Secaucus Allows Non-U.S. Citizens To Serve As Firefighters

SECAUCUS, NJ — On Tuesday night, the Secaucus Town Council unanimously voted to change municipal law to allow non-U.S. citizens to serve as volunteer firefighters.

The issue arose in 2017, when the Secaucus fire department put out a request for volunteers and two Secaucus residents who are not U.S. citizens applied. The two are in the country legally, and passed all the required tests and physicals, but were in violation of a longstanding town law on the books that requires firefighters be citizens.

That law was overturned Tuesday night. At the Dec. 20 meeting, two older members of the fire department spoke publicly about keeping the law intact and asked the Council not to overturn it.

It was a very different scene Tuesday night, when town firefighters Carl Leppin and Joe Schoendorf attended the meeting and thanked the Council and Mayor for amending the ordinance. They are pictured above.

"Some of the comments made at the last Council meeting do not represent the fire department. We have to be open minded and allow people to volunteer," said Deputy Chief Leppin, with Battalion Chief Schoendorf. "The town of Secaucus has changed. It changes daily. When someone wants to volunteer, especially for the fire department and they met all the other qualifications, they should be allowed to."

"This ordinance welcomes those who are willing to risk their lives," said Councilman James Clancy.

The two firefighters in question are already on the force. Mayor Mike Gonnelli said the New Jersey statewide fire union recommended to the state that non-citizen firefighters be allowed to serve in volunteer departments. About 25,000 non-U.S. citizens are currently serving in the U.S. military, and some police departments have allowed non-U.S. citizens to even be officers, especially in rural areas. For example, Colorado State Patrol told USA Today they usually struggle to fill trooper positions in isolated parts of the state, including patrols high up in the mountains. Immigrants from Canada, the Bahamas, the United Kingdom, Mexico and Central America have been willing to fill those jobs and they have been hired as law enforcement officers.

Councilman Rob Constantino said he wanted to clarify that perhaps the two firefighters who spoke on Dec. 20 felt left out of the decision-making process in the department.

Also at Tuesday night's meeting, the Secaucus town council approved an easement for the NJ Dept. of Transportation to begin work on the Rt. 3 bridge near the library, and Mayor Mike Gonnelli commended the DPW on the snow-removal job in town.

You can also buy raw, unfiltered honey made by Secaucus bees. Three-quarter pound jars are for sale at Town Hall for $20 each; call (201) 864-7336.

Councilman Constantino also congratulated the Secaucus cheer team on a recent championship win.

Read the Secaucus Patch for all the local news about our town! Photos and reporting by Carly Baldwin