Holmdel disbands fire company, but outline requirements for reinstatement

April 30--HOLMDEL -- Township committee members voted unanimously Tuesday night to disband Fire Company #1 after 90 minutes of debate, but they left the door open for the company to return to active status if it meets certain conditions.

See the earlier story, "Holmdel Fire Company makes its final case".

"I think if they want it to happen, only they can make it happen," said Committeeman Gregory Buontempo, chairman of the emergency services committee. That committee worked with officials on the current restructuring plan that created a central fire station and replaced to 97-year-old fire company with a fire truck stored in a garage on the Vonage corporate campus. Fire Company #2 continues to serve the north side of the township.

"You can't run a fire company if you're not willing to meet the requirements," he said after the meeting.

Prior to the vote, Buontempo detailed the committees findings including issues with training firefighters, which he and Mayor Patrick Impreveduto said ran afoul of standards set by the townships insurance company and the branch of OSHA that covers public and government workers.

"If we said we wanted to vote to reinstate Company #1, we can't do it, (due to those requirements)" Impreveduto said. "If they do the training, we can move forward."

Buontempo said there were 30 occasions where Company #1 was called but did not respond, including calls to schools, Bayshore Medical Center and an accident on the Garden State Parkway.

"We've confirmed Company #1 did not train for the last year and a half and made inaccurate statements on training," he said, adding that the company also declined to participate in a county wide drill and told neighboring towns it wouldn't provide mutual aid to neighboring departments.

After the meeting, Company #1 president Doug Ziemba Jr. disputed the allegation that 30 calls went unanswered and that the company refused to answer calls for mutual aid from neighboring towns, but he said they planned to meet the committees requirements to be reinstated.

"There are no 30 incidents (the company didn't respond to)," he said. "Our goal is to come back and do what we have to to meet the township's requirements."

Imprededuto said regardless of whether Company #1 is reinstated, the new central station at municipal complex at Crawfords Corner will remain in service. Officials also said use of the Vonage garage to station a fire truck on the south side is is considered temporary

Resident Theresa Fazio, a Company #1 supporter asked the committee to put off the vote because she said not all residents were aware of the issue. Mailing of a flier detailing the change didn't reach all residents when the issue was raised two weeks ago and Buontempo said officials filed a compliant with the post office.

"I don't think the public knows the fire company closed," she said.

Deputy Mayor Eric Hinds said that wasn't the case.

"I've gotten more e-mails on this than (redeveloping) Lucent,' he said.

Resident questioned why officials removed two township owned fire trucks from the Company #1 owned fire house before taking official action to disband the company.

"Why not have a meeting first before closing it, it seems like putting the cart," Butler said, adding he and other neighbors were concerned about fire protection on he townships south side. "I heard about a fire on the south side of town where the truck at Vonage didn't get out."

Hinds dispelled that rumors that it took 25 to 30 minutes for a fire truck to respond from the central Fire station at the municipal complex to a fire on the south side of the township.

"It was 7 minutes (response time)," Hinds said.

Impredevuto said the communication which has started between Company #1 and township officials late last week needs to continue.

"I'd like to mend the wounds that transpired over the past 10-15 years. There is a lot of animosity between the (fire) companies, that's paramount," he said.

"What has to happen is we've got to work together and train together so we have one unified standard," said John Boyle Jr. Fire Company #2 chief. "I hope they (Company #1) can do it."

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