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Southard Fire Dept. No.1

5 days ago

The Southard Fire Department has 3 important holiday announcements for the community:

1. On December 3rd we will be escorting Santa and his helpers to the township tree-lighting ceremony. We look forward to seeing you all there.

2. Our annual breakfast with Santa and Fire Truck Rides will be held on Sunday 12/15 (details on flyer below).

3. Operation Santa will commence during the evenings starting the week of 12/15. We will post more updates as the time gets closer.

Side note - Christmas trees will be delivered this weekend and on sale as early as Saturday ( we will have a separate post with that information )

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Howell Patch
Howell Happenings NJ ... See MoreSee Less

Southard Fire Dept. No.1

2 weeks ago

Today we pause and remember a great man, and member of our department that was killed in the line of duty on 11/15/1993.

John Hugo Somay
15 Nov 1919 15 Nov 1993
A lifelong resident of Howell Township, NJ, John Somay was a WWII Marine Corps. Veteran. He joined the Southard Fire Dept. #1 on May13, 1949 and rose through the ranks of the department ultimately becoming Chief in 1958-1959. One of the reasons John was so popular amungst the membership and community was his work as a machinist, he would tell the members,”Why spend money on parts when we can build them”. And he did, fixing the fire apparatus many times with parts he made in his own garage. In later years, John became a Fire Police Officer for the department as well as the Monmouth County Fire Police.
When Howell Township was divided into five Fire Districts, on Feb. 20, 1960, John was elected as one of the Charter Fire Commissioners, and held that position for many years.
On Nov. 15, 1993, his 74th birthday, John packed his car with $386 worth of brand new fishing gear to enjoy his favorite pastime, fishing the rivers of upstate New York. Just before he was to leave for vacation, a brush fire was called in on Miller Road. John told his wife Teenie, “On the way back from the fire, I’m gonna fill up with gas and get some ice”. John never got a chance to do that. While directing traffic at the fire scene, John was struck by a vehicle and died.

May he continue to rest in peace. ... See MoreSee Less

Southard Fire Dept. No.1

1 month ago

Last night, we had a spooky fun time at New Horizons in Autism’s Annual “Trunk O Treat”.

A big “Thank You” to our friends at Southard Vol. Fire Department who brought their 107’ and candy for all the New Horizons participants to enjoy.

Thank you to New Horizons for having us, we’re always happy to help bring the fire trucks!

To learn more about New Horizons in Autism and their future events (open to the public), head to nhautism.org/.

We’re wishing everyone a fun and safe Halloween!

Southard Fire Dept. No.1
New Horizons in Autism, Inc ... See MoreSee Less

Southard Fire Dept. No.1

2 months ago

The members of the Southard Fire Department are happy to welcome home the returning members of New Jersey Task Force One. These members were deployed to the hardest hit section of North Carolina following hurricane Helene and were later transferred down to Central Florida in preparation for Milton. These men, women, and canines worked for countless hours to commence search and rescue operations. Among them was one of our own,Ex-Chief Steven Hadgkiss. To no surprise of us, Ex-Chief Hadgkiss jumped at the chance to help others, even if it meant putting his own personal safety at risk, and spending valuable time away from his loved ones. Steve has always demonstrated the dedication and resiliency to do what is necessary to help those in need. Nice job Chief and welcome home! You’ve made us proud! ... See MoreSee Less