“Lakewood is going to have serious problems in providing fire protection if we cannot add at least 20 volunteers in the near future,” Fire Commissioner Larry Loigman told TLS. “I hope that our residents will be willing to consider joining the fire department.”
The statement comes after Loigman said there were applicants for fire department membership who felt they were discriminated against.
“The board needs to know if anyone has been discouraged from applying for membership, but so far there has been no proof of such practices,” says Loigman.
Following the recent board meeting, Loigman said, “I trust that the fire companies will do whatever they can to welcome anyone who is willing to make the commitment as a volunteer firefighter. There are enough people in town so that we should be able to come up with 20 new hard working volunteers and revitalize the department.” [TLS]
where did they all go?
Lakewood should have 8-10 “paid” full time fire fighters. Were not in the 1800’s. We pay taxes for a reason. The fire department should be funded by the state of new jersey and the lakewood township as well.
reply to #1 they didn’t go anywhere, this town is just growing very fast and needs more volunteers
The town cannot afford more volunteers. Remember the fire budget was voted down? 20 new members means 20 new turnout gear (what the men wear when fighting fires) and 20 new full dress uniforms (for parades, etc.) Turnout gear is very expensive as it must be made of fireproof material.
lakewood should have more police officers hired as well.
this is what happens when the town starts having large quantities of people who use more tax payer funded services, than they pay for every year. While the people are using the tax funded services this year, not enough property taxes are going back into the system to fund next year’s needs. so budgets get cut, funding is reduced, dangers increase, and taxes increase to those who actually pay property taxes. UNLESS YOU EXPECT THE STATE/FEDS TO AUGMENT WHAT LAKEWOOD RESIDENTS FAIL TO PAY FOR!?
My advice to Lakewood residents:
1. Suck it up till you move (its only gonna get worse from here).
2. Learn to adjust with less services (that means: more danger & more inconveniences)
3. Those who dont pay what they should = start paying your fair share. quit the games.
to #3 Dave, I used to see over 100 march at the parade, this year it was under 30. Not that they didn’t have something else to do that day, but it was the same last year. And I see videos of fire on here and there aren’t that many. Did they move away? Last year or the year before I saw on the scoop that someone said they could get 200 volunteers overnight.
Lakewood should have less fires – problem solved!
Yes the department has lost a lot of members due to people moving out, but mostly due to the commissioners being overbearing and not letting the department run the way its supposed to, ive been out many years and that was the way it was when I left…additionally I feel there was a total lack of respect to the fire department….
Keep voting down the budget and you see what happens. Why volunteer and put your life on the line for citizens who dont even care enough to make sure you have safe equipment to work with?
The old generation is slowly retiring. There is no budget. Many people are fed up and leaving. Keep voting down that budget……. You can’t say you were not warned.
Thank you Commissioner Loigman for being a true leader despite all the obstacles that are put in your way.
To #4:
Seriously!? If there were more firefighters there would be more expenses to outfit those members thus the budget would be allowed more money. As of now they dont have those new members so the fire dept does not need that money yet so the budget was cut. Stop being stupid guys!
the budget has been voted down but every one is welcome to sit in the commissioners meetings and c tht not once has a peice of equipment been turned down by them theres enough money in the budget to pay for what they neede just many of the vollys are upset about the turnaround and
‘takeover
‘ of this town over the years and they are lashing out and blaming every one and every thing else on the commissioners and the budget
Ralph:
The fire dept. absolutely needs more money. The salvage truck does not have spare tanks. What does that mean? When there is an active fire, fire fighters that run out of air they need to head to the salvage truck and wait in line for the tanks to get filled. This keeps them out of the fire while it keeps burning on. There was a fire recently where ff’s had to run back and forth to the salvage truck to fill up the empty tanks. The low budget has already started affecting us. How much less should we have before we say we had it? Do you want us to fight fires efficiently or let it burn as we work with what we have.
I will also add that there is currently equipment for new volunteers. How much more there is I don’t know but we can always use more help. At a recent fire all I heard over and over on the pager was “we need more man power”.
I am in the middle of working on becoming a fire fighter and I heard from other ff that it’s really really hard to fight a fire in the middle of the hot summers (like now) and wen u have more ff u could switch off of being in the burning building. And also in the past couple months ppl were asking me y it takes so long for the ff to get to the burning building. I told them that there not like hatzolah that u got ff all over town to just show up to a call and start working on the fire. Ff have to wait for the fire truck to come so that they could use the truck to squirt the water to put out the
Fire.
I hope more frum ppl would join the fire department so I wouldnt b the only frum teen in the fire department. Hope to see more frum ppl.
Right on Ralph. If someone like Ralph would run the LFD the amount of members from the community would grow like LFA.
#13, IN the past there would have been money put aside in accounts that if 20 new folks decided to join and pass all the background checks that are required, gear would be purchased they would be able to go to school. With a razor thin budget that Board works with now I not too sure that is possible. One would need to rob “Peter” to pay “Paul” so there is a good chance one area of the budget would be shorted. I agree that some of the old ways needed to be reviewed and changed and I’m on board with that. BUT the pendulum has swung too far and the board is just one disaster away from a real financial crisis. All it takes is one disaster call where fire trucks are destroyed, gear is lost equipment is damaged. You need some contingency $$ put aside in this type of emergency response business and that is all gone from what I read and have been told by those involved, thanks to the board’s budget being defeated so many times.
As for 20 new volunteers, it is still not enough. Time to hire more paid firefighters to cover the growth. This isn’t a little town any more.
Keep it up you are going to have another Muncie ,N.Y. on your hands.
What price do you put on your life..because my life and the lives of my family and friends are priceless..More Volunteer Firefighters are needed..that is a given but why is it always about the money we all know there will never be enough to go around. If we need them we NEED them. I am one and I worry about my brothers and sisters everyday. If you have the time, and it takes time to become good at your job, come join us
The Fire Department just like the First Aid has always had a turn over of members, it’s just that years ago there was a waiting list of people wanting to volunteer and replenish the rolls. In our town the new people don’t want to be Fire fighters, so as the older members retire there is no one to replace them. You are over working the older members that are left, and they see how the town treats them by voting down the Fire Budget, they find less and less reason to stay.
To #15:
There is absolutely no way anyone can stop the purchase of needed equipment. That is a liability and puts our members lives in danger. Do you mean to say that this line item was brought up for purchase but got turned down when the budget got voted down? If you need it you must get it! If invited, I would be more than glad to come to the next commissioners meeting and see how I can be of help to sort through the politics and the issues. I certainly would not allow for budget cuts to effect the equipment needed.
Just so everyone is aware there is ONLY approx. 70 active firefighters AND fire police in Lakewood total. So you have 6 stations 7 including the fire police building that’s only 10 men/women per company if you divide it like that. The board of fire commissioners needs to make a decision and hire more paid guys possibly even full 4 men crews if membership does not pick up. The fire dept is loosing members faster than its bringing them in and that’s not the fire deptarments fault. This town needs to get its act together quick before its too late!
commissioner loigman… When will you start actively cultivating new members. yes you have pointed out the problem… now what about the solution. the lfd needs to do a volunteer campaign and you will see plenty of good people respond
You can submit your letters to the companies anytime..we are waiting for you you to send them to us. Its all up to you. we can not do anything with a “promise” we need to see them coming in to the fire companies, and It will take time, to process once you get the applications back.
I know of 4-5 people who live near Junior Hose #3 on the south end of Lakewood who did not want to volunteer in Lakewood due to the budget constantly being voted down and other issues with the fire department and the town itself. They now volunteer in Toms River for Pleasant Plains Fire Co. We are driving the volunteers out of our town into Toms River, Brick, and Jackson.