MAYOR'S UPDATE:
WEEK ENDING AUGUST 26

We end this week with deep gratitude for our first responders and their incredible efforts battling a fire that destroyed a home on Prospect Street yesterday. Thankfully everyone, including the family dogs, are safe, and the injuries incurred by several first responders have all been treated.

While the residents are unharmed, they have lost all of their personal belongings in this devastating fire. A Go Fund Me has been set up to help with some of their immediate expenses. Thanks to our community rallying around our neighbors in their greatest time of need. I am also reminded how fortunate we are to have such a professional and dedicated fire department.

On a separate note, as summer winds down, I am reminded of what a terrific season it has been to enjoy the many new downtown businesses, live music at Sweet Sounds Downtown, our Farmers Market, Pizza Run, Memorial Pool, Recreation Department programs, and more. There’s a lot of momentum on the horizon as we look ahead to the fall, with even more business openings coming in September, and of course, AddamsFest events throughout the month of October. It’s a great time to be in Westfield, and I remain very enthusiastic about our future.

Wishing you all a wonderful weekend.

FIRE DEPARTMENT UPDATES

Statement from Chief Duelks Regarding Fire on Prospect Street 
On Thursday August 25, 2022, at 4:11 PM, the Westfield Fire Department responded to the report of a fully involved structure fire at 745 Prospect Street. The first Westfield Fire Department units arrived on scene at 4:13 PM, to find 745 Prospect Street, a 2 ½ story single family dwelling, with heavy fire showing from the first, second and attic division of the structure. Immediately, fire units conducted an interior search of the residency to confirm all occupancies of the dwelling were safely evacuated. An aggressive fire attack was established with attack lines for extinguishment of the fire.

The incident escalated to three alarms, bringing in Union County Fire Mutual Aid companies to the scene and resources staged at Fire Headquarters to cover the town for additional calls. The Westfield Police Department assisted with evacuating the owners’ pets from the rear yard, security, traffic and crowd control. The Westfield Rescue Squad, along with emergency medical services from around the county, assisted in providing firefighter rehabilitation. A total of four first responders were transported to the hospital and one treated on the scene. 

The fire was placed under control at 5:19 PM, with Fire Department personnel operating on scene into the evening hours. The fire was investigated by The Westfield Fire Prevention Bureau, The Westfield Police Department, The Union County Fire Investigation Task Force and The NJ State Fire Marshal’s office. The cause of the fire was undetermined in nature at this time. The Westfield Construction Official deemed the dwelling as uninhabitable. Red Cross was requested to the scene for assisting the residents in relocation.

The Westfield Fire Department reminds everyone that working smoke alarms save lives. Make sure that your smoke alarms are tested monthly and are less than 10 years old. For more information on fire safety, contact the Westfield Fire Prevention Bureau at fireprevention@westfieldnj.gov.


Youth Academy
Earlier this week, the Westfield Fire Department introduced their first annual Youth Fire Academy. Over the course of two days, the cadets participated in a series of discussions, demonstrations, and exciting hands-on activities related to fire safety, engine and ladder tactics, vehicle extraction, search and rescue, and first aid. 

Thank you to Chief Duelks and the entire Fire Department, along with support from the Police and EMS teams, for providing this opportunity to educate our young residents about the possibility of a future career in the fire service. Congratulations to Cadets Anthony, Samuel, Eileen, Aaron, and Vencentio on their completion of the program! 


Operation Save a Life
The Westfield Fire Department has teamed up with the New Jersey Department of Fire Safety to participate in the ABC7NY Channel 7 Operation Save a Life campaign.

Operation 7: Save A Life is a community service program that distributes free smoke alarms by your local Fire Department to those who might not otherwise have them. For 24 years, fire safety has been the mission of Channel 7's Operation 7: Save a Life campaign. If you are interested in obtaining a free ten-year battery smoke alarm installed by the fire department, please contact Fire Prevention at 908-789-4145 or fireprevention@westfieldnj.gov.

POLICE DEPARTMENT UPDATES

In case you missed it, the Westfield Police Department provided a detailed update on a series of recent car and residential burglaries and attempted burglaries over the last week. We continue to share this information broadly and quickly to make residents aware of this activity, and to issue ongoing reminders that the vast majority of these incidents occur with unlocked cars and homes. Our Police Department continues to work diligently and swiftly to protect the well-being of the community, but residents have a part to play as well by securing their property at all times. 

As I mentioned several weeks ago, this remains a statewide problem, and one that is universally unsettling. I am lending my full support to the recently introduced bipartisan state legislation intended to stiffen criminal penalties for car theft and deter minors from their involvement, and have called upon other leaders in the region to join me in our collective efforts to shore up the laws that are emboldening this criminal behavior in New Jersey. 

SEPTEMBER 11 REMEMBRANCE CEREMONY

Please join us on Sunday, September 11, for our annual community gathering to observe the 21st anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks at the 9/11 memorial site on North Avenue at East Broad Street. The ceremony will begin at 5:30, and will include prayers of commemoration by members of the local clergy, followed by the presentation of the ceremonial wreath by an honor guard, and the playing of “Taps.” Each year, the ceremony concludes with the reading of the names of the Westfield residents we lost that day, and a period of silent reflection. The ceremony will be held rain or shine.

MARCH TO YORKTOWN DAY

SECOND CHANCE TOYS PROGRAM

Thanks to the Westfield Green Team, DPW, and Second Chance Toys for completing the recent toy clean-out event at the Conservation Center last week! Hundreds of deposited toys were sorted and cleaned so they could be reused instead of being sent to landfills. In total, 58 bags of toys were picked up by an accredited recipient organization, Joi's Angels of East Orange, and will soon be in the hands of children in need. 

Westfield and Second Chance Toys volunteers are planning another clean-out event before the holidays. Please consider bringing your gently used plastic toys (no plush toys or childcare items) to the toy collection bin at the Westfield Conservation Center  – no permit or fee required – instead of throwing them away.

MLK ASSOCIATION LISTENING EVENT

Please join the MLK Association of Westfield for a listening event of Dr. King’s famous “I Have a Dream” speech, fifty-nine years after he originally delivered it at the 1963 March on Washington.

MLK Westfield hopes that listening to a recording of Dr. King giving this speech will reinvigorate our community and remind us all of the need to push for racial and social justice, to reflect on how far we have come, and to recognize how much more work we need to do.

Gather at the MLK Monument on the South Avenue Circle (now the MLK Circle) this Sunday, August 28 at 6:00 PM (rain date: August 29). For more information, email MLKWestfield@gmail.com. This event is free and open to the public – all are welcome! 

BLOCK PARTY INFORMATION 

It's block party season! Before hosting your neighborhood gathering, be sure to follow the Town's procedures to obtain all necessary approvals. The last day to hold a block party is Monday, October 10. You can find full details, as well as a fillable application, on our website.

NIGHT OF LIGHTS 5K

The Night of Lights 5K will be held on Sunday, September 11, at 6:30 PM in Tamaques Park! The race was started in 2019 by The Tooley Legacy Foundation, led by Sam Tooley, in memory of his brother Jake, with proceeds going to Imagine, A Center for Loss. Details and registration can be found at jakesrace.com.