>Cresskill to hire paid firefighters for daytime duty
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2012
BY DEENA YELLIN
STAFF WRITER
THE RECORD
CRESSKILL — The borough’s all-volunteer fire department will soon be transformed into a combination salaried and volunteer force, bowing to the staffing realities of modern small-town life.
The volunteers have long protected residents, but past and current fire chiefs have said that they’ve had a shortage of firefighting responders during the daytime, when they have struggled at times to respond to emergencies.
“There’s been calls when there was nobody around to answer, and we had a delayed response time — it’s extremely dangerous,” said Fire Chief Chris Ulshoefer.
Among factors contributing to the demise of volunteerism are the lagging economy, more demanding training requirements and the increase of two-income families who lack time for volunteer work.
Although most Bergen County departments are still staffed by volunteers, the move to a combination or paid force is becoming more common, say experts. In New Jersey, Bergenfield, Ridgewood, Madison, Morristown, Morris Township, and Mount Laurel are served by a combination salaried and volunteer force.
https://www.northjersey.com/news/138763834_Cresskill_to_hire_paid_firefighters_for_daytime_duty.html