Carone Seeks Re-Election As Hillsborough Fire Commissioner

(Michael Carone is one of four people running for the two, three-year Hillsborough Township Board of Fire Commissioner positions. Carone is one of the incumbents.)

To the Editor:

My name is Michael Carone, I am an incumbent fire commissioner and 20-year Hillsborough resident, and am seeking re-election because I feel that the board’s forward-moving direction must be maintained.

I am proud to be a part of the fire commission and am running for re-election because I feel continuity on the board is very important to continue to address the needs of the community in the coming years.

Having been a member of the board for the last three years and a firefighter for the last nine years with the Flagtown Fire Department, Carone, and I feels that my budgetary experience in my professional life can be a continued benefit to the board.

I have experience with budgeting in my professional career, and have managed both large- and small-scale projects. All of these have given me the background necessary to both understand and properly address the issues brought to the township’s fire district.

I feel the biggest hurdle facing the township’s fire departments has been the transition of services from the former rescue squad to our fire departments, and continuing to provide the township’s residents with the necessary emergency services while keeping within the constraints of our budget.

Since the township’s EMS services have been transferred to Robert Wood Johnson, the local fire departments have had to take on responsibilities, such as extrication and water rescue. With those responsibilities come with additional educational needs for first responders and training at the Somerset County Emergency Services Training Academy. Additional equipment for all three fire departments are also a consideration for the board.

Looking forward, I would like to focus on a continued push for recruitment and retention throughout the fire district, as our numbers are down.

It would be great to bring more youth into the fire service so that they can become educated in community response efforts while rooted in Hillsborough and gain valuable experience that will instill in them a sense of community.

— By Mike Carone

(Image via Patch)

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