ALLENTOWN – Fire services in Allentown will no longer be primarily provided by the Hope Fire Company of Upper Freehold Township, after a two-year shared services agreement with neighboring Hamilton Township went into effect earlier this year.
The change, which was described in a resolution that was passed by the Borough Council on Dec. 17, means that since Jan. 1, firefighters from Hamilton Township Fire District No. 9, which manages the Groveville Fire Company, have been responsible for responding to any small fires in Allentown that take place between 7 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday through Friday.
Borough officials said the Hope Fire Company will provide primary fire protection services from 4 p.m. to 7 a.m. weekdays and 24-hour coverage on weekends.
For any fires that require more than one station to respond, the Hope Fire Company will provide back-up to the Groveville Fire Company.
According to the resolution, Hamilton Township Fire District No. 9 will provide fire marshal services, including inspections, education programs and investigations, to Allentown.
Hamilton’s fire district representatives will provide Allentown officials with an annual report detailing services that have been provided. Allentown will transfer all fire inspection materials, software and other documents necessary for fire inspections to the fire district.
As part of the agreement, Allentown and Hamilton will work with the Monmouth County Sheriff’s Department when responding to 911 dispatch issues, and the municipalities will cooperate when addressing potential volunteer firefighting issues that may arise.
Allentown will pay the fire district a total of $79,000 per year for two years, with the agreement ending on Dec. 31, 2016. Terms of the agreement state that unless Allentown or Hamilton severs the agreement with 90 days notice, it will automatically renew at the end of the initial two-year term. The parties will still be able to renegotiate Allentown’s annual payment.