By Jessica Ercolino, Staff Writer
UPPER FREEHOLD — Fire officials will attend next week’s Township Committee meeting to help extinguish some concerns over an ordinance appropriating more than $100,000 for emergency equipment.
Public hearing on the ordinance will be continued at the Oct. 16 Township Committee meeting. Lt. Doug Vorp, of Hope Fire Co., said Tuesday that he plans to attend the Oct. 16 meeting.
Residents speaking during the Oct. 2 hearing wanted more details on the ordinance, which appropriates $107,000 from the general capital fund for firefighting and emergency management equipment.
”I don’t see anything here telling me what kind of equipment they’re looking for, why it’s needed and what the reason for it is,” said former Mayor Bob Abrams. “I’m not against safety — I’ve always supported it in all respects — but we’ve got to watch our P’s and Q’s.”
Upper Freehold approved the purchase of a $108,000 brush truck for the Hope Fire Co. in July. Burlington Path resident Marc Covitz, who also asked for more information on the ordinance, said he didn’t agree with that process and called this appropriation “another shot in the wallet.”
Township Administrator Barbara Bascom said the township has always budgeted for these costs, but rather than putting the money in the township’s operating expenses, the money is being appropriated through a fully funded ordinance.
”These are the same budget items that were brought to the budget committee when we sat down with each of the department heads,” she said. “If you look in previous years’ budgets, you will always see an operating expense line…but because of all the limitations you have on caps the past year, it was a financial decision to leave this to a fully-funded ordinance.”
Hope Fire Co., which has serviced Upper Freehold and Allentown since 1858, consists of five paid employees and a number of volunteers from both municipalities. Ms. Bascom noted the equipment to be purchased would primarily be for the career firefighters and would not include vehicles. Items such as turnout gear (boots, helmets, gloves, etc.) a global positioning system unit and a defibrillator would be purchased, she said.
Committeewoman Lori Mount, who served as a Hope Fire Co. firefighter for 10 years, estimated it costs about $2,500 to outfit an individual in gear.
”It’s not cheap, but it’s somebody’s life that they’re putting on the line for somebody else,” she said. “They deserve to be protected while doing that.”
Herbert Road resident Doug Raynor agreed.
”My son is a volunteer fireman,” he said. “These guys should get everything they ask for, is my feeling.”
The ordinance requires four votes, but Mayor Stephen Alexander was absent from last week’s meeting and Township Attorney Granville D. Magee recommended continuing the public hearing next week. Committee members also agreed that fire officials should attend the Oct. 16 meeting to provide more detailed information about the equipment and its cost.
”It’s important to ask the questions and have the appropriate people here to answer them,” Ms. Mount said.

