Carteret, NJ – On Thursday, July 3rd, during the Borough’s annual Independence Day Celebration, Mayor Dan Reiman will join with the Carteret Fire Department and Borough residents in honoring the families and off-duty police dispatcher who helped a Carteret family escape their burning home in June.
According to the fire report, on Monday, June 16th, at 5:40 a.m., neighbors on Capp Street were awoken by or otherwise heard a loud explosion. According to Fire Chief Mark Hruska, the resulting fire was “one of the fastest moving fires I have seen in my 37 years in the fire service.”
As fire trucks were being dispatched, four neighboring families rushed to the house and helped five of its seven occupants out the front door. Two remained trapped in a basement bedroom as the rapidly spreading fire came to block all points of egress and means of escape. Off-duty police dispatcher Eric Seniakevgch happened to be passing by and stopped to assist as the group of neighbors broke a basement window and lifted the two remaining occupants to safety.
“It’s residents like these that really demonstrate selfless concern,” Mayor Reiman stated, “The kind of thing that makes us proud to call them neighbors. It will be a true privilege to recognize them at our festival.”
“These families, along with our firefighters, deserve a lot of credit,” Councilman and Fire Commissioner Randy Krum added, “for reminding us that this is a community where we go out of our way to look out for each other.”
Carteret’s Independence Day Festival will be held beginning at 6:00 p.m. at Waterfront Park. The recognition and awards ceremony will take place at 7:00.
Chief Mark Hruska said, “If not for the quick thinking and immediate action of these citizens, this incident would have ended in tragedy. The family is alive and together today because of the concern shown by those who helped.”
