By Matthew Sockol
Staff Writer
MILLSTONE – The Millstone Township Board of Fire Commissioners is seeking to fill a vacancy following the departure of one of its members.
The vacancy is due to the resignation of Commissioner Ronald Gesualdo from the board. Gesualdo was elected to the board in 2011.
The Board of Fire Commissioners consists of five members. Each commissioner serves a three-year term.
Any Millstone resident interested in filling the vacancy may send a resume and letter of interest to the board by Sept. 23. The information may be sent by mail to Chairman David Markunas, c/o Millstone Township Fire District No. 1, P.O. Box 83, Clarksburg, NJ 08510, or by email to [email protected]
Potential applicants seeking further information about the position may contact Markunas at [email protected].
The Millstone fire company was an all-volunteer organization until 1999 when the first career (paid) firefighters were hired. At present, there are nine full-time career firefighters. To maintain total station staffing of 10 full-time equivalents, there is also a small group of substitute and per diem firefighters. Five career firefighters are on duty each day, according to Markunas.
The fire company also has 24 volunteer firefighters and two probationary firefighters.
Millstone’s career firefighters are on duty from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. and the volunteer firefighters respond to incidents from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m.
According to Markunas, volunteers who are available during the day also respond to daytime calls, and career firefighters can be called in for service on night calls when a situation requires additional personnel.
As of Aug. 31, fire company personnel have responded to 534 calls for assistance (not all of them for fires) in 2016, according to Markunas.