What's Happening in Northvale, NJ…

Firefighters throughout Bergen County, including those in Northvale, are seeking a county-wide, coordinated approach to the hazard presented by a potential derailment of an oil train.

Fire officials have warned the county that they do not have the equipment or manpower required to handle the response to such an accident. The oil trains, which start in North Dakota, pass through a number of New Jersey towns each day. They enter the state at Northvale, and carry millions of gallons of the highly volatile Bakken crude oil.

First responders met in Hackensack and said a coordinated effort is the only practical way to deal with the oil trains, which have almost tripled in number since last year. The sheer volume of trains now hauling oil is more than the first responders can handle, according to Jason Lanzilotti, Bergenfield's fire chief. He and others agreed it's necessary to create some kind of framework to handle accidents, rather than having each town looking at the situation individually.

Lt. Matthew Tiedemann was another official who spoke at the event, pointing out that the densely populated nature of the county is another reason why concerns are being raised about this.

Firefighters throughout Bergen County might work with a flyer printing company to create a mailer for residents explaining their concerns and asking for residents' input.