Princeton Volunteer Fire Dept. Model Won't Last Forever

Editor's Note: This story is about the Princeton Fire Department, however it may be of interest to readers in Lawrence Township. Lawrence firefighters routinely assist Princeton firefighters. And Lawrence Township, like many other towns, relies heavily on an ever-dwindling number of volunteer firefighters.

The Princeton Fire Department should maintain its volunteer firefighters for as long as possible, but the organizational model won’t last forever, consultant William K. Kramer told officials from Princeton Borough and Princeton Township on Tuesday night.

Kramer’s firm, Kramer & Associates of Cincinnati, Ohio, recently completed an Analysis of Fire Department Operations, based on a study from early 2011. 

“Princeton should plan now for the day when many positions held by volunteers will eventually have to be replaced with part-time or “per-diem” paid personnel in order to provide fire protection for Princeton,” the report concluded.

Princeton currently has three fire companies — Princeton Engine Co. 1, Princeton Hook and Ladder Co. and Mercer Engine Co. 3 — all of which now operate out of the Mercer Engine Co. 3 station on Witherspoon Street.

From that location, firefighters can reach 90 percent of the structures in Princeton within five minutes, Kramer said.

Despite a loyal and dedicated group of volunteer firefighters, routine fire calls often go unanswered in Princeton, leaving those calls to mutual aid companies, the study found.

Princeton must improve its reliability and response times, Kramer said.

Kramer’s suggests using paid fire staff Princeton already has, both in the borough’s fire safety and housing inspection agency and in the township fire official’s office. He said Princeton could also train and use other municipal employees, many of whom have commercial driver’s licenses.

“You’re almost at the point where you should be scheduling people to make sure you can someone on the road when a person in Princeton needs help,” Kramer said.

Princeton should begin using paid personnel when the department is unable to respond to 8 percent of calls, or in the case of an actual structure fire if there is no Princeton response within 5 minutes or no vehicle on scene of the fire within 10 minutes.

So, how much would it cost to staff a fire department?

If Princeton were to hire 16 full-time paid firefighters, enough for four people to be on duty at all times, at $60,000 each - a conservative figures that includes salary, benefits and pension - would cost nearly $1 million a year, Kramer said.

A more economical approach would be to staff the department with volunteer firefighters paid on a per-diem basis during key hours. Using four firefighters for eight hours a day at $15 per hour would cost less than $200,000 a year, Kramer said.

Long term, Kramer’s study suggests that Princeton could either build a new fire station or expand Mercer Engine Co. 3. Space would be used to house fire department equipment along with living quarters, office space and museum space to honor the history of the three fire companies.

Princeton officials have already submitted a proposal to Princeton Regional Schools to demolish the former Valley Road School located next to Mercer Co. 3 in order to house build fire and rescue squad facilities on the property.

According to Kramer’s report, it may also make sense to house a Princeton fire engine at either the Chestnut Street station or at Princeton University to be used by the Volunteer Associate Program for firefighters who work at the university.

Kramer acknowledged that each of Princeton’s fire companies has a long tradition of camaraderie and loyalty and it could be difficult to merge the three. But the study concluded that a unified fire department in Princeton must take precedence over an individual fire company’s identity.

Princeton officials accepted Kramer’s report on Tuesday, but will make any decisions on next steps the fire department provides feedback on the report.

Resident Kip Cherry, who supports a proposal to reuse the former Valley Road School to house local non-profit agencies, asked Princeton officials to consider all options for the former Valley Road School property.

“I hope everyone will keep an open mind in finding an alternative (to demolishing the former school),” she said. “The fire house, the rescue squad, Corner House are critical parts of the community,” Cherry said. “There are other critical parts of our community too.”