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Borough fire administrator urges consolidation of Union Fire Company, citing safety shortfalls
Summary
Belmar’s fire administrator told the council the Union Fire Company has only two fully certified members, missed most responses in 2023 and has been suspended from answering calls; he recommended consolidating the company into the remaining two volunteer companies and council directed staff to draft an ordinance.
Chip Kavel, the borough fire administrator, told the council at a workshop meeting that Belmar’s volunteer fire department is “in great shape” overall but that the Union Fire Company is dangerously understrength and undertrained, and recommended consolidating it into the borough’s other two volunteer companies.
Kavel said the department has more than 70 volunteers across three companies but that “Union has not currently — they only have two members who are completely completed the mandatory … State certifications.” He said Union responded to only 30 of 283 calls in 2023 and has been suspended from answering calls since January, arguing that “it is unsafe to have someone responding to a fire who is not certified.”
The presentation included a detailed rundown of required and recommended training — Firefighter I, hazardous materials awareness and operations, NIMS IS-100/200/700/800, annual fit testing and live-burn exercises — and company representatives and chiefs explained how drill nights, mutual-aid training and duty crews keep volunteers ready. “One firefighter cannot take out the truck by himself,” Kavel said, noting that response requires a minimum crew to operate safely.
Belmar’s chief (identified in the workshop as Chief Scott) told the council he last requested Union’s training records in 2023 and that documentation of mandatory training completion was not provided; council members and staff said the Union company was allowed to train while suspended but that records showing completion have not been produced.
Council members discussed next steps and legal process. The mayor and staff said any formal removal of a company from the borough fire department roster would require an ordinance; council agreed to have the borough attorney draft language so the council can consider consolidation measures at a future meeting. The administration said members of a dissolved company would be eligible to apply to join the remaining companies.
The council did not take a final vote that night. The next procedural step is for the borough attorney to prepare an ordinance for council consideration and for staff to collect complete training documentation from Union members.
