The Fire Districts in Blackwood and Chews Landing reached a Shared Services Agreement last summer to better protect the community
Gloucester Township welcomed two new career firefighters to the fire districts Wednesday, Feb. 20, at Fire District №4’s Central Avenue Station location in Blackwood.
The firefighters, Robert Lindell and Joseph Brogan, were sworn in on Wednesday, having been hired thanks to two FEMA SAFER grants received by Fire District №2 in the Chews Landing Fire Department and Fire District №4 in the Blackwood Fire Company.
The grants allowed each department to hire a career firefighter, with the majority of the salary and benefit costs being covered by the grants for three years, reducing the burden on taxpayers.
The two fire districts have been working together since early 2018, when fire commissioners, fire chiefs and career staff union representatives met to discuss the possibility of sharing the then-11 total career firefighters between the two districts.
The meetings were in response to an increased need for career firefighters in the community while the number of volunteers has declined over the years.
“Both of our districts have employed career firefighters for more than 40 years,” said Fire District №2 Administrator Bill Robb. “The number of career firefighters has increased over the years as our call volume has increased.”
Career firefighters served as primary responders for emergency calls from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, when most volunteer firefighters may be unavailable. The majority of responses for volunteer firefighters were home-based, calling for volunteers to go from their home to the station, then to the scene of the call.
A shared services agreement was agreed upon to help better cover the two districts in Gloucester Township in July 2018, where the 11 career firefighters staffed a fire apparatus 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to cover both fire districts. The staffing goal is to create three platoons with five firefighters per platoon.
Robb thanked the career staff for their patience and support in working through the problems over the past several months as the fire districts continue to search for funding to better equip and staff Engine 88, the jointly staffed and funded fire truck by Fire Districts 2 and 4.
“One of the big changes for the career staff was, on their old schedule, they were working the normal 2,080 hours a year,” Robb said. “Putting them on 24-hour shifts bumped those hours up to 2,756 hours for the year, a big change.”
Robb said the districts were able to renegotiate the existing labor contracts and reach an agreement, which ultimately allowed the shared services agreement to become a reality.
Robb also stressed the importance of volunteer firefighters over the past few months as well, maintaining they are just as an important component in the response model to emergency calls.
Congressman Donald Norcross sent a letter of congratulations to Gloucester Township in support of the three FEMA grants for the first districts and to Lindell and Brogan joining as career firefighters.
“As one of the most dangerous professions, fighting fires and protecting the public requires physical strength, stamina, extensive training and above all courage. I applaud your commitment to the well-being of our communities,” Norcross said in the letter. “I also congratulate both Gloucester Township Fire Districts №2 and 4 on their recent announcement of your shared services agreement and on your award of three FEMA grants.”
Additionally, several departments in Gloucester Township applied for and received a FEMA Volunteer Firefighter Staffing and Recruitment Grant, valued at $397.500, to provide funds for four years for professional recruitment of potential volunteer firefighters, protective clothing and more.
Thanks to this grant, there is now a staffed volunteer apparatus in one of the township stations every evening from 6 p.m. to midnight.
“In a business where seconds count, we believe our new response model has made our community safer by providing a rapid, consistent response to emergency calls, which will undoubtedly reduce property damage and loss of life as a result of fires and other emergencies,” said a joint press release by Fire Districts №2 and 4.
The shared services agreement between the two fire districts now employs 13 career firefighters, having added five additional full-time positions since 2012, staffing two of the 24/7 platoons with four firefighters each and one with the goal of five.
Moving forward, the districts hope to be able to partner with other fire districts in town to assist in funding the additional two full-time positions needed to achieve the staffing goal sought in the shared services agreement.
