Borough police are now officially first to reach fires

Large number of false alarms prompts effort to take pressure off fire department

By: Courtney Gross
   Hoping to reduce the number of false alarms at residences served by central monitoring agencies, the Borough Council approved an ordinance that would officially name the police department as first responders.
   The change, approved unanimously on Tuesday, is intended to reduce the number of alarms responded to by the fire department by a third. According to figures from 2006, 32 percent of calls from one- and two-family dwellings were false alarms.
   Police, who support the ordinance along with fire department officials, have said little will change from their end.
   By mandating police respond first and report if the alarm is false or not, officials say the pressure on an already overextended fire department will be reduced. The number of false alarms has been said to be a contributing factor to low morale on the all-volunteer department.
   The ordinance is part of a review by borough officials following the abrupt departure of former Chief Pat McAvenia last year, which accompanied speculation that competition was growing between Princeton’s three fire companies.
   The review will also include revising the false alarm fines, which were last increased more than two years ago. Those increases ranged incrementally from $135 to $535.
   In addition to the approval of the fire ordinance Tuesday, the council heard from more than two dozen residents requesting the plaza adjacent to the Princeton Public Library be formally named the "Albert E. Hinds Square" after the born-and-bred Princeton resident who died last year at the age of 104.
   Endorsed by community organization Princeton Future, the proposed memorial designation was neither approved nor rejected by the council.
   Some council members said naming the plaza was not enough to commemorate Mr. Hinds’ legacy and the governing body should wait for a more appropriate place. This was met with skepticism by attendees, who claimed this would only delay honoring Mr. Hinds.
   Shirley Satterfield, a longtime friend of Mr. Hinds, presented the memorial designation to the council, citing his commitment to the Princeton community. "He was a trailblazer, and we owe it to him to always remember and respect his contributions," Ms. Satterfield said.
   An ordinary but extraordinary man, attendees said Tuesday, Mr. Hinds helped pave Nassau Street, drove a horse and buggy around town and later continued to drive his four-door Mercury until past his own centennial year.
   The discussion of Mr. Hinds rekindled a two-year-old dialogue on the naming of the library plaza, which the council previously determined to keep untitled. Commenting on the council’s reluctance to name the plaza, Councilwoman Wendy Benchley said, "I think the end result is it’s going to come back to us and we have to bite the bullet and make a decision."