Fire chief reports one firefighter burned in house fire; council praises department and discusses funding and training

Chief Mascara reported to Newark City Council that a firefighter was burned in a recent house fire and spent the remainder of that shift out of service. The chief said preliminary reports do not indicate wrongdoing or intentional setting and described the incident as an opportunity to learn and review procedures.

"We trained very hard and we couldn't do that without the support of all of you," the chief said, emphasizing the department’s training regimen and the importance of equipment. He told council the firefighter who was injured is an "11-plus year veteran," and said recent retirements removed more than "64-plus years of combined service" that were replaced by firefighters with months of experience. He and council members used the episode to highlight the need to invest in protective equipment and continued hiring of experienced personnel.

Council members thanked the chief and the department and several members said they would continue to support funding for training and equipment. One councilmember announced a service committee meeting will be called on March 3; others praised the department's response and noted that the incident underlines the inherent dangers of firefighting.

No formal personnel actions, policy changes or specific funding votes were taken at the meeting. The transcript records the chief’s account, council expressions of support and plans for follow-up committee discussion; it does not provide medical condition details beyond the chief’s description, nor does it include a staff report or an incident investigation outcome.