Dumont, NJ - April 20, 2013

April 20, 2013 - At 21:45 hours, Dumont Fire Department and Dumont Ambulance Corps where dispatched to 53 East Madison Avenue at the Living Word Church for reports of many people complaining of chest pain and difficulty breathing. First arriving Dumont police officers assisted parishioners during the evacuation of the building and they too started to become ill.

Dumont Fire Chief Matt Banta requested New Milford HAZMAT and Bergen County HAZMAT respond to the scene and also requested mutual aid ambulances from Bergenfield, New Milford and Tenafly along with medics from Englewood and Holy Name. Command also requested Paramus HAZMAT to the scene and more ambulances from Cresskill, Haworth and River Edge. Bergen County OEM Tom Rose arrived to assist to allocate resources.

The Bergen County EMS Task Force Bus from The Valley Hospital was special called and the Englewood Hospital and Medical Center's MASS CARE RESPONSE UNIT 9 to the scene.

A total of 50 patients were evaluated and tagged. 48 were RMA's, one ALS patient and one BLS patient were taken to area hospitals for further medical evaluation. At this time nothing was found in the air inside the structure by the HAZMAT teams and the building was later turned over to the owner and units cleared the scene.

*** Not all ambulances are listed but a list will be posted shortly***