MAYOR ALTOMONTE MESSAGE

Recently the fire department purchased the Turtle Deluge System. It is a brand-new system designed exclusively to fight electric vehicle fires, the first of its kind in the state. Fires in these vehicles require a different and specialized approach, requiring over four times as much water to extinguish! The turtle resembles its animal namesake and pumps over 500 gallons of water per minute. With more and more people moving to eclectic vehicles, it’s good for Matawan to be prepared just in case. However, firefighters can use it for other tactics, such as protection from exposure fires to stop it from jumping from house to house and unsupervised fires. Previously the fire department received a presentation at Borough Hall for this new piece of equipment. We also invited every fire department in the county, and everyone was impressed with the latest equipment. In speaking with the Chiefs of the Matawan Fire Department, they wanted to go ahead and place the system’s first official order. In addition, a local business in town has promised to donate the purchase price of the new system. We received the delivery of the equipment earlier this month, and they did a brief demonstration of how the turtle works at Borough Hall. The equipment will reside on the Washington Fire Engine Truck and will be used for any fires in town or neighboring towns should it be needed. I want to thank Chief Clifton, Deputy Chiefs Lee, Kopf, and Brian Bernath for their assistance and for always looking for Matawan to be a leader in firematics.