By Steve Janoski
The Herald News
KINNELON, N.J. — Local fire departments say they urgently need more members, and they will be making their pitches directly to the public Saturday at stores along Route 23.
Adam Barish, assistant chief of the Kinnelon Volunteer Fire Company, said fire chiefs are meeting each month to schedule joint operations and training drills and talk about problems at the local level. A common issue, he said, is difficulty in recruiting new members.
They will take advantage of the start of the holiday shopping season by placing recruiters on Saturday morning at some of the bigger stores along Route 23.
Barish said that would-be recruits often say they don’t have the time to balance a family, a job and a position in a fire company.
However, Barish, who has been in the department for 12 years, said any help from anyone is appreciated in Kinnelon, where about 180 calls per year come in. To be certified to put on a mask and air bottle, firefighter candidates must attend fire school. But Barish said there’s much to be done that doesn’t require full certification.
“I try to tell people that you don’t need the certification to be a firefighter. Come see if it’s for you first, come to the meetings, the drills. ... You commit where you can, when you can,” he said.
He said volunteering may sound overwhelming, but it’s fun and rarely seems like work. On top of that, he said, many find fulfillment in the effort.
“It’s really a brotherhood,” he said. “And it’s a genuine community service.”
Women also are welcome in the department, he said. Currently, three are on the rolls.
Dave James, chief of Pequannock Township Engine Company 1, said residents should stop by when they see the Pequannock trucks set up at the A&P on Route 23.
“We’re always looking for new members, and this is another event in the line of things where we can get our message out that we’re looking for people,” he said.
James, a firefighter for 31 years, said about 90 firefighters in Pequannock’s two companies answer more than 300 calls each year.
“It’s a good way to get involved, meet new people. ... You’re serving the community and you’re giving something back,” he said.
James said he especially wants to encourage younger people to join.
“Our average age is in the 40s,” he said. “This is a young man’s game, and we can’t keep depending on guys in their 50s or 60s to do this.”
James said younger members who join often bring friends with them. However, the Fire Department fights a constant battle to keep younger members on the rolls, especially when they hit the time for buying a house, but can’t afford to stay in the town.
“For a lot of guys, the first house they buy will be out of town,” he said. “We put a lot of time and effort into [new members], and we’re losing them.”
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