Why do so many apparatus respond for what appear to be simple incidents?
A. The Old Tappan Fire Dept. is dispatched according to information received from 9-1-1 operators. Firefighters are prepared to deal with the worst case scenario. Discovering that we need more units once we have arrived at a scene could often lead to loss of life or property. We have learned from experience that it is better to have too much help than not enough. Some of Old Tappan’s most devastating fires originated as an activated alarm. A structure fire requires a number of people to do all of the assigned tasks. Firefighter teams are assigned to certain responsibilities such as fire extinguishment, search and rescue, ventilation, salvage, safety and accountability and rapid intervention in the event a firefighter becomes trapped or injured.
