We regret to pass on that a 31-year-old Stanhope (Sussex Co, N.J. near NYC) Firefighter died Monday evening during a drill at the Sussex County Public Safety Academy in Frankford.
Edward J. Frenenski, an active member of Stanhope Hose Company No. 1, suffered a medical emergency as he took part in a vehicular extrication drill that involved his entire fire department around 2020 hours.
Firefighter Frenenski was in full gear, including his helmet but not his air pack, when he was practicing a simulation of extricating victims from an automobile.
Frenenski had been an active member of the fire department since 2005 and his father, Edward Frenenski, was a former chief of the fire company and is still an active member.
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Edward J Frenenski
Firefighter Edward J. Frenenski was participating in vehicle
extrication training during a fire department drill at the county fire
training academy. While performing a practical evolution, he suffered
an apparent seizure, and was immediately treated by FD and EMS personnel
on scene. He subsequently went into cardiac arrest while being
transported to a local hospital, and CPR was initiated. Hospital
emergency room staff continued with life-saving measures to no avail.
Firefighter Frenenski, a life-saving organ donor at the time of his
passing, was pronounced deceased approximately 2.5 hours later.
Incident Location: 26 Main St., Stanhope, NJ 07874 (U.S. National Grid: 18T WL 2464 2796
Incident Location: 26 Main St., Stanhope, NJ 07874 (U.S. National Grid: 18T WL 2464 2796
Department Information
Stanhope Hose Co 126 main street
U.S. National Grid: 18T WL 2464 2796
Stanhope, New Jersey 07874
Chief: Mitchell Ellicott
Fatality status is provisional and may change as USFA contacts State Fire Marshals to verify fatality incident information.
| Age: | 31 |
|---|---|
| Rank: | Firefighter |
| Classification: | Volunteer |
| Incident date: | Oct 23, 2017 20:21 |
| Date of death: | Oct 23, 2017 |
| Cause of death: | Other |
| Nature of death: | Other |
| Activity type: | Extrication |
| Emergency duty: | No |
| Duty type: | Training |
By Lori Comstock New Jersey Herald
Posted: Oct. 24, 2017 4:50 pm
A 31-year-old Stanhope firefighter died Monday evening during a drill at the Sussex County Public Safety Academy in Frankford, according to officials.
Edward J. Frenenski, an active member of Stanhope Hose Company No. 1, suffered a medical emergency as he took part in a vehicular extrication drill that involved his entire fire department around 8:20 p.m., according to Sussex County Fire Marshal Virgil Rome Jr.
Rome said Frenenski was in full gear, including his helmet but not his air pack, when he was practicing a simulation of extricating victims from an automobile.
The drill, which typically lasts around 2 1/2 hours, according to Rome, began around 7 p.m. at the academy.
Rome said that members of the fire department and emergency medical technicians, who were there for a class, tended to Frenenski after he collapsed before he was taken to the hospital.
Frenenski had been an active member of the fire department since 2005 and his father, Edward Frenenski, was a former chief of the department and is still an active member, according to Rome.
Fire departments participate in drills once a month, Rome said, and have the option of taking part in various drills at the public safety academy when space permits and instructors are available.
Rome, who called the situation truly upsetting and tragic for the family and his fellow firefighters, said that grief counseling has been made available and official reports are in the process of being completed.
Paperwork will be filed to treat the situation as a line-of-duty death, Rome said.
George Graham, county freeholder and resident of Stanhope, did not want to comment on specifics but called Frenenski a "fine young man" and the situation "tragic."
In a joint statement issued on Facebook, the Sussex County Firemen's Association and Rome asked readers that their "thoughts and prayers be with the family at this time."
The post stated that memorial arrangements will be announced when they become available.
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Firefighter collapses, dies as he's learning to save others
Updated on October 25, 2017 at 6:46 PM Posted on October 25, 2017 at 12:32 PM
Edward J. Frenenski's fire gear on display in Stanhope (Rob Jennings / NJ Advance Media for NJ.com) By Rob Jennings
rjennings@njadvancemedia.com,
NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
STANHOPE, NJ -- A 31-year-old firefighter who died during a training drill is being remembered for his lifelong passion for a department that served as a second home since childhood.
Edward J. Frenenski was practicing how to pull victims from vehicles at the Sussex County Public Safety Academy in Frankford on Monday night when he suffered a cardiac event and collapsed, authorities said.
Memorial bunting honors Edward Frenenski at his Stanhope firehouse He was taken to Newton Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.
A makeshift memorial to Frenenski, featuring the gear he was wearing during the drill, was assembled Wednesday morning on a table at the Stanhope Hose Co. No. 1 building on Main Street.
Chief Mitch Ellicott, a 28-year member, recalled Frenenski as a young boy visiting the fire house with his father, a former fire chief and current volunteer who is also named Edward.
"As he got older, he started to get a passion for being a firefighter," Ellicott said.
Frenenski, who joined his hometown fire company in 2005, is the first Stanhope firefighter since 1991 to die in the line of duty.
On Monday night, Frenenski -- friends called him "Bear" -- was taking part in what began as a routine drill at the fire academy.
"They started the class. He was stabilizing the vehicle. That's basically when all hell broke loose," said Ellicott, who was not taking part in the drill but was nearby.
Ellicott said fellow firefighters and EMTs rushed to aid Frenenski.
"He had a lot of people caring for him," Ellicott said.
Hugh Matlack, a firefighter and the company's chaplain, was with Ellicott at the fire house on Wednesday morning.
"We're so shocked. Someone who was 31 years old and had his whole life ahead of him," Matlack said.
Frenenski, who was single, is survived by his parents, Edward and Donna Frenenski, and a brother, Andrew Frenenski of Austin, Tex., according to his obituary.
Funeral services on Saturday will include a procession to the fire house building.