LAMBERTVILLE — Elected fire officials are "encouraging" the dwindling members of one of the city's four fire companies to close its 121-year-old firehouse and merge with another company.
They can't force a merger in this one-square-mile city, because the firehouses are owned by the companies, not the city or the fire district that assesses a property tax.
But over this past week they moved the two fire engines previously housed at Columbia on North Union Street to the much newer and larger Union Fire Company building a couple of blocks away on North Main Street.
And the Fire Commission this year restructured how it pays "rent" to each company, from fire tax revenues, to store and maintain equipment purchased with the tax.
This year voters will decide the tax levy and commissioners, here and in other municipalities in New Jersey with fire districts, on Saturday, Feb. 15.
Included in the budget plan is an expenditure of $63,200 for "housing apparatus." Instead of dividing the money equally among the four companies, this year the commissioners plan to give $7,500 to each company for "administrative expenses," and $10,000 to Hibernia Fire Company for housing two firetrucks and $20,000 to Union, which now has four active trucks.
Columbia Deputy Chief and longtime member Ron Tillett Jr. said today, Jan. 8, that the Fire Commission is effecting a "forced merger ... it's just a political move. There is no financial benefit to the citizens of Lambertville. Columbia's still strong, running all the fire calls even though we're responding out of another station."
But redistributing the money, he said the commissioners are "cutting our finances back. We need to come up with ways of keeping our membership together in order to fight fires in Lambertville."
In 2006, Fleetwing Fire Company sold its circa-1864 firehouse after realizing that its new ladder truck would not fit inside and paid $250,000 to move into Union's expanded building. Fleetwing retains a separate roster and meeting schedule, but drills with Union.
Commissioners said that Union wants the same amount to also share its building with Columbia.
Fire Commission Chairman Al Komjathy said on Jan. 7 that the goal is to combine forces, share services, and offer residents the most efficient and effective service possible.
"Why do we need three firehouses?" he said. "We are very respectful and cognizant of the long history of the department. But we need to take advantage of our resources, it's a one-square-mile town."
Commissioner David Morgan said of Columbia, "We're encouraging them to consider consolidating like Fleetwing did with Union. We have done our research. We had two independent reports recommend this."
City Fire Chief Matt Hartigan said that, as part of the goal to increase efficiency and optimize safety, fire officials hope to share, or possibly regionalize, services with area departments.
During Lent each year Columbia volunteers hold a popular Fish Fry fundraising dinner each Friday. Tillett said he doesn't yet know if that will take place this year, or down the line.
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