SOUTH JERSEY (KYW Newsradio) — Burlington County firefighters were surprised to see they were locked out of Independent Volunteer Fire Company No. 1 Tuesday afternoon, a move they say came without notice.
The township of Maple Shade officially suspended ties with its volunteer firefighters in order to restructure the department.
The township decided to suspend operations for the next 90 days after examining the level of services, training and efficiency of the department, township manager Susan Danson said in a statement.
The township plans to restructure the department with a focus on the “re-building of municipal fire services to better serve the community, aligning more with current life safety protocols as set forth by the State of New Jersey Division of Fire Services.”
In the meantime, Danson said neighboring communities will continue to provide fire and rescue services to Maple Shade.
A statement from the Maple Shade Fire Department said Tuesday’s suspension came without warning. The department said its members do meet state requirements, and it argued the use of outside fire services will result in higher emergency response times and more costs for Maple Shade residents.
“Every member of the department takes protecting this community seriously and gives many hours each week away from their families to respond to emergencies, train, and keep the department operating,” the statement reads, in part. “By suspending operations, the township is putting all the residents of this town in danger. It will require surrounding towns to respond to Maple Shade to handle any emergencies that may occur. This will increase the time that is required to respond to emergencies in town, especially if the surrounding departments are already handling calls for service in their own towns.”
Maple Shade has had an all-volunteer fire department since 1912 without issue until the new township administration took office two years ago, the department said.
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