Chief Jackson leads the Howell Township Fire Companies during the Annual Farmingdale Memorial Day Parade. A great turnout was shown by all departments.

Southard had a great turnout of members for the annual Memorial Day Parade. The Ladies Auxiliary was also in attendance with us this year. This picture shows the company prior to us attending the Annual Memorial Day Service at Ramtown Fire Company.

On a beautiful day in May, the Southard Fire Department celebrated the past and present with a community bar-b-q. Howell Township Fire, Police, First Aid and Howell OEM agencies were represented. Family and friends were offered unlimited food and entertainment.

Please join us on for the Seventh Annual Meredith Memmolo Memorial Golf Outing on Friday, June 6th with tee off time of 1:00 pm and lunch at 12:00 pm donated by Applebee’s of Howell. All proceeds will benefit members of our community in need of financial assistance for medical bills and other financial hardships. The golf outing will be held at Cruz Farms Golf Course located in Howell and the cost is $125 per golfer. Many exciting prizes will be given for a hole in one, closest to the pin, guessing your drive in addition to a 50/50. Donations for the Meredith Memmolo Relief Fund which are tax deductible can be sent to Southard Fire Department P.O. Box 2 Howell, NJ 07731. Please come out for some great fun and help the community. For more information please call 732-370-6336.

The 7th annual Meredith Memmolo Memorial Golf Outing will be held at the Cruz Farm Golf Course located in Howell, NJ. The outing format will be a best ball scramble. Please download and fill out the bottom portion of this form and mail it back with your donation to the address listed on the form to enjoy a day a great golf and help support a very worthwhile cause.

Early this morning the call came in for a MVA (Motor Vehicle Accident) on fire with entrapment. Units signed in service within three minutes, enroute to the scene Police Radio advised responding units that the victim was out of the car. Shortly after that chief 19-3-67 followed by chief 19-3-66 arrived on location. 19-3-66 Quickly established command and started to direct units to the scene. 19-3-67 advised command that the vehicle had a small amount of fire from under the engine compartment and that the other vehicle involved was in the Walgreens parking lot. 19-3-78 was advised to respond to Walgreens to check out the vehicle as the victim was removed from the vehicle. Units on location used Speedy Dry to clean up the oil and anti-freeze and cleared the highway of debris. Both victims were transported to area hospitals by Howell First Aid and Howell Police EMS. Units were on location until Bradley and Sons Towing picked up the vehicles.

JACKSON -- A fire damaged a house on North Hope Chapel Road this afternoon, township police reported. An off-duty firefighter discovered the fire at 255 North Hope Chapel Rd. at about noon today, according to Jackson Police Captain David Newman. That firefighter, whose name was not immediately available, suffered smoke inhalation when he checked the house, Newman said. He was treated and released at the scene, Newman said. Nobody was home at the time of the fire, Newman said. All four Jackson fire departments responded to the scene, as well as the Freewood Acres Fire Company and the Southard Fire Department, both from Howell, the Lakewood Junior Hose Fire Company and the Navy Lakehurst Fire Company. The fire is under investigation by the Jackson Police Department's Detective Bureau, Ocean County Prosecutor's Office, Ocean County Sheriff's Department and the Ocean County Fire Marshal's Office, Newman said. The fire is now under control, he said.

Annual Board of Fire Commissioners election date announced. The annual election and budget approval will be Saturday, February 16th from 2:00pm - 9:00pm at our firehouse. The address is 4611 Route 9 North, Howell at the corner of Route 9 North and New Friendship Road. Thank you for your time, and please help support our budget.

Southard would like to congratulate Squankum Fire Company on their new Rescue One/Spartan Heavy Rescue unit. This unit will be known as 19-1-87. It has come equipped with extrication tools, cascade air system, RIT equipment, and numerous forcible entry tools. See the attached first look pictures.

HOWELL -- One local firefighter received minor injuries in a fire this afternoon, police reported. At about 12:23 p.m., the township police department received a 911 call from a resident of 28 Glen Road, stating that there was a fire in her home, police said. After arriving at the house, police saw heavy smoke and flames coming from the house. The Freewood Acres Fire Company and the Southard Fire Department responded to the scene and extinguished the fire, according to a news release issued by the police. All three people inside the house at the time of the fire, owner Susan Summers, 57, and residents Jean Dare, 79, and a 13-year-old girl, as well as three cats, made it out of the house without injury. One member of the Freewood Acres Fire Company, 39-year-old John Smith of Howell, received a minor head laceration and was treated at the scene by the Howell First Aid Squad and Howell Police EMS. According to the release, at this time the fire does not appear to be suspicious in nature.

It is with great pleasure that Southard Fire Department announces their new website. After lots of delays, it has finally been updated enough to go live. The site is still a work in progress but we hope to keep this updated with daily events that occur within fire district#3. The company would like to thank the web development team for their hard work as it would not have been possible without their hard work and dedication. Special thanks go out to: Louis Memmolo Jr. Stephen Losacco Steven Hadgkiss TJ Beams Andrew Prusan