THE PECK’S BAD BOYS OF WOODBRIDGE, NEW JERSEY, the Avenal-Colonia First Aid Squad has been permanently shut down by the municipal council. On Wednesday the council voted 7-1 to eliminate the squad from the township’s map of ambulance districts.
Firegeeer readers will recall that a long trail of complaints about the activities of the Avenal-Colonia members came to our attention back in June when we reported HERE that some members – including two top officers – took an ambulance on a “joy ride” to Edison, then broke into an old roller skating rink, all while on duty. Later, they posted pictures of themselves inside the rink on Facebook pages. Two of the participants are also the only two full-time employees of the squad. The police filed criminal tresspass charges against seven members.
Their problems were compounded in July when it was disclosed that:
An investigation by Woodbridge police Det. John Nisky led to a Kenilworth man, who is not a member of the squad, being charged July 14 with promoting prostitution, a third-degree offense.
Officials say Stanley P. Misiuk, 58, brought women to parties at the squad building where they danced nude and were available to perform sexual acts for money. Police are aware of several of these parties in the past two years, officials said, but they declined to provide further details.
Police this month also charged two squad members with causing false alarms to which the Iselin Chemical Hook and Ladder Fire Company in Fire District No. 11 responded. Dale Eckensberger Jr. was charged with two counts of causing false alarm while his brother Randy was charged with one count. Eckensberger Jr. and his father were among the seven squad members charged with trespassing (last month).
See the Firegeezer report HERE. The squad has been under suspension since that time while the council gave them an opportunity to reorganize and get their affairs straightened out. But they were unable to accomplish even that much and this week they have been permanently decommissioned.
The township’s three remaining squads will split up calls to the area once the ordinance takes effect Oct. 28, township spokesman John Hagerty told the Star-Ledger. However, Woodbridge Township Ambulance and Rescue Squad, a private squad, will take over the “vast majority” of that district, he said.
The Asbury Park Press has a good report on what is going on this week with the elimination of the 65-yr.-old first aid squad HERE. Many of the Avenal residents are opposed to what is going on.
Also on FireGeezer…
- Avenal-Colonia on the Rebound? – December 8, 2010
