By FireRescue1 Staff
UNION CITY, N.J. — Following the death of a 2-year-old boy who died in a fire, a mayor is questioning a fire department’s response time.
Mayor Brian Stack said North Hudson Regional Fire and Rescue took over 40 minutes to attack a blaze with water, reported the Hudson Reporter. The fire killed toddler Eddie Gonzalez Jr.; his father was hospitalized in critical condition after attempting to save him.
Mayor Stack, who was at the fire scene, said the department has a fire station a few blocks from the fire, and noted that Secaucus Volunteer Fire Department arrived before NHRFR. Fire officials contested the claim, and said they arrived before the volunteer department.
“My criticism has to do with the North Hudson Regional Fire and Rescue administration, not the firefighters,” Mayor Stack said.
Following the blaze, department officials said the fire’s size and cold weather conditions impacted their response.
“This was a defensive fire and the first priority in this case was containing it to the area and protecting other residences, especially in the difficult conditions that were present that night,” the department said in a press release. “Firefighters had to manage high wind conditions and large embers being blown into neighboring roofs and yards and had to confront the risk of the wooden church steeple collapsing, which did occur.”