Galloway Fire Department Recognized

The has been unusually busy this year, and on Tuesday night, it was recognized for its efforts.

The department was recognized with the second set of by Galloway Township Mayor Keith Hartman at Tuesday night’s township council meeting.

“We are saving a lot of money by having a volunteer fire department,” Hartman said. “They’ve been very busy lately, and a few have been injured in the process.”

The wives of the firefighters in the Ladies Auxiliaries were also recognized.

“They are a big help on the ground and they seldom get noticed,” Galloway Township Fire Chief Ron Garbutt said. “They’ll bring firefighters hot coffee on a cold night or a cold beverage when it’s hot out. Without them, we would not be able to do what we do.”

What they’ve done this year has been remarkable. The various departments have responded to several fires over the past few months. Many times, there have been multiple fires in one day, and many of those blazes have not gone down without a fight.

“We’ve been out there in the snow, rain and wind for long hours,” Garbutt said. “The was 14 hours on the scene. The fire was eight hours on the scene. Some fires don’t end until around two or three in the morning.

“We go out in the middle of the night, and often, residents don’t know we’re out there doing our job. Most people don’t know we’re out there until it affects them.”

The fire department has also responded to fires at and The later that night, leaving two homes affected by one fire.

“We’ve been more active this year than we have in past years,” Garbutt said. “It’s good recognition. We don’t seek it; we just go out there and do our job.

“It’s good to get recognized.”

Accepting recognition for their particular fire departments on Tuesday night were:

• Oceanville Fire Chief Tim McKenna;
• Germania Fire Chief Dave Simpkins;
• Pomona Fire Chief Skip Portel;
• Bayview Assistant Fire Chief Chuck MacIntosh;
• South Egg Harbor Assistant Fire Chief Rob Gill; and
• Galloway Fire Chief Garbutt.

Ladies Auxiliary recipients included:

• Eleanor DeKnight (Oceanville);
• Dottie Garbutt (Germania);
• Jennifer Heintz (Pomona);
• Donna McBride (Bayview); and
• Erin Silipino (South Egg Harbor).

Also receiving recognition on Tuesday night were Acting Public Works Director Kevin McDowell, in honor of National Public Works week, and Township Clerk Lisa Tilton, in honor of Municipal Clerks week.