South Orange and Maplewood’s fire departments set to merge on July 1

South Orange and Maplewood’s fire departments set to merge on July 1

MAPLEWOOD / SOUTH ORANGE, NJ — The first joint meeting of South Orange and Maplewood’s joint fire department was held in Maplewood on April 8; the committee approved contracts and discussed the organization of the forthcoming South Essex Fire Department. Both the South Orange Board of Trustees and the Maplewood Township Committee passed resolutions authorizing […]

South Orange swears in new deputy fire chief

South Orange swears in new deputy fire chief

SOUTH ORANGE, NJ — South Orange Fire Capt. David Klugel, a 10-year veteran of the South Orange Fire Department, was sworn in as deputy chief at the South Orange Board of Trustees meeting Monday, Dec. 13. According to a statement from the SOFD, as well as FMBA Locals 40 and 240, Klugel grew up in […]

Maplewood firefighter injured on duty at restaurant fire

Maplewood firefighter injured on duty at restaurant fire

MAPLEWOOD, NJ — The Maplewood Fire Department responded on Sept. 8 at 11:47 a.m. to Arturo’s at 180 Maplewood Ave. for a reported structure fire, according to a press release from the Maplewood Fire Department.  Upon arrival, Deputy 3 reported fire showing from a wooden enclosure around the oven chimney vent with heavy smoke showing […]

South Orange and Maplewood reignite conversation about merging fire departments

South Orange and Maplewood reignite conversation about merging fire departments

SOUTH ORANGE / MAPLEWOOD, NJ — Talk of a merged fire department that serves both Maplewood and South Orange resurfaced at the South Orange Board of Trustees’ first in-person meeting since the beginning of the pandemic. At the July 26 meeting, the trustees were joined by the members of the Maplewood Township Committee, and, while […]

Two towns approve automatic mutual-aid agreement for fire depts.

Two towns approve automatic mutual-aid agreement for fire depts.

SOUTH ORANGE / MAPLEWOOD, NJ — The South Orange Board of Trustees and the Maplewood Township Committee both approved moving forward with an automatic mutual-aid agreement, which will mean that the South Orange Fire Department and Maplewood Fire Department will begin training and responding to emergency calls together. Elected officials from both towns said the […]

Firefighters unions agree to pay freeze, village to hire and promote within department

Firefighters unions agree to pay freeze, village to hire and promote within department

SOUTH ORANGE, NJ — The South Orange Board of Trustees passed two resolutions at a special meeting on Aug. 3, both memorandums of agreement with the local firefighters unions to enact a salary freeze through 2021 as a result of budget shortfalls caused by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Both FMBA Local 40 and FMBA Local […]

SO firefighters share donated PPE with neighboring towns

SO firefighters share donated PPE with neighboring towns

SOUTH ORANGE, NJ — The South Orange Fire Department recently received a donation of 4,500 medical masks but needs only 900 of them. The other 3,600 were split evenly and donated to the South Orange Police Department, South Orange Rescue Squad, Livingston Fire Department and West Orange Office of Emergency Management. SOFD Chief Daniel Sullivan […]

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