Vernon, N.J. — May 19 — As part of a mutual assistance assignment, members of Vernon Township Fire Department Company No. 1 responded to a fire at a junkyard business in West Milford. While Tanker 1 provided a water shuttle to support firefighting efforts during the event, Truck 1 worked on the scene. In order to supply the personnel, equipment, and water supplies required for the response, crews collaborated with nearby departments.

Before firemen returned to Vernon in the early morning, the operation went on for some hours overnight. Mutual aid agreements, according to department officials, enable agencies to pool resources and assist one another during significant situations that call for prolonged operations and more personnel.