By Allison Perrine
MIDDLETOWN – Without any proper gear or back-up, an off-duty township firefighter ran inside a burning house in North Middletown to rescue a senior resident trapped inside.
A call came in to the fire department in the morning hours of Jan. 29 for a reported dryer fire, according to John Waltz, first assistant fire chief. As the first chief on the scene, he said he found smoke coming from the garage of the home at 50 Warren Place which was “starting to get pretty thick” upon his arrival.
“I noticed there was a civilian – who I thought was civilian – leading a female out of the garage area of the house. Come to find out later on, it was in fact a Middletown Township fireman who was in civilian clothes,” said Waltz.
That “civilian” turned out to be Matt Deickmann, a volunteer with the Belford Engine Co. and a full-time detective with the Union Beach Police Department. He came upon the fire after he heard the radio trans- missions and went to the scene directly. When he arrived, he went right inside the house and observed the smoke condition. He found the utility room was on fire, Waltz said.
“He saw the woman trying to put the fire out,” he said, “and got her out safely – without any gear, an air pack, anything.”
The resident was not injured. She was evaluated by emergency medical staff but was not transported to the hospital, Waltz added. However, her house remains uninhabitable due to damage to the garage and utility area, and minor damage to the kitchen and two bedrooms upstairs. There is smoke damage throughout the home.
The first companies to respond to the call were the East Keansburg Fire Company Station 5, Port Monmouth Fire Company Station 6, Community Fire Company Station 4 and Brevent Park Leonardo Fire Company. Also on the scene were members of the Middletown Safety Unit, Middletown Air Unit and the Middletown fire marshals who handled the investigation. It took approximately 45 minutes to put the blaze out, Waltz said.
“It was a pretty quick fire and everybody went home safely,” he said.
“I deeply respect our emergency volunteers who run towards danger without hesitation,” said Middletown Mayor Tony Perry. “Matt’s selfless actions and bravery saved a life, and I thank him for his unwavering commitment to the safety of our community.”
The Middletown Township Fire Department is all-volunteer and is comprised of 11 individual fire companies. According to the township, it serves and protects 42 square miles, 12 zip codes, 19 miles of coastline, 68,000 residents, 21 schools and over 1,100 businesses, including Brookdale Community College and several day care and senior living facilities. It responds to about 1,250 emergency calls annually and, in addition to fire response, it answers calls for chemical and environmental hazards, trapped or injured individuals in buildings, trenches, floods, trees, oceans and more.
This article was originally published in the Feb. 4-10, 2021 edition of The Two River Times.
