Essex County Fire Chiefs Association Opposes South Orange-Maplewood Fire Department Merger

ECFCA Says Proposal Threatens Mutual Aid Agreements, Will Over-Burden Neighboring Towns

SOUTH ORANGE, NJ (Feb. 10, 2022)—The Essex County Fire Chiefs Association today released a statement opposing the proposed merger of the South Orange and Maplewood Fire Departments, citing concerns that, under the terms of the current proposal, the new department will be understaffed and under-resourced, jeopardizing mutual aid agreements between South Orange and Maplewood and its neighboring communities.

The statement issued by Millburn Fire Chief Robert Echavarria, president of the ECFCA, raises concerns that the proposal will have a “direct negative effect on the surrounding communities and the greater Essex County area. The plan calls for reducing the amount of equipment available for mutual aid by 50% while at the same time calling on the rest of the County to provide more resources to cover a short-staffed department.”

The New Jersey State FMBA and South Orange FMBA locals 40 & 240, the unions representing South Orange Firefighters, are also opposed to the merger.