Seaside Heights Fire Co: Post-Sandy Looting Reports "Baseless And Irresponsible"

The Seaside Heights Fire Department is fighting back against claims that its firefighters “looted” or “broke in” at an Army-Navy Store and a local 7-11, calling those reports "baseless and irresponsible."

In a Facebook post Saturday, the department said it is "deeply troubled and disappointed by ongoing media reports wrongly insinuating" wrongdoing, and that the truth "involves facts that have not been accurately reported."

Soon after Sandy wreaked havoc in Seaside Heights, the Emergency Management team of the Borough of Seaside Heights assessed the broad scope of the damage, according to the statement.

"The team noted the reality that most of our first responders were homeless, many residents were still held up in their homes or at the firehouse, and plans were in the works for a robust influx of hundreds of first responders and emergency response vehicles from other jurisdictions to rotate in and out of Seaside Heights," the statement said. 

Based on that assessment, Emergency Management decision-makers briefed its human resources - the firefighters, EMS volunteers, and law enforcement officers who were at the firehouse and police department sleeping on cots in cold rooms - to expect to be on the island for at least one week, and possibly several weeks, according to the statement.

"We were instructed to make preparations to stockpile food, water, coffee, clothing (e.g., hats, pants, shirts, socks, gloves, boots), and supplies (e.g., flashlights, pocket knives) that were expected to be available at the 7-11 and Army-Navy Store," it said.

Once the order was given by Emergency Management, firefighters - accompanied by law enforcement officers - responded to both locations and secured items that were necessary or useful in support of the disaster response and for the good and welfare of volunteers, according to the statement.

The items removed by first responders from the Army-Navy Store included boots, hats, pants, shirts, coats, and flashlights, but novelty items (reported to be golf balls, shot glasses, Betty Boop plates, and GI Joe figurines) were not included, the statement said.

"It is baseless and irresponsible - arguably even defamatory - for anybody to assert otherwise," the statement said.

Before departing from each location, reasonable steps were taken to secure the entry points of both buildings, the statement said. 

All of the items were then delivered to the firehouse and secured in one of the empty truck bays.

"Members of the fire company and the Seaside Heights Police Department - most of whom only had the clothes on their backs - were invited to take needed clothing and supplies in anticipation of a long mobilization on the island. And in the first week following the storm, many residents who had not initially evacuated were offered clothing and supplies from the stockpile," the statement said.

"As first responders from multiple outside jurisdictions began to check in at the firehouse they, too, were invited to take clothing and supplies from the truck bay. These first responders included dozens of law enforcement officers, firefighters, and EMS personnel from all over New Jersey."

"Our message to the Monday morning quarterbacks is this: protecting lives and property is not a game. Hurricane Sandy made the experience very real for us. At all times, members of our fire company acted reasonably and in good faith when we carried out orders to secure food, clothing, and supplies from both stores,"the statement said.

"When we implemented orders to enter the 7-11 or Army-Navy Store we did so as part of the larger emergency management operation that was underway. Neither our members nor the organization acted independently when carrying out orders to enter both stores. Thus, if you have an image in mind of individual first responders secretly climbing through broken windows and loading their personal vehicles with boxes of golf balls and Betty Boop plates, as laughable as it sounds, erase the image. That is not what happened."

Hurricane Sandy devastated many New Jersey communities, and Seaside Heights was not spared, the company says. Images of the destroyed amusement piers captured the country’s attention, and the image of the beaten Jet Star rollercoaster lying in the ocean merely 50 yards offshore became an international symbol of Sandy’s powerful force.

"The firefighters of the Seaside Heights Volunteer Fire Company responded to Sandy in the same way that they have responded to every emergency call for nearly 100 years - with unreserved bravery and dedication to their mission," the statement said.

"On the evening of October 29th, while the hurricane was furiously ripping up the boardwalk and flooding our streets and homes, about two dozen members of the fire company courageously risked life and limb - literally and without any exaggeration whatsoever - to rescue dozens of residents from their homes and apartments," it said. "These residents had failed to heed warnings to evacuate; they made the wrong choice and needed our help. Our firefighters accepted the mission to assist them, even while our own homes and apartments were being ruined by water, wind, and sand."

During the first few days and weeks after Sandy made landfall, there was no electrical power in Seaside Heights, the statement noted. Street lights were out. Stores were all closed. Debris and beach sand blocked streets. Natural gas was leaking on virtually every street and on the boardwalk.
"Urban search and rescue teams walked street by street searching for survivors and any potential dead among us. The bridge was closed - access to the island was limited to approved emergency personnel. There were no less than a couple hundred residents from Seaside Heights and neighboring communities, many of them with pets, who were in need of water, food and shelter until they could be evacuated off the island," the statement said.

I"t was a dark period for us, as it was for most New Jerseyans who were going through a similar experience in their own hometowns. But despite all of this, our members stayed on the island - WE NEVER ABANDONED SHIP! We never put a “CLOSED” sign on our firehouse door," the statement said.

"Lastly, we wish to emphasize that we proudly stand by the Emergency Management team. Your planning and training, and your guts to make difficult choices ultimately saved many lives."