BY HEMA EASLEY
WEST MILFORD — One month after the West Milford Township council shut down Fire Company #2 because of safety concerns, the council has agreed to reopen it but without explaining why.
In a resolution last week, the council voted unanimously to ratify an agreement proposed by Fire Company #2, which allowed for its reopening under certain conditions. The item was not on the agenda and was added during the meeting after a discussion in executive session.
Under the agreement, Fire Company #2 would be allowed to open provisionally for 90 days with one fire truck after it provided a letter to the town certifying that all training and administrative documents were in order. The company has been cited in the past for not keeping records.
But neither the township nor the fire company has indicated what caused the change of heart.
“Due to the executive session conditions under which our decision was made, I will not be speaking publicly on those issues until such time all of it is able to be revealed,” said Councilwoman CarlLa Horton.
The township voted last month to strip all firefighting responsibilities from Company #2, which covers the Oak Ridge and Newfoundland sections of town. It alluded to unspecified manpower and safety violations.
Its jurisdiction was transferred to the Apshawa Fire Company, as were its fire trucks and funds, but many residents in the coverage area complained they effectively had no fire coverage because the Apshawa fire company was too far away.
Michele Dale, the newly elected councilwoman who is liaison to the fire district, indicated earlier this month that she would look into the causes behind the company’s closure and would open a dialogue with the fire company. A week later, the council voted to reopen the company.
Some local residents said the council may have given in to pressure from the community. They said the fire company would reopen Feb. 1.
“It makes the town look stupid because they can’t give any reason why they closed (the fire company) down and they can’t say why they reopened it,” said Robert Evans, member of the board of the Farm Crest Acres Homeowners Association. “I don't understand. Is it that they were playing games just to make people suffer?”
Calls to the mayor, fire commissioner, and several other council members who voted on the resolution were not returned. Dale referred all questions to Township Attorney Fred Semrau, who did not return a call for comment.
The fire company now has three attorneys. A call to Bob Castro, chief of Fire Company # 2, was referred to one of the fire company’s attorneys, Michael DeMarco, who also did not return a call.