Maplewood, South Orange Prepare For Fire Department Merger

MAPLEWOOD, NJ — The fire departments of Maplewood and South Orange are set for an agency-defining merger this year. And it will be Maplewood that takes the reins, the town’s mayor said.

During a Maplewood Township Committee meeting held on Feb. 20, Mayor Victor DeLuca gave an update on the soon-to-come merger of the two municipal fire departments, stating that Maplewood will become the “lead agency” and that all fire department staff would become employees of that town, TAP Into SOMA reported.

“We will be absorbing firefighters from South Orange into a newly named Maplewood and South Orange Fire Department,” DeLuca said, adding that there is “a lot more to do.” (Watch a video from the meeting below)

DeLuca said the three current firehouses will continue to operate with the same staffing levels, equipment use and shift schedules, TAP Into reported.

• See related article: Should Maplewood, South Orange Combine Fire Departments?

In 2017, after almost a year of crunching the data, a report on the "Feasibility of Consolidation, Merger or Sharing of South Orange and Maplewood's Municipal Fire Protection Services" was released to the public, with statistics that suggested the two townships might benefit in several ways if they share a single fire department.

The study was commissioned by a joint committee from both towns in 2016.

• See related article: Maplewood/South Orange FD Merger Getting Closer

"During our analysis, we found robust evidence that increased efficiency, better service, and cost savings are possible through a consolidation of the two separate fire departments into a single entity," researchers from Manitou Inc. stated.

"Our findings are clear," researchers emphasized. "The communities of Maplewood and South Orange would be better served by combining their fire departments into a single entity."

Read their full report here.

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