle, according to a radio report by South Star. The accident is under investigation by Lower Township police and the Cape May County Fatal Accident Investigation Unit.

FF Dale Gentek completed the "Command and Control of Incident Operations" course held at the National Fire Academy in Emmitsburg, Maryland

DIAMOND BEACH — Erma Fire Chief Warner Muller, on Monday, told the Herald that diners in the Crab House Restaurant reported the collapsing floor made a sound like a series of gunshots. He said an initial call reported a collapsing floor and gunshots.

No one fell all the way through to sand below the restaurant. During high tide, there is water beneath the restaurant. Muller said no serious injuries were reported. He said nine persons were treated at the scene. 

Nine other persons transported to Cape Regional Medical Center, Court House, where they were treated and released.  They were: Carol Werwinski, 42, of Philadelphia; Betty Dewitt, 50, of Trumbaursville, Pa.; Helen Murphy, 64, Philadelphia; Chitlyn Kucher, 18, Quakertown, Pa.; John Kemp 45, of Philadelphia; an 11-year-old juvenile from Philadelphia; Edward Giamantonio, 61, West Chester, Pa.; Jackie Butkiewicz, 43, Monroe; and Cindy Dougherty, 48, of Edison. 

The collapse stopped short of the kitchen. It trapped a server in a walk-in refrigerator after he went looking for a side order of horseradish for a table.  

“It was prime time, the place was loaded,” said Muller.

He said the firefighters' first job was to evacuate everyone from both buildings. He said he called State Police Task Force One Urban Search and Rescue Unit and Atlantic City Fire Departments Collapse Unit. 

“If there was entrapment, Atlantic City Fire (Department) could have come down, shored the building up until we could get in there and do the rescue,” he said.

He said all in all, rescue efforts worked very well.

Muller said the Crab House may collapse in on itself because it now lacks structural support. The roof is bowed in sections.  State Police engineers told Muller the building will come down on its own “being that everything underneath is already gone.”

Muller said the Crab House was holding its own weight via the walls.

“It’s just kind of hanging there, pulling itself down,” he said. 

A question in Muller’s mind; if the Crab House collapses, will Two Mile Landing also collapse? He said the restaurants appear to have had addition after addition constructed over the years. 

A second-floor apartment connected to the Crab House has been vacated. 

Muller said air conditioning units may need to be removed from an area of sagging roof between the two restaurants. He questioned whether it was safe to put a man up there to cut the units loose.  Muller said the floor is sloping in the entrance foyer.

He said when he arrived, people were pouring out of the restaurants. He said some diners ran towards the parking lot, some in the opposite direction onto a deck.

“It was just pure chaos,” he said. “We had injuries on the dockside, we had injuries in the parking lot, it was just overwhelming for everybody.”

He said the fire company had reports of trapped people and missing persons, which were proven untrue.  Kitchen and restaurant staff members immediately pulled out people who fell into the void.

“They actually did the rescues before we got here,” said Muller.

Lower Township Fire Official David Perry said he believed the Crab House would need to be demolished. He said the incident should “open some eyes for all buildings built on pilings.”

On Monday, kitchen employees were washing garbage cans outside the Two Mile Landing Restaurant.  Crab House Manager Mark Earhart said fish and crabs were being disposed of since water, electric and gas was turned off in the restaurant. He said he was creating an inventory of all lost items.

Earhart said some diners were reluctant to leave because they hadn’t finished eating. Many ate free that night, leaving before their meal checks arrived.  Fire companies responded from Erma, Wildwood, Wildwood Crest, Cape May and Town Bank. Ambulances responded from Middle Township, Stone Harbor, all the Wildwoods, and Cape May, said Muller.

“Everybody cooperated, the assistance was 100 percent,” said Muller.  He said he was grateful for all the mutual effort that was provided.

RIO GRANDE — Police, rescue crews and firefighters from Erma and Rio Grande are responding at noon July 26 to a motor vehicle accident at 3.6 northbound on Garden State Parkway with entrapment.

Rio Grande Fire Department was summoned to use its Jaws of Life hydraulic extrication tool to free the victim from a mini-van.

At 12:05 p.m. the patient had been removed from the vehicle, and rescue crew was awaiting a helicopter that was to land on the Parkway.  Instead of that, the victim was transported to the National Guard Armory to be airlifted.

March 30,31st  -  Asst. Chief Jeff Lagg, and Firefighters Brian Ladzenski, John Rogers, Alex “Bucky” Toler, and Curtis Warburton. Attended Ladder Operations class held at the county Fire academy. The class was instructed by Chief Bill Dukes of Mount Laurel Fire Dept (ret.)

March 18^th- The Easter Bunny visited the firehouse and had Breakfast with children and their families. Afterwards the Kids had a great time with a Easter egg hunt on the front lawn.   We would like to extend our thanks to those who supported us. 
A SPECIAL THANK YOU TO UNCLE BILL'S FAMILY RESTAURANT

Firefighter Karl Hughes completed the following classes at the Cape May county fire academy, Basic Inspection of Hazardous Materials and initiating change in a organization.

Lower Township firefighters extinguished a blaze at 88 Brucker Drive in Bayshore Woods on Tuesday morning. Staff photo by Dale Gerhard

LOWER TOWNSHIP - Retiree Oliver Diorio used two smoke detectors to escape his burning house here on Brucker Drive on Tuesday morning: The first was his nose; the second was operated by batteries.

The nose came first, followed by the ear-piercing wailing of the smoke detector. Diorio, 79, and his wife Nancy, 76, picked up their six-toed male cat Fonzo and ran out of the house.

"I smelled it, and I looked at the heat vent on the floor and I saw flames. I said, 'Let's get out of the house.' We got the cat. We just ran out of the house," Diorio said, standing on a neighbor's lawn while firefighters put out smoldering hot spots.

Several neighbors here in the age-restricted Bayshore Woods development called 911. The first call came in at 9:19 a.m., and volunteer firefighters from Town Bank, Villas and Erma rushed to the scene to put out a fire that started underneath the single-story house.

Town Bank Fire Chief Art Treon said the cause of the fire is still undetermined but it is being investigated by the Cape May County Fire Marshal's Office and Lower Township Bureau of Fire Safety.

A quick response by firefighters and a lack of wind helped keep the fire from spreading. Treon said that when the fire engines arrived, they faced a wall of smoke as they entered the development.

Next-door neighbor May Edna Griesbach was one who felt lucky. Smoke and fire were "pouring out of that house" when she ran out her front door. Griesbach credited the firefighters with preventing the fire from spreading.

"I was lucky. Nobody got hurt, thank God," Griesbach said.

The Diorio's daughter and son-in-law, Tom and Eleanor Chestnut, also came rushing to the scene. Tom Chestnut was just happy the fire didn't happen at night when the Diorios would be sleeping.

Treon said the house suffered heavy smoke and fire damage and is probably a total loss, although he noted that is up to the insurance company. Oliver Diorio, who retired from a job at RCA in Camden, said he has insurance.

Tom Chestnut told his parents they could stay at his home in Town Bank while they rebuild.

"You can sleep in the garage," he joked to his father-in-law.

A steady stream of residents in Bayshore Woods, a retirement community, came up and offered help, including a place to stay.

"This is one big family here," said Patrick Payne, president of the Bayshore Woods Condominium Association.

The Lower Township Police and the Lower Township Rescue Squad also were on scene. Several other fire companies responded to the Lower Township fire halls as backup.

"We had excellent cooperation by all agencies. It was good team work," Treon said.

Fire damages Villas house

Published: Wednesday, January 24, 2007

LOWER TOWNSHIP — An early morning fire Tuesday damaged a house on Texas Avenue in the Villas, but the homeowner escaped unharmed, possibly because his dog woke him up.

About 30 Firefighters from Villas and Erma fought the blaze that was reported just after midnight, according to Villas Fire Chief Bill Howard. The firefighters mounted an interior attack and were able to extinguish the fire but not before the single-story house was damaged.

“The back bedroom of the house was fully gutted. The rest of the house suffered heat and smoke damage,” Howard said. A neighbor, Marianne Cannone, said the owner of the house, Brian Murphy, knocked on her door and she dialed 911.

“His dog saved his life. He was sleeping and the dog was barking. He thought the dog wanted to go out. He got up to let the dog out and saw the smoke,” Cannone said.  

Murphy, according to Cannone, seemed disoriented and was not wearing shoes and only had a short-sleeved shirt on. This account could not be confirmed. Howard said when firefighters arrived, the front door was open and the house was vacant.

“We did rescue a rabbit out of the house,” Howard said.

The pet rabbit was turned over to animal-control officers, but Howard said it was later returned to Murphy, who is staying with friends. Howard said the fire is being investigated by the Cape May County Fire Marshal's Office, but arson is not suspected. Erma Fire sent two trucks to the fire while firefighters in Green Creek manned the Villas station.

Aug, 6th 2006.
Erma Fire, Lower Township EMS, Villas Fire Co.  & Cape May Fire Dept. participated in University MedEvac Orientation Instructed by Fred Ellinger Jr. NREMT-P University MedEvac

Some of the topics covered Landing Zone Set up and Safety Describe the University flight program Safe ground operations and different types of Helicopters Radio Procedures & A hands on tour of a University MedEvac  MBB-BK117 Helicopter 

University MedEvac utilizes MBB-BK117, EC135 and Sikorsky - S76 type Helicopters in 8 areas of N.J and P.A

We would like to thank the Flight Team:

Pilot Bill Butterfield
Pilot Michael Schallow
Flight Nurse Kathy McNulty
Flight Paramedic John Bolger

THANK YOU!  
for your continued support and donations.

The Cape May County Waterball tournament was held June 17th at Erma Fire Company. 9 teams from 6 area fire companies participated in the games:

Erma Station 62 
Villas Station 60 
Rio Grande Station 72
Holly Beach Station 3-2
Goshen Station 74
Green Creek Station 73

Thanks to all the great sponsors, participants, spectators 
OVER $1,300 WAS RAISED FOR THE BURN FOUNDATION!!

• 1st Place - Erma Fire Team # 1
• 2nd Place - Erma Fire Team # 2
• 3rd Place - Rio Grande Team # 1

Click Here to View Pictures

• Identifying operational concerns
• Identifying  tactical options
• Integrating operational guidelines
• Fire ground organization
• A look at building systems
• And a Review of case studies

“Sal had the whole thing planned,” said his father, Anthony, but the devastating fire that burned the family’s businesses in the Shore Plaza, at 26th Avenue and the Boardwalk, changed those plans.

Instead of participating in the parade, fire trucks -- festooned with strings of red and green lights -- surrounded Sam’s Pizza and the Shore Plaza Motel, two landmark businesses, owned and operated by 77-year-old Sam Spera and his family for nearly three decades.

The parade was postponed, and Santa didn’t come on Friday night, but amid the chaos and uncertainty, Sal and his fiancé, buoyed by their family’s support, made a promise to look toward the future.

“I think it shows the resolve of the Zuccarello and Spera families,” said family friend John Lynch, who attended an impromptu gathering at the Zuccarello’s home on the night of the fire. People from the community stopped by throughout the evening to show support for the family, Lynch said, and to congratulate Sal and Lauren on their engagement.

Anthony Zuccarello said that his father-in-law and family patriarch, 77-year old Sam Spera, who purchased the family business at the Shore Plaza in 1979, had insisted that the couple move forward with their plans. “Sam said we have to move on,” Zuccarello said. “I guess it gave us something good to focus on.”

Firefighters battled most of the weekend to bring the blaze under control, but in the end the buildings could not be saved.

“Out of a bad situation, there was something happy still,” Lynch said. “And you know what? It really says a lot about the family that with all they had to worry about, the only concern they had all night was with the safety of the firemen.”
The blaze burned for more than 24 hours, challenging at least 12 local fire companies to keep it under control, according to Wildwood mayor and fireman Ernie Troiano.

“It was one of the toughest fires we had in a long time,” Troiano said. “It started in one little spot, and moved throughout the duct work quickly. It was a very stubborn fire.”

Lynch said that firemen that he spoke with told him the blaze was the toughest fire they had ever fought.

And some of them had fought the (13-alarm) fire at the Starlite Ballroom (in 1981),” he said.

Zuccarello said initial investigations indicated that the fire started in the motor of a heater in a third floor motel unit on the west side of the building.

“We never expected it to spread the way it did,” he said.

But Troiano said that a combination of high winds and air moving through the duct work made it an unpredictable and seemingly endless fight.

“There were a couple incidents where the fire blew out. We were very lucky no one was seriously hurt.” Troiano said.

Throughout the two-day ordeal fire and rescue workers responded from Wildwood, North Wildwood, Wildwood Crest, West Wildwood, Cape May, West Cape May, Stone Harbor, Rio Grande, Green Creek, Town Bank, Erma, Ocean City, Upper Township, Belleplain and Petersburg. Several firefighters were treated for minor injuries on the scene in an emergency tent set up by AlantiCare and at Burdette Tomlin Hospital.

Troiano said he was touched by what he called “an unbelievable outpouring of support” from businesses and local residents, who brought food and hot beverages to firefighters throughout the weekend. And Marty Shapiro opened up his arcade, Gateway 26, to cold and wet workers so they would have a place to warm up from the frigid temperatures.

Zuccarello said that he and his family were grateful for the support of the community and for the hard work of the more than 200 fire and rescue workers who battled the blaze.

“Everybody wants to help,” Zuccarello said.

On Sunday night, when the fire had finally burned out, many of the fire companies who fought the blaze participated in the island’s rescheduled Christmas parade. As they passed the Zuccarello house on Central Avenue, they were greeted by a huge sign, thanking them for their efforts.

“We are so grateful,” Zuccarello said.

The family plans to rebuild Sam’s Pizza as quickly as possible, though they are still working out the details. The family is waiting to hear from their insurance company about what, if anything, is salvageable from the rubble.

A Wildwood fireman, who had worked at Sam’s Pizza years ago, rescued the old-fashioned cash register, but Zuccarello expects that the dough-making equipment and the pizza oven are completely destroyed. He and his brother-in-law, Tony Spero, are in ongoing discussions on how to go about the reconstruction.

“We talk about what we can do to make the pizza place better when we redo it,” he said, but rebuilding both the pizza parlor and the motel will likely take years.
They are looking into getting the pizza place up and running and taking a longer-term approach to the motel property, which is run by Zuccarello’s wife, Rosemary, and his sister and brother-in-law, Rita and Steve Szczur.
“Sam wants to be open tomorrow,” Zuccarello said.

Troiano said the city will do what ever it can to expedite the permitting and approval process.

“We want to help,” he said.

Lynch, who works as the marketing director of the Wildwood’s Convention Center, wonders what he will do when Sam’s Pizza is not there for his daily lunch stop.

“It’s my hang out,” he said.

For him, as for so many local residents and visitors, the restaurant is an institution they have relied on for decades.

“It was just as much of a landmark as the Starlite Ballroom,” Lynch said. “It will be tough on the community, but this community is great at bouncing back.”

Zuccarello knows people are counting on his family to rebuild.

“It’s a tradition, you know, like Santa Claus comes at Christmas,” he said.

And Santa did stop by the Zuccarellos this Christmas season. At the end of the rescheduled Christmas parade on Sunday night, Santa made a stop to congratulate Sal and Lauren on their engagement. He presented them with Christmas gifts from Lynch, photo albums of pictures taken the night of their engagement and wishes for many happy new years to come.