SUMMIT, NJ — Members of the public were recently invited to a grand opening ceremony for the new firehouse located at 281 Broad St.
The event began with a closing ceremony at the current headquarters at 396 Broad St. Local officials joined the Fire Department in a parade down Broad Street to the new firehouse. Following the parade, a ceremony and flag raising took place at the new firehouse.
Fire Chief Eric Evers welcomed the public.
Mayor Elizabeth Fagan thanked the firefighters and chief for getting the job done.
After the ceremony, attendees were invited to tour the new building, participate in fire safety and educational activities, and enjoy light refreshments.
The community was in agreement that the new state-of-the-art building was amazing.
Green Village Packaging Co. was cooking for the celebration. Michelle Bianchini, of Green Village Packaging Co., said, “It’s a beautiful building. The firemen are really good looking and very nice.”
Maria Portera was there with her 9-year-old son, Nicholas. They moved to Summit three years ago from New York City. “Summit’s amazing,” she said. “When we moved here, this building was under construction. It’s been amazing to watch it be built and now here we are. It is spectacular to see the architecture. It means a whole lot to the community.”
Dennis Monz, of Martinsville, said, “We love it. My wife’s sister is the girlfriend of the fire chief’s son. That’s why we’re here – for support.”
Cindy Caporaso, of Madison, was born and raised in Summit. Her father was a firefighter for more than 25 years. “I know he would love this,” she said. Caporaso purchased an inscribed brick paver on the property in honor of her father.
Caporaso said the new building is “absolutely amazing,” adding that there is more protection for the firemen, because the new building decreases exposure to contaminants.
Howard Taylor said he thinks the new building is fabulous. He joined the fire department in 1955 as a volunteer, then began getting paid in 1959. He retired in 1997.
Melvin Duron, of Summit, was there with his two sons, Gabriel, 4, and Matthew, 3. “It’s a nice building,” he said. “Beautiful!”
Kristin Heard, of Summit, said, “My son is very excited. It was very nice to see them say goodbye to the old station. It was meaningful.”
To learn more about the city of Summit Fire Department, visit: https://www.cityofsummit.org/234/Fire-Department.
Photos Courtesy of Cindy Caporaso and Maryanne Christiano-Mistretta