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Volunteer fire department leader says staffing shortfalls worsened after interstate crash; commission seeks follow-up
Summary
A West Milford volunteer firefighter and accident survivor urged Harrison County commissioners to address volunteer recruitment and support after a March interstate crash, and commissioners agreed to follow up with sheriff and emergency leadership on staffing and payroll notices.
John Elko, a member of the West Milford Fire Department, told the Harrison County Commission on April 15 that a March interstate accident left him and others handling a severe crash and highlighted gaps in volunteer emergency response coverage.
Elko said he was driving one of the vehicles involved in the March 28 accident and praised that no one was killed, but he said local volunteer coverage was thin that day. “I was the driver of that vehicle,” Elko said. “Lost Creek did not have anybody to respond. Second due, Jane Lew, did not have anybody to respond. Stonewood, the third due in, had two people.” He said West Milford had only volunteers available that day and that recruitment and retention of volunteers are an “every-state” problem.
Why it matters: County emergency response relies on a mix of volunteer and paid personnel. Commissioners and staff discussed workload and staffing in the sheriff’s office and process division, and they postponed a related payroll change notice while seeking more information from the sheriff.
Key details and context
- Elko said he has volunteered for 46 years and urged the commission to consider programs that other counties have used to add personnel to volunteer rosters. “People don’t volunteer anymore, at least not in our stage,” he said.
- The commission heard that Harrison County’s emergency squad converted from all-volunteer to paid staffing in 1990; speakers and commissioners contrasted paid and volunteer models while noting recruitment challenges statewide.
- Separately, commissioners discussed a payroll change notice affecting the sheriff’s office and the process division (process servers). Commissioners approved payroll change notices a–g but held item h pending a meeting with the sheriff to clarify staffing needs and the effect on court-processing timelines.
- Staff reported concerns that eliminating or not filling a process-server position would lengthen judicial and magistrate processing times. Captain Lattice (process division) and county staff said the office needs to maintain coverage to avoid delays in court processes.
Commissioner direction: Commissioners asked staff and the sheriff to meet and return with a plan at the next meeting. The payroll change notice for item h will remain on hold until the commission and the sheriff can discuss whether to advertise the vacancy or restructure duties to protect court and judicial timelines.
What participants said
- John Elko (West Milford Fire Department): “I’ve been doing this for 46 years for free. Legal counsel told me at one of our meetings, you all need to quit doing this for free. And I still have a love for it, but I’m about done.”
- Commissioners and staff: Multiple commissioners emphasized the need to balance deputy pay and department budgets while maintaining critical services; staff proposed follow-up meetings to explore options and to prioritize where limited funds should be applied.
Next steps: County staff will meet with the sheriff and return to the commission at the next meeting with clarification on payroll change notice h and any staffing proposals to address process-division and deputy compensation concerns.
