Standing over six feet tall, Fire Marshal Ron Svrchek of the West Milford Bureau of Fire Prevention is a big bear of a guy. While that may sound intimidating, his sincere concern for the safety of the town’s residents puts him more into the gentle bear category. Bears play a part in his story, and help to define him. Born and raised in Garfield, the 32-year old currently lives in Monroe, N.Y. He looks forward to the day when he and Brandi, his wife of five years, and their two-year old son Trevor can relocate to West Milford. Svrchek attended Garfield High School and then Bergen Community College where he studied applied science, graduating in 1998. Fifteen years ago he became a volunteer fireman in Garfield and shortly after he began the study of fire prevention and fire code enforcement. Fire fighting is in Svrchek’s blood. “My father and grandfather were both firemen, my father a chief for 30 years. When I first became a fireman I found it challenging and interesting,” he said. He was employed by the New Jersey State Fire Marshal’s office for eight years. He became West Milford’s fire marshal in 2008 and he is also the town’s deputy emergency management coordinator and hazmat coordinator. “The Office of Emergency Management (OEM) is disaster management, making sure that whatever hits the town is managed,” he said. Severe snowstorms and floods can keep the OEM working day and night. They tap into different resources and are currently working with FEMA, trying to recover losses from the last flood. As if all these responsibilities are not enough to keep Svrchek busy, he became a volunteer fire fighter with West Milford Fire Company #1 last year. Obviously middle of the night call-outs are not unusual for him. Under the umbrella of fire marshal, and along with fire inspector Fred Stewart, all commercial and multi-family dwellings are inspected to be sure they are in compliance. They check exit lights, fire extinguishers, door functioning, electrical wiring, fire alarms, smoke detectors and housekeeping. “We are also very proactive in bars, or where there is live entertainment, to be sure they are strictly adhering to occupancy codes,” Svrchek said. If there is a suspicious fire, Svrchek is on the job. “Usually everything is destroyed and we have to put the puzzle back together. The fire department is fanatical about keeping the scene intact. We have to back-track to see where the fire started; we interview the firefighters, we look for charring and burn patterns,” he said. His office on Edgar Drive is a busy place and he credits the administrative secretary, Carol DenHeyer, for keeping it humming. “Carol is a saint,” he said. What is the most important fire safety tip Svrchek could give? “When you clean out your fireplace put the ashes in a metal container, take it away from your house, fill the bucket with water and keep it for several days before disposal. We get dozens of fires caused by hot ash,” he said. Be careful with candles, do not attempt to do electrical work yourself, know two ways out of your home and designate a family meeting place away from your house, he added. Svrchek can tell you about people standing in the street, watching as their homes are destroyed. One such devastating fire brings us back to the bears. A little girl, standing outside her burning home cried for her teddy bear, left behind in her bedroom. Svrchek retrieved the bear, smoky and burned, wrapped it in a blanket and brought it out to her. “When I came out later, she came over to me, grabbed my arm and pulled me down, hugged me and said Thank you, Mr. Fireman,’ ” he recalled. Svrchek, impacted by that little girl’s tears, now carries a duffle bag of teddy bears in his truck. He takes some teasing, but he knows in his heart how much one small gesture may mean to a distraught child. Svrchek doesn’t have a lot of spare time, and what precious time he has is spent with his family. He enjoys cooking and was a firehouse cook at one time. While he sent a recipe for soup, barbecue is his specialty. “It’s fire. I’m good at it,” he said. Firehouse Old-Fashion Chicken Noodle Soup 1 1/2 lbs. chicken cutlets (depending on personal preference) 1 chopped onion 2 tsp. salt 1 tsp. black pepper 2 Bay leafs 1 1/2 cups chopped carrots 1 1/2 cups chopped celery 1/2 cup chopped fresh garlic 4 chopped celery stalks 2 tbsp. minced fresh parsley 4-32 oz. cartons Swanson Chicken Broth 1-2 bags egg noodles (depending on personal preference) Pour chicken broth into frying pan, enough to cover bottom Heat broth to a simmer Butterfly chicken and add to pan Add more broth as needed to cover the cutlets Cook until chicken starts to get a golden color Remove chicken and set aside While chicken is cooking pour all remaining broth into Dutch oven or kettle, heat for ten minutes Add salt, pepper bay leafs. Cook on low heat for 45 min. or until boiling. Stir as needed When broth boils stir in noodles, garlic, onions, carrots and celery Simmer until noodles are tender but firm Mince the chicken cutlets, add to soup Add parsley and heat thoroughly