BY MICHAEL OLOHAN AND JOHN SNYDER
OF PASCACK PRESS
EMERSON—With guidance from Daniel O’Brien, a recent Fifth District Hometown Hero, the Borough Council has approved the sale of a nearly 30-year-old surplus fire engine for just $1 to a Tennessee fire department that lost equipment to Hurricane Helene’s historic roar and soak.
The recipient, Centerview Volunteer Fire Department in Newport, Tenn., will use the 1998 American LaFrance pumper to replace an engine destroyed in September 2024, when the hurricane dumped more than two feet of rain across parts of the South.
Helene made landfall in Florida in the “Big Bend” region as a Category 4 carrying winds of up to 140 mph. The hurricane then chewed through Georgia, the Carolinas, and Tennessee. Wire reports said at least 56 people lost their lives as a result of Hurricane Helene.
The idea to donate the surplus fire apparatus came from O’Brien, an Emerson resident, former Emerson Volunteer Fire Department chief, and current Westwood Volunteer Fire Department member, who has dedicated 50 years to firefighting. He was recognized on Feb. 18 by the Borough Council for a related Hometown Hero distinction, awarded by Fifth District Congressman Josh Gottheimer in December 2024.
Firefighter’s Mission: Rebuilding from Devastation
A longtime business owner—he has run Academy Electric in Emerson since 1981—O’Brien has taken it upon himself to collect surplus firefighting equipment from across New Jersey to help departments in disaster-stricken regions. He launched a GoFundMe campaign to purchase additional used tankers, pumpers, and ladder trucks and personally covers transportation costs—each trip burns approximately $1,500 in fuel.
His immediate past mission took him to North Carolina, where entire fire departments were left crippled by Hurricane Helene’s historic flooding.
“I just wanted to make a little bit of a difference,” O’Brien said.
He personally delivered 14 portable generators to a rescue center in the mountains of North Carolina on Nov. 8, 2024, including a 5,000-watt portable generator from Winco Generators and 1,000 feet of 10-4 cord from Cooper Electric Supply. He also used his own Skid-Steer Bobcat to clear debris and repair damaged driveways.
“With Dan’s mission clear, he has devoted considerable time and resources to helping them get temporary power, as permanent restoration is not expected until March 2025,” the borough noted.
The Emerson Chamber of Commerce vice president has also been securing donations for fire departments in need, saying simply, “I’m just a guy and a fireman who tries to help people who need help.”
A New Fire Engine for Centerview
After Mayor Danielle DiPaola read O’Brien’s proclamation into the record, he suggested the borough donate its surplus 1998 pumper truck to a department in need. He personally offered to transport it to Centerview, a town of approximately 3,500 residents southwest of Nashville.
The council unanimously approved the donation, with DiPaola beaming, “We are pleased to be able to help those who are less fortunate that have been affected by a natural disaster.”
The Centerview Volunteer Fire Department serves a historically rich community, known as the hometown of country music legend Minnie Pearl and for attractions like the National Banana Pudding Festival and Grinder’s Switch Music Hour.
While we were unable by press time to learn from Centerview what losses it sustained in Hurricane Helene, reports from across Tennessee paint a dire picture.
According to Fire Apparatus Magazine, the Elk Mills Poga Volunteer Fire Department in Butler, Tenn. was destroyed when rapids washed away its firehouse and tanker. The department shared a heartbreaking update on Sept. 28: “Our station is completely gone. Our little community needs your prayers.”
Two days later, they wrote: “Our community has been devastated. The amount of damage and destruction is catastrophic and truly hard to fathom. Unfortunately, our fire department building is sitting somewhere in the Watauga Lake, along with our tanker. But we aren’t just a building—we’re people. We’re people who believe in our community and have been called to serve those in it.”
They emphasized that rebuilding efforts will take time and urged neighbors to check in on each other and offer support.
Helping Where It’s Needed
Centerview Volunteer Fire Department describes itself as having a “well-equipped fire hall just north of the public square,” housing a heavy rescue truck, a pumper, a ladder truck, and swiftwater rescue boats and equipment.” O’Brien continues to collect equipment donations and raise funds to support departments affected by natural disasters. Those interested in contributing can contact him through the Emerson Volunteer Fire Department or his GoFundMe campaign.