*Click here to download the 2005-2015 Strategic Plan*

Adobe Reader is needed you can obtain here for free

 

Town's growth prompts stronger fire plan

By: Lauren Burgoon , Staff Writer

Published in the Messenger Press on 03/17/2005 http://www.messengerpress.com
 
   WASHINGTON — With no end in sight to the enormous development and population growth in the township in recent years, the fire district is now preparing to enhance its own services and abilities to better accommodate the town's growing needs.
   The fire district recently completed a 10-year strategic plan that calls for new equipment, contingency plans to handle population growth, and better communication within the Fire Department for both fire and emergency services operations. The point is to make the fire district and emergency services stronger but not because the emergency response isn't adequate now, Fire Commissioner Rob Hutchinson explained.
   "We do a good job. We have one of the best response times in the county for EMS calls. This is just a chance to improve things and do it better," he said.
   Fellow Commissioner Peter Marsch seconded that but did point to past planning problems within the fire district that necessitated the extensive report. The last report, completed in 1995, did not anticipate Washington's explosive growth, new residential developments and Town Center.
   "Very little planning was done in the past especially with the budget. Most boards were reactive to problems, not proactive," he said. "As long as this fire district and future fire districts are proactive and plan for the future our emergency services will remain very high in quality. There should be no more waiting for a problem to come to us. We want to take care of the problem before it arises or at least have a plan in place."
   The most pressing issue facing the district, according to the report, is replacing the primary fire engine. The 1996 combination pumper/tanker was never meant to handle the call volumes that Washington now experiences, Mr. Hutchinson said. Replacing the engine will require a special referendum in order to get funding, which can range from $375,000 to $400,000 for a brand-new custom-built engine. The referendum will likely take place within the year and it takes six to eight months to actually obtain the new engine.
   Down the road the town could be looking at the need for another firehouse too.
   "It's definitely a long-term goal at this point and not something we see happening within the next five years," Mr. Hutchinson said. "Right now we can handle all of the calls. But as we go along we want to start getting community input on a second station because we don't want to surprise anyone right when the call volumes reach a critical level."
   A standing committee of firefighters and interested residents will start meeting soon to discuss a new station. Considerations for when and if the town will need a second station, and where it should be located, include additional traffic congestion in town especially along the major highways, new residential developments, rising call volumes and any development that brings firefighting challenges, like buildings over four stories or structures closely spaced.
   The new kinds of the development brought to town in recent years, like close-quartered Town Center buildings and condominiums, change even the most basic emergency calls, Mr. Hutchinson said.
   "Cluster development adds to the call volume and when the houses are closer together it requires a different response. We need to call Nottingham or Groveville to get mutual aid. Even simple fires require two or three engines, a second ambulance and a ladder company," Mr. Hutchinson said.
   Every local town, including cities like Trenton, uses mutual aid so employing other fire stations' staff and equipment isn't a shortcoming, he added, but additional development will mean that Washington could be relying on other towns more heavily soon.
   It's not just the fire operations that are getting attention from the district — the strategic plan covers emergency services as well. Washington has had its own EMS squad, housed in the fire station, since 2002. So far EMS calls have not been overwhelming but are noticeably on the rise and the primary ambulance gets quite a workout every year. The 2001 model ambulance is used about 900 times each year and EMS calls account for 60 percent of the station's total runs — all leading to the district planning to replace the ambulance by 2007.
   "It could come sooner rather than later. We're putting more miles on it than we thought," Mr. Marsch said.
   The fire district already considered contracting its emergency services out and determined it wasn't the best route for Washington, according to Mr. Hutchinson. He pointed to fire district accountability to the taxpayers as the primary reason why the current system is more beneficial to the town.
   In addition to the engine and ambulance, other equipment will need to be replaced over the years and the fire district is working on identifying what will need to go when. Mr. Hutchinson said the district wants to create a list that will show when the equipment needs to be cycled out so the costs can be spread over several years.
   Despite expensive equipment replacement, Mr. Marsch doesn't envision a huge tax rate hike in the future. He said the commissioners have been setting aside money to deal with apparatus replacement and could use the funds to pay for equipment leases.
   Another major procedural change outlined by the fire district is reconfiguring the "box system." The fire department divides the town into boxes based on building use and occupancy in each section of town. The system allows firefighters to determine the appropriate amount of responders and mutual aid that incidents require, but the population growth again shows it effect on the system. The rapidly changing demographics now require the district to consistently update the box system to stay on top of residential and commercial development and road construction.
   Other changes and improvements suggested in the report include:
   — Increase training and education for volunteer firefighters
   — Encourage businesses to install a Knox-Box that allows emergency personnel immediate access to the keys for locked buildings thereby avoiding the need to break down doors or windows.
   — Develop a full-time EMS coordinator position, mass casualty plan, formal EMS training plan and accident prevention program
   The full 27-page strategic plan is available at the firehouse on Route 130. Mr. Hutchinson presented the plan to the Township Committee on March 10 for informational purposes. The fire district does not need committee approvals to initiate any of its plans.
 

 

 

 

Township may seek new fire engine

 
Published in the Trenton Times on Friday, March 18, 2005 http://www.nj.com
By ANDREW KITCHENMAN
Staff Writer

WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP - With calls for fire and emergency medical services surging, there may be a referendum this spring to finance a new fire engine and two new ambulances.

The township fire district also may require a new fire house to meet its changing needs and increased demand.

These are among the recommendations by fire officials in a 10-year strategic plan completed in February.

The date and details of the referendum have not been set, but there could be two ballot questions asking for as much as $700,000 to pay for the new vehicles, said Robert Hutchinson, chairman of the board of fire commissioners. However, the cost of the bond issues could be spread over several years, which would lessen the impact on property taxes, he said.

Other potential changes to the department are three new positions: an EMS coordinator, a fire prevention coordinator and a part-time administrative assistant. The coordinators could be current employees shifted into the positions, Hutchinson said.

The department has grown from two paid firefighters in 1996 to 12 full-time employees in 2000 and 25 full-time employees today. It added an ambulance service in 2002 after Allentown First Aid Squad was no longer able to handle calls from the township.

The number of fire and EMS calls has risen from about 800 in 2001 to a projected total of more than 1,700 this year, according to the plan.

Hutchinson said the referendum may include one question to replace the current primary fire engine at a cost of as much as $450,000.

The current vehicle, a 1996 Pierce Quantum pumper/tanker, has too much space devoted to water tanks and not enough storage space for EMS and vehicle extrication equipment, Hutchinson said.

"There's been several changes since that unit was purchased," Hutchinson said. "One is that our call volume has shifted to areas that now have hydrant service."

The second question would ask for as much as $250,000 for up to two ambulances, Hutchinson said. He said it may be more effective to use two new ambulances in rotation than to keep an older ambulance as a backup.

The potential for a new fire station is mentioned in the plan. Hutchinson said the need for one would depend on increased traffic on Route 130, which may someday make it difficult to reach some parts of the township quickly.

"That's why it's something that we need to look into now, so that we're not faced overnight with a problem that we didn't anticipate," he said.

Hutchinson said the entire department contributed to the plan, which he described as a road map.

The committee that prepared the plan has met since June 2004. It included fire commissioners Peter Marsch and Hutchinson, Chief Kevin Brink and firefighters Steven Schnaudt and Donald Snedeker.

Copies of the plan are available at the lobby of the fire house, 1149 Route 130.

 


 

 

Above photos show heavy corrosion on Engine 402 which will need replacing and/or refurbishing over the next few years.

E-402 out of service due to oil leak onto the front brake pads. Truck is currently under repair at time of this report.

 

Above photos show parking lot that needs repair mentioned in the Strategic Plan

 

Return to Events/Press

Return to Main Page