Florence Township Fire Department

Fire District Election Results

May 7, 2021

To Whom It May Concern;

The following are the official results of the 2021 Fire District Election.

For the office of Fire Commissioner for (2) 3 year term.

1. The 2021 Fire District Election results are:

Jason Ryan - 255

Robert Schoen – 257

Write-ins

Michael Denelsbeck – 2

Jason Bergstrom – 1

Ruth Decesare -1

2. Shall the sum of Two Million, Three Hundred and fifty five thousand, five hundred and eighty dollars

“$2,355,580” be raised by taxation for the 2021 Budget?

- No 153

- Yes 143

Respectfully,

Brian Richardson

(p) 609-499-6007 (f) 609-499-9776

Battalion Chief / Administrator

We would like to thank everyone who supported our toy drive for the Burlington County Sheriffs Department. It was a great showing once again from Florence Township. Check back next year and hopefully we can once again make kids happy cross Burlington County!!

National Fire Prevention Week is October 4 – 10, 2020

The theme for 2020 is “Serve up Fire Safety in the Kitchen”.  Unattended cooking is the leading cause of fires in the home.  The Safety Director offers the following tips to prevent and react to

cooking fires:

Keep kitchen appliances clean and in good repair – Accumulated grease, dust, and food can quickly spread a small pan fire to the cooktop and to the cabinets.  Stay alert to changes in performance of your stove.  They could indicate it is time to have the appliance serviced by a professional.

Install a smoke detector near, but not in the kitchen – This should help with nuisance alarms but still provide early warning of a developing fire.

Provide at least a 5-pound ABC fire extinguisher close to the cooking appliances, but not too close

– Do not store the extinguisher in a cabinet under or immediately adjacent to the stove.  Move it to a more distant location in the kitchen or just outside the kitchen in a pantry or closet.

Do not use metal in the microwave – Be aware that metal may be used in certain paints on paper plates and dishes.   Likewise, do not use non-oven safe containers, such as pizza boxes, in the oven.

Do not overfill pots or pans with oil or grease – Choose a proper-sized cooking vessel.

Keep potholders and dish towel away from cooking surfaces

Never leave cooking food unattended – Stay in the kitchen when using the cooktop.  Use timers as a reminder to check on food.

If a fire starts

Use a lid to immediately smother the flames, if possible – avoid using baking powder or flour. Call 9-1-1 to summons the local fire department – If you are not immediately able to extinguish the fire with the lid, call the fire department.  Delayed notifications can lead to bigger fires and more damage.  Firefighters are not ‘bothered’ by small fires.  They are more than happy to check for extension behind walls, and if everything is safe, quickly leaving.

Evacuate – Get others out of the house as well! Have  a meeting place and get out and stay out.

On this day we remember our loved ones who perished in the events of 9/11. Let us never forget those that lost their lives.

The Florence Township Fire Department will never forget......

On February 22nd 2020, the Florence Township Fire Department held their annual dinner. Below are some pictures of the awards presented to the members. Click this link if you would like to view the video made for the dinner from pictures taken in 2019.

The official results of the 2020 Fire District election are:

Budget Question #1

                Yes         298

                No          271

Budget Question #2

                Yes         295

                No          260

Commissioners

                 Charles Bauer                    355

                 Andrew Popso                   208

                 Joseph Wargo                    205

                 Christopher Barrella        165

                 Richard Worrell                      1

                 Micky Muchowski                   1

                 Donald Rump                          1

                 Andrew                                     1

Thank you to everyone who came out and supported the budget.

The Florence Township Fire Department is a combination fire department. What this means is we have both volunteer and career fire fighters. The fire district currently employs 10 career firefighters and roughly 30 EMS per diems as well as around 10 volunteer firefighters. In 2019 we ran 855 fire calls and 1910 EMS calls, for a total of 2765 emergency calls.

Staffing of the fire truck has been a concern and we are trying to address this in this budget. We are trying to meet a National Standard which is NFPA (National Fire Protection Agency) 1720. That standard states we should be on location within 9 minutes of dispatch 90% of the time.

In 2017 we met the standard 65.2% of the time. In 2018 we met the standard 77% of the time and in 2019 we met the standard 75.9% of the time. As you can see we are getting closer to the standard. In 1996 we hired our first career employee as the Township Fire Marshal who could assist with staffing on the truck. In 1999, we hired our second career employee and then in 2001 we hired 3 more firefighters. From 2001 until 2015 we were able to staff the truck just during the day with the 5 career fighters (one Chief and one Fire Marshal) and the nights and weekends were staffed by the volunteers. Then in 2015 we hired one more career firefighter that gave us the ability to cover more hours. In November 2015, we went on 24 hour shifts with one fire fighter.  In April 2016, we hired 2 more fire fighters, giving us a total of 8. Then in September 2017, we hired our 9th. After his training was completed, we then put 2 on a shift 24 hours a day. In November 2018 we hired our 10th firefighter who helped us with our weekend coverage.

What are we doing about it?

The Florence Township Fire Department has been working on plans to improve service to its customers, the residents and visitors of Florence Township. We have come to a point in the plan to raise the taxes ever so slightly. The current rate is 16.5 cents per hundred of your property is worth. The new tax rate if passed would be 18.1 cents per hundred. This equates to a $36.20 per year increase for the home at the township average of $219,382. So for every $100,000 your property is valued, it will be a $16.50 increase. A house at the township average of $219,382 in 2019 paid $361.98 in fire tax. If the 2020 budget is passed, that same valued house will pay $398.18.

House Value Current Rate Proposed Rate Annual Increase

$100,000 $165 $181.50 $16.50

$200,000 $330 $363.00 $33.00

$300,000 $495 $544.50 $49.50

 What you will get for the increase?

If this budget gets passed, it will allow the fire district to hire one more career firefighter/emt, giving us a total of 11 career fighters. It will allow us to put 3 fighter/emt’s on shift 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. We currently have 2 firefighters on duty 24 hours, 7 days a week. It will give the fire department the ability to respond to the calls in a more timely and efficient manner.

What else

With the passage of the budget, it will allow the fire district to retain more of the per diem emt’s by giving them a raise. The current starting rate for a per-diem emt in Florence is 14.50 per hour.

Response Time is Important

Homes today burn much faster and hotter than in the past. According to NFPA, the homes open spaces, the furnishings contained therein, and light weight construction allows fire to spread faster than before. NFPA now estimates you have as little as 2 minutes to escape from your home once the smoke detector alerts you a fire. Part of the NFPA 1720 standard, we must be on location within 9 minutes with 15 firefighters. For all dwelling and building fire dispatched in Florence, we add Bordentown Station 322, Mansfield Fire Department Station 331, and Burlington Township Station 303 on the initial dispatch.

 Here is a link to the proposed 2020 budget for the fire district.

At the annual Firefighter Appreciation dinner held on February 23rd 2019, Carol Taylor was given the Sutphin-Brown award. Carol has been a member of the Fire Department since 1995. Carol was hired as EMS Chief in 2006 and was instrumental in getting the ambulances certified by the state in order for us to bill insurance.

Carol retired effective 2/1/2019 and we wish her the best in her endeavors.

Congratulations Carol!!!

On February 23rd, the Florence Township Fire Department held their 21st annual Firefighter/EMT Appreciation Dinner. At the dinner, several of the members received acknowledgment for the work they have performed in 2018 to the residents of Florence and surrounding communities.

Below is a video that was made to highlight some of the events that occurred. This is just a small snippet of the work that we did in 2018. If this interests you and you would like to be a part of the team, you can call Brian Richardson at 609-499-6007.

Update: The unofficial results of the election are:

John Fratinardo 181 Votes

Personal Choice 1 Vote

Budget:

Yes 108

No 120

Election will be held on February 16th from 2:00 - 9:00 PM. There is one opening on the Board of Fire Commissioners that will be voted on along with the budget.

Voting will take place at the firehouse located at:

 401 Firehouse Lane, Florence NJ 08518.

Please come out and support your local Fire Department.

If you like to see a copy of the 2019 Budget, please click here.

The Florence Township Fire Department would like thank Chief Kevin P. Mullen for his over 31 years of service. Kevin started as a volunteer Firefighter in 1987. He held the office of LT and Captain thru the years on the volunteer side. Then in September 1999, Kevin was the second career firefighter hired and was the Fire Marshall and Business Administrator for the Fire District. In 2009 Kevin was promoted to Chief of the Department.

We would like to wish Kevin and his family a happy retirement and wish him the best in his next endeavors.

At the November 12th Fire Commissioners meeting Kenneth Cunningham was sworn in as a Career Firefighter. Kenneth was hired on 11/01/2018. He started with the Florence Fire Department in August 2001 as a volunteer firefighter. We wish Kenneth the best with his new career and look forward to working with him.

We would like to thank everyone who came out for the open house that made it a huge success!  All of the firefighters and EMT's had a blast interacting with the public.

If you would like to join the Fire Department you can Fire Marshal  Brian Richardson at brichardson@ftfd40.org.

Below are some of the pictures of the night. We are already planning next years!!

At the Board of Fire Commissioners meeting held on October 8th 2018, Marc J. Stranko was sworn in as the first career fire lieutenant of the Florence Township Fire Department. Marc first join in 1994 as a volunteer and hired as a full time fire fighter in 2001.

We wish best for Marc and look forward to working with him!

On July 17th, the Florence Township Fire Department visited the day camp being held at the Riverfront School. FM Richardson gave the children fire safety tips while another group was touring ladder truck. Pictured below is Dave Motta giving a tour of Tower Ladder 4015.

On May 5th the Florence Township Fire Department had a housing for our new Rescue Engine and  Ambulance. These two new vehicles will help us with our jobs and help keep us safer doing our jobs.

We would like to thank all the Florence residents for your support in purchasing the equipment and for all the support you give us through the year.

If you would like to purchase a shirt you may do so by stopping by the firehouse at 401 Firehouse Lane. Click here to see the flier with prices. Cash or check only please.

The Florence Township Fire Department is proud to announce that William Blackwell (Billy) was selected as the Sutphin-Brown Award for the 2017 year. The Sutphin-Brown award is awarded every year to the firefighter who exemplifies extraordinary service to the department. Billy as been a fire fighter since 2006. He is extremely dependable and a very dedicated person. We are very fortunate to have Billy as a member of this department.

Congratulations Billy!! We are all proud of you!!

On November 11th, members of the Fire Department and community came out for the dedication of the 9/11 memorial. Members of the Fire Department secured the steel, designed and built the monument. You may stop by any time to view the memorial. It is located directly in front of the firehouse. We ask if you do come view it, that you park in the administration side of the firehouse. That would be the second driveway.

Below are a few of the pictures of the dedication.

At the 2016 District Election the voters approved for the fire district to purchase a new ambulance. This new ambulance will serve the residents of Florence Township and its neighboring towns for approximately the next 10 years.

Below you will find pictures of the ambulance as it's being built.

At the Fire Commission meeting held on September 11th 2017, the Florence Township Fire Department swore in Firefighter Thomas Marabillas as a career firefighter. Thomas joined the fire department in 2010 and completed his fire training the same year.

We would like to welcome Thomas a board and wish him the best.

9/11/17 marks the 16th year of the tragedy that struck the United States. We will never forget those who perished in the attack, especially those emergency workers (343 firefighters, 37 Port Authority of New York and New Jersey Police Department, 23 NYPD officers, 8 EMT's and paramedics form private emergency medical services, and 1 New York Fire Patrol) who rushed into the building to save as many as they could. We lost 412 rescue personal that day and still continue to lose them today.

Let's not forget..........

The Florence Township Fire Department would like to take this time to wish the class of 2017 good luck on graduating from the Florence Township Memorial High School.

We would like to take this time to congratulate Robert Lung on graduation. He joined the department in April of 2016 and in the year plus, he has attained his Fire Fighter 1 certification and also his EMT. He is also one of the top responders in the department.

Good luck to Robert and all his classmates!!

On Saturday Feb 25th 2017, the Florence Township Fire Department held their annual Firefighter Appreciation Dinner. At the dinner, George Yurcho was named the Alfred Brown - Chester Sutphin Firefighter of the Year Award. George joined the department in 1985 as a junior firefighter and has served the department in many area's. Through the years, George has been lieutenant, captain, and Chief of the department. He has also been president and currently serving as the Financial Secretary of the Fire Company. Congratulations George!!!

If you would like to view the annual slide show, click here.

You always hear about how firefighters have this brotherhood about them, but can't really explain it. Below may give a glimpse into what brotherhood really is.

Firefighter/EMT Eric Fyler and Firefighter Matt Taylor were on shift and came across a post on Instagram from a firefighter/emt in Florida. Select the link below to read the story or pick the link for the video.

Story

Video

Congratulations to the Florence Township public workers on winning the 2015 mayors cup. The township public workers beat the Fire Department in game one. Game two, the Florence Police beat the teachers.

In the championship game, the township workers took the police into extra innings to win their second Mayors Cup.

There will always be next year.....

Congratulations to FF/EMT Ken Cunningham and FF Matt Taylor.  They graduated June 23 from the Structural Firefighting – Strategy and Tactics class.    Fire Department Chaplain Gary Richardson also performed the invocation and benediction at Graduation.

The Florence Township Fire Department regrets to announce the passing of Gene Wolfe Sr.  Gene was a Life Member, Department Chief and Captain of the Florence Emergency Squad.  Services will be held at the Dennison Funeral Home in Florence on Tuesday, April 28 from 6p to 9p.  The funeral will be held on Wednesday, April 29 at 1pm.

Let’s never forget…..

Let’s never forget those that perished that day, 14 years ago today. Many people went to work that day, oblivious to the horror that awaited us as a nation. Many of us can recall where or what we were doing at the time of the attacks. New York’s bravest also went to work that day, saying goodbye as they left their houses, families, loved ones. Not knowing that they would never return.

We have all heard of the stories of how off duty firefighters came back, firefighters running to the scene due to the trucks unable to get through the traffic. All of them ran into the building to help get others out and to put the fire out. Every one of them is a hero!

The Florence Township Fire Department regrets to announce passing of Chief James “Libby” Liberatore of the Burlington Township Fire Department. Libby was very involved in the fire service. He also served as a Fire Coordinator for Burlington County, a state Judge in the New Jersey State Fire Chiefs Judging Association, and countless other organizations. He was a great friend and mentor to many in the fire service. He will be sadly missed. RIP brother!!

The Fire District Elections were held on Saturday February 21st. The results are:

Three year term for Fire Commissioner: (Two positions available)

Bill Berry 114 Votes

Robert Schoen 103 Votes

Clinton Boyd 73 Votes

Budget:

Yes 115 No 66

Capital Purchase Question:

Yes 121

No 54

We would like to thank everyone who braved the elements and came out and supported us.

New Officers Sworn In

On January 12th at the Board of Fire Commissioners Meeting, the line officers for 2015 were sworn into their offices by Mayor Craig Wilkie.

The following were sworn in:

Kevin Mullen as Fire Chief

Kieth Scully as Deputy Fire Chief

Steve Taylor as Battalion Fire Chief

Joseph Wargo as Fire Captain

Jason Peters as Fire Captain

Dave Motta as Fire Lieutenant

Rose Gyenge as EMS Captain