Photo by Chris Sykes
East Orange Mayor Ted Green, second from right, stands with, from left, fire Chief Andre Williams, an unidentified man, former East Orange Campus High School football star and current Philadelphia Eagles player Rasul Douglas and firefighter and Young Professionals of East
Orange member Akeem Cunningham, right, on Thursday, April 12, during the party at Taste restaurant in Newark.EAST ORANGE, NJ — According to East Orange firefighter Akeem Cunningham, the party he hosted for his fellow firefighters and other city employees on Thursday, April 12, was a success.
“The party was amazing, sold out and everybody came,” said Cunningham on Monday, April 16. “Rasul Douglas of the Philadelphia Eagles, the mayor, the chief and everyone came out. City Clerk Cynthia Brown, Deborah Chandler; (nearly) all of City Hall was there. It was great.”
That was good news for East Orange Mayor Ted Green, who promised to make public safety a top priority in his new administration and backed it up by addressing manpower shortages in the Public Safety Department Police and Fire divisions, hiring 25 new firefighters and sending 50 new recruits to the police academy. According to Green, the new firefighters began in early January.
That was also good news to East Orange Fire Chief Andre Williams, who was promoted to the division’s top spot by former Mayor Lester Taylor. Before the party, Williams confirmed the 25 new provisional firefighters Green hired had started working and their timing could not have been better.
“This party is a long-overdue celebration of professional accomplishments for some very amazing men,” said Williams on Tuesday, April 10. “The energy surrounding this party has everyone, from the veterans to the probationary firefighters, very excited. There’s never been a departmentwide party like this, so it’s something we decided to do to strengthen our unity. Actually, we have most of the other city employees attending the party as well, so it’s going to be a true citywide event.”
When Green announced the hiring of 25 new firefighters, he did so with the understanding that he would next address the work environment for city’s new fire and public safety employees.
The mayor could not be reached for comment about the party, however, Brown said the event “was very nice and very well attended,” on Tuesday, April 17.
Taylor had also appointed former Newark Police Chief Sheilah Coley to serve as the city’s first new Public Safety director. She is currently the acting PSD director in Green’s new administration and was recently given a 45-day job extension by the council majority, led by its new chairman, 2nd Ward Councilman Romal Bullock.
The party was an opportunity to celebrate the changes in the division and promote unity, Cunningham said.
“This party is a celebration for the entire fire department showing unity,” said Cunningham on Tuesday, March 27, and again on Tuesday, April 17. “It’s about us celebrating our own moving up through hard work and dedication. As a young guy in the department, I’m blessed to be able to work with the amazing senior men on this job, as well as a group of young men who are striving to keep the legacy of EOFD alive under our new chief.”
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