Maple Shade volunteer fire department suspended 90 days, leaving residents concerned
MAPLE SHADE, N.J. - A local town’s residents get quite a shock when they find their fire department is suspended. Township leaders say it’ll be back, better than ever. But, people living there find it’s all kind of weird.
"Gotta have a fire department," remarked resident David Silverman.
But, as of noon Tuesday, Maple Shade, New Jersey doesn’t have one. The township suspending its volunteer fire company for 90 days, it says, to focus on restructuring and rebuilding municipal fire services to better serve the community.
"It’s a volunteer fire company. They are unpaid, so it’s very strange," resident John Schwartz commented.
"It’s a little vague when you say they are restructuring. What does that mean? Define that so we can be assured, as residents, we are gonna get the service we would normally expect," added Brian Gibua.
Township Manager Susan Danson issued a statement saying, in part, the decision "Comes from mounting concerns in regard to performance and oversight of the department."
The township pledging continuous coverage through mutual aid agreements and help from neighboring communities. Still, residents are concerned about response time.
"My friend’s house burned down and it didn’t take long for it to be down to the ground," Silverman added.
"That’s minutes for people’s lives or people’s homes to be destroyed," resident Rochelle Anderson said.
The fire department letting people know by way of its website, the message reading in part, "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."
"Why can’t they do the restructuring during and let the fireman do their jobs? They can’t restructure and work at the same time?" asked Anderson.
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