West Milford’s National Night Out draws hundreds
West Milford. About 500 residents attended West Milford’s fifth annual National Night Out on Aug. 3, where first responders, community organizations and local volunteers promoted public safety through demonstrations, exhibits and family-friendly activities.
| 05 Aug 2026 | 09:21
Firefighters demonstrate a vehicle extraction. (
)
K9 Bosco, 8, and handler, Cpl. Testino from Passaic County Sheriff’s Office. (
)
Kenzie Verbeke, 4, of Stockholm gets a vehicle-shaped keychain from Det. Derek Finley while Rita Vander Stad watches. (
)
Officers Kevin Canova and Nick Snook, event coordinator Amy Antonucci, and Hostage Negotiator Det. Derek Finley; Sue Novakowski pose for a photo. (
)
Approximately 500 residents gathered on Aug. 3 for West Milford’s fifth annual National Night Out. West Milford Officer Amy Antonucci coordinated the event in partnership with the West Milford Police Department, PBA Local 162 and the Highlands Family Success Center.
National Night Out began in 1984 as a national crime prevention initiative. The annual event has grown to emphasize building relationships between residents, police, emergency services, and community organizations. The philosophy is that public safety is a shared responsibility.
“It takes a village to keep our community safe,” Antonucci said.
There was a wide mix of participants in this year’s National Night Out — first responders, West Milford High School cheerleaders, New Jersey Division on Civil Rights, West Milford Recreation Center, Cub Scouts, K-9 officers and their handlers from the Passaic County Sheriff’s Office and many organizations offering information on community-related services.
Children and their families were entertained by Kandy the Clown who made balloon figures and a D.J. who inspired some eventgoers to dance. There was free cotton candy, games, prizes and food trucks. Antonucci likes to “mix it up,” so this year she added dogs from the West Milford Animal Shelter, the R.E.W.A.R. Animal Rescue, and two K-9 dogs; one trained in search and rescue/explosives and the other in narcotics detection and is currently training at the academy for patrol/apprehension.
The highlight of the evening was the rescue demonstration by the fire department, which gathered a large crowd. The firefighters used special hydraulic equipment “the Jaws of Life” to remove the doors and roof of a crashed demo car, then gingerly removed the victim (a dummy) from the wreck.
The children loved being up close to the first responder’s vehicles. They even were allowed to go into and climb on some of the vehicles. Meanwhile, the parents busied themselves taking snapshots while the children explored the vehicles.
National Night Out shows how the event has evolved beyond crime prevention into an opportunity for neighbors, volunteers, first responders, and community organizations to get to know one another.