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Warren Township fire officers tighten training, certification and record-keeping requirements
Summary
At a Jan. 7 officers' meeting, Warren Township Volunteer Fire Department leaders ordered stricter certification tracking (Red Alert/My NJ), scheduled CPR, ice‑rescue and live‑burn training, and warned that members missing required credentials could lose gear or officer recognition.
Chief Russo and department officers at Warren Township’s Jan. 7 officers’ meeting said they will step up requirements for training documentation and credentialing to meet county rules and ensure operational readiness.
Chief Russo said the department will require certifications to be entered into the county Red Alert system and transmitted via the My NJ portal so the township and county can verify training records. The chief distributed Job Performance Review forms and a checklist of required qualifications for each officer position and warned that "if it's not in Red Alert, it's not at Town Hall." He added officers who do not meet the posted requirements may not be acknowledged by peer chiefs.
Operations lead Derek Reedman outlined scheduled training: live burns at Union County (dates to be announced), CPR classes coordinated by Reedman (maximum eight participants per class), rescue training on Sunday mornings Jan. 18 and Feb. 1, and an ice‑rescue course Feb. 13–15 in New Vernon, with the mandatory refresher on Feb. 15. Reedman also said the department will coordinate CPR classes and that online CEVO training will be offered to drivers.
Chief Russo said the department intends to offer the county’s RIT (rapid intervention team) challenge test for members who are state‑vetted and reminded members that the county and state will be looking for documentation of special‑discipline training. Blood‑Borne Pathogens/Right To Know training will be offered in March and online as an option.
The department also reiterated certification enforcement: officers and members who fail to obtain required certifications in time could have their gear suspended. The chief instructed officers to ensure members connect with My NJ so certifications are transmitted properly.
Next steps: officers were given certificate reports and position requirement lists to complete and upload to Red Alert; training dates for live burns will be announced when Union County schedules them.
