Report issued on the potential of volunteer firefighters

By Patrick Justin Fahey, Staff Writer

ORANGE, NJ - Doug Burris, the coordinator of volunteers for the city of Orange, has completed a final draft of the bylaws and proposed rules and regulations for a volunteer fire company in the city.

Burris also submitted a research report on volunteer fire companies in northern New Jersey and the feasibility of a volunteer supplement to the Orange Fire Department.

The report concludes that, “The start-up of an Orange Volunteer Fire Company will not be easy.”



The main reason given for the difficulty in starting a company is opposition to the idea.

“It will face determined opposition from the New Jersey State Fireman’s Benevolent Association, FMBA Locals 10 and 210, which just happens to have a member who is an attorney specializing in labor law, many currently serving career firefighters and their officers and various other politically active entities.”

However, the report indicates that if opposition to the idea can be overcome, “I would recommend that Orange follow the example of other northern New Jersey fire departments and offer volunteers life insurance and a stipend of up to $7,000.”

The report recommends a “model starting with a consolidated fire district of two or more municipalities. The new career fire-suppression organization should have enough personnel to handle all nuisance calls, water leaks, trash fires, alarm activations, etc., and to staff a reasonable first alarm.”

The report then goes on to lay out the response procedure of the new company.

“Upon indication of a working fire, either by the initial phone call or by the first arriving unit, the volunteer organizations would be activated. Residential student volunteers would immediately man apparatus and respond while community volunteers and residential volunteers who are away from the firehouse would be notified by pager.

“Community volunteers would include both city employees who have become volunteers as secondary part-time employment and also citizens of Orange who wish to join, have been accepted and have trained.”

The only questions Burris’ report leave open-ended are those of funding and overcoming opposition.

“A volunteer fire-fighting force can be recruited, trained and placed in service to help protect the city of Orange against the dangers of fire. There remain two questions for which I have no answer: Are we willing to adequately fund such a force? Can we successfully deal with the political and union opposition?”