By Krystal Knapp
The Times of Trenton
PRINCETON, N.J. — Fewer people volunteering to serve as firefighters in the community also means a smaller pool of qualified and experienced potential volunteer fire chiefs.
Because of the problem, Princeton officials are weighing changing the process for selecting fire chiefs from among the town’s three fire departments.
“Many years ago, any number of people at each fire house had the experience and training to be the chief of the department,” said Mark Freda, a volunteer firefighter for many years who is also the borough’s new emergency management director.
“There were so many people volunteering in the fire department at each fire house that working your way up from second lieutenant to chief could take about a dozen years,” Freda said. “Over that time, you gained a lot of experience that prepared you for the role of chief.
“But these are changing times,” Freda said. “Volunteers are harder to recruit because people are so busy, and volunteers don’t stay as long as they used to. ... Finding enough people who are willing to run for chief, who have both the training and experience, can be tough some years.”
In the past, each of the three fire companies would select its own chief candidate, and each of the three would then be voted on to fill one of three positions — department chief, deputy chief and assistant chief. Two years ago, the borough changed the process, with a committee selecting the chief, deputy and assistant from among the candidates chosen by each fire house.
The borough council is considering an ordinance, introduced this week, to have the chief candidates screened by a committee from the start. There would be no election at the fire house level. All interested candidates would be treated more like they are interviewing for a job. Three ex-chiefs, one elected from each fire house to serve on the fire department’s appointment committee, would vote on the chief, deputy and assistant.
The process, Freda acknowledges, is a significant change, because it does not guarantee that each fire department has a representative among the chief ranks. It does, however, allow more potential candidates willing to take all the required courses to apply. A representative from each fire company is not necessary, Freda said, because the chief’s role is a departmental role, while captains run the day-to-day operations of individual fire houses.
Members at all three fire companies have discussed the new ordinance, Freda said, and a copy was mailed to members who have e-mail addresses. Fire Chief Dan Tomalin of Princeton Hook and Ladder and Deputy Chief Roy James of Princeton Fire Company No. 1 attended the council meeting this week to endorse the changes. A public hearing is scheduled for the council’s Oct. 13 meeting.
The committee process used the last time chiefs were selected worked well, Freda and Borough Administrator Robert Bruschi said, and they expect the new process to work just as well.
“It serves the public the way they should be served,” Freda said. “We need the best trained people in the position.”
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