Sisters Maryann Pantano Davis, left, and Janice Pantano, stand in front of the charred remains of the vacation home on Central Avenue that their family had owned for 55 years.
By Donald Wittkowski
Sea Isle City residents packed City Council chambers on Tuesday to demand better fire protection in the aftermath of four separate blazes that have destroyed a total of nine single-family homes or duplexes in the past 18 months and put the shore town on edge.
Most of the homeowners who spoke called for the city to hire professional firefighters to provide 24-hour protection instead of continuing to rely exclusively on the local volunteer fire department.
In response, city officials assured the residents that they are willing to consider a series of safety measures, including the possibility of a professional fire department and stronger building codes.
“As far as a paid fire department goes, we are always looking at options,” City Business Administrator George Savastano told the audience.
Savastano noted that Sea Isle created a professional emergency medical services division two years ago in place of the city’s volunteer ambulance squad. Founded in 1956, the ambulance squad has struggled in recent years to find enough volunteers to provide 24-hour service.
However, Savastano said that city officials “don’t think we’re there yet” for the need to switch to paid firefighters.
Kathleen Edwardi, wife of Sea Isle's volunteer Fire Chief Frank Edwardi Sr., tells City Council there must be a better system to respond to fires faster.
One resident who made an urgent appeal to the Council members is the wife of the chief of the city’s volunteer fire department. Another homeowner who spoke during the Council meeting is the co-owner of the house that was destroyed in the most recent fire.
Kathleen Edwardi, the wife of Sea Isle Fire Chief Frank Edwardi Sr., told Council that most of the volunteer firefighters live off the island. By the time they drive to the fire station, put on their gear and arrive on the fire scene, precious time is lost, she pointed out.
“I certainly don’t have all the answers, but there must be a better system to get to fires in a timely manner,” she said. “Why not pay a handful of firefighters to be at the station around the clock and get the process started before a fire can burn out of control? I have heard too much negative talk about these hard-working volunteers.”
Edwardi is the mother of Councilman Frank Edwardi Jr., who was absent from Tuesday’s Council meeting.
Residents repeatedly praised the local volunteer firefighters for their bravery and dedication, but said Sea Isle’s evolution into an upscale shore town with bigger, more elaborate homes that are closely packed together requires the services of a professional fire department.
“It’s time to think differently and put in the budget some paid firefighters so some quicker action can be given,” said Maryann Patano Davis, of 6422 Central Ave. “We need a quicker response.”
Patano Davis and her sister, Janice Pantano, own a vacation home at 5605 Central Ave. that was destroyed by fire on Thursday night. The blaze started in Janice Pantano’s SUV parked in the driveway and spread to the home, which is now a charred hulk.
Sea Isle is currently protected by volunteer firefighters, but some residents are calling for a professional fire department that would be on duty on a 24-hour basis.
The home was owned by the Pantano family for 55 years. A two-story addition was built in the back of the house about 30 years ago.
Janice Pantano spoke kindly about the volunteer firefighters who battled the blaze, but she said it took them about 20 minutes to arrive on the scene. Like her sister, she believes it is time for Sea Isle to create a professional fire department providing around-the-clock protection.
“We need paid firefighters, especially in the peak summer season, when the town is packed,” she said in an interview.
The Sea Isle Police Department and the Cape May County Fire Marshal’s Office are investigating the fire at the Pantano home, but have already issued a statement saying that it does not appear to be suspicious.
Flames jumped from the burning SUV and ignited the house. Janice Pantano said she had her SUV, a 2014 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport, serviced a few days before it caught fire.
“My car came out of the shop and was given a clean bill of health,” she said.
Residents pack the Council chambers at City Hall to express their concerns about fire protection.
The blaze at the Pantano house was the latest in a series of major fires in Sea Isle dating to late 2017.
The charred hulk of one of two duplexes destroyed in the Easter morning fire on 75th Street has since been demolished.
Kevin Brennan, who owns a vacation home at 5609 Central Ave., directly next door to Janice Pantano, told the Council members that the city’s growth demands the creation of a professional fire department.
“Our homes and businesses are bigger than ever and they’re so close. Firefighting in this town has to evolve,” said Brennan, who lives in Harrisburg, Pa.
Brennan wants Sea Isle to conduct a study of the city’s fire-safety needs, including an analysis of the cost of starting a professional fire department. He believes the city could hire 21 firefighters at a cost of $2 million.
“Please make a study of our fire-prevention services,” Brennan said to Council, prompting applause from the audience.
Stephen Hand, who owns a Sea Isle vacation home on 56th Street, believes the city must improve its public outreach for better fire safety.
Hand is a volunteer firefighter in Havertown, Pa., where he makes his full-time residence. He suggested that Sea Isle should develop fire safety pamphlets that could be distributed by local realtors when vacationers arrive to pick up the keys for their rental properties.
“You’re one fire away from shutting this town down,” Hand said to the Council members.
Kevin Brennan, who owns a vacation home on Central Avenue next to the house that was destroyed in Thursday night's fire, wants the city to conduct a cost analysis for creating a professional fire department.
Sea Isle often receives help from volunteer departments in neighboring communities during fires. It is customary for local fire departments to battle blazes in each other’s towns.
Responding to the public comments, the Council members praised Sea Isle’s volunteer fire department for the protection it gives the city.
“You can never say enough about the value of the volunteers,” Councilman William Kehner said.
At the same time, Council pledged to carefully consider all of the suggestions made by the residents. The members said they were just as eager as the homeowners to develop a strategy for stronger fire safety.
“We’re very concerned as well, as is everyone in the audience,” Council President Jack Gibson said.
“We hear you,” added Councilwoman Mary Tighe. “We hear the emotion.”
Councilman William Kehner, left, wearing hat, talks about fire safety with homeowners after the meeting.
Tuesday’s meeting represented the third time in two months that residents have appealed to Council for more fire protection.
At the April 23 meeting, several residents called on the governing body to tighten the local building codes. They suggested that the city should require fire-retardant construction materials as well as stronger fire walls.
Some residents said homes are too densely packed together in Sea Isle, allowing fires to easily spread from one house to another. They wondered whether the city’s zoning laws should be changed to require more space between homes.
At Tuesday’s meeting, City Solicitor Paul Baldini said Mayor Leonard Desiderio has authorized a review of the city’s building codes with an eye toward making them stronger. He indicated that a package of legislation is expected to be submitted to Council for its consideration within a “reasonable amount of time.”
“We have all options on the table,” Baldini said. “We will look at everything.”
