Will You Help Mahwah Fire Department's 100th Anniversary?

Dear Mahwah Residents and Business Owners,

In almost 99 years of existence the Mahwah Fire Department has been called to tens of thousands of incidents. They have been there to help their neighbors on their worst days. 

History is not slowing down. The past year and a half produced two historic incidents for the MFD. 

In August 2011 Hurricane Irene struck Mahwah with unprecedented flooding. The volunteers of the MFD worked around the clock rescuing trapped residents, even as many of their own homes were flooded. For 24 straight hours dozens of people were saved by the MFD.

In October of 2012 the unthinkable happened, we were hit with another hurricane as Sandy pummeled the tri-state area. During the night of Sandy every firehouse in Mahwah ran non-stop in intense conditions. They worked dozens of fires caused by down lines, freed people trapped in vehicles, evacuated residents and as the sun rose were called to help in the south part of Bergen where a levy failed and residents were in immediate danger of drowning in their homes. The rescues were so dramatic that many pictures and videos of the MFD in action made the national news (including the picture attached). In the weeks after Sandy there was a record amount of calls as power was restored. Firefighters navigated streets choked with traffic from gas lines to respond to every call. It culminated with the largest structure fire in years. Six condos were lost but the MFD stood their ground in intense conditions and saved 12 condos. 

The story of Irene and Sandy illustrate that today’s Mahwah Firefighters do exactly what every generation of Mahwah Firefighters has done. They took care of their neighbors and community. Each member spends hundreds of hours going through the Bergen County Fire Academy just for the privilege of becoming a firefighter. Afterwards most Mahwah Firefighters then go to specialized academies for Haz-Mat and Heavy Rescue training. They then spend years training weekly and are some of the best trained firefighters. All of this dedication is done on a volunteer basis. 

The goal of the 100th Anniversary is to thank everyone who has ever served on the Mahwah Fire Department. In the past 10 years the traditional “thank you” dinner or picnic has been eliminated due to tightened budgets. The firefighters of Mahwah do not mind this as they have a higher calling. But the committee of the 100th Anniversary wants to make sure the volunteers of Mahwah know they are appreciated. We need help in doing that.

We need sponsorship and volunteers to help fund and plan events. If you would like to be a sponsor or help in any way possible please email mahwahfd100@gmail.com. Also do not forget to continue to “like” our Facebook page for updates and more history of the MFD. 

Thank you,

100th Anniversary Committee