Hudson County Commissioner Bill O’Dea Calls for Immediate Action to Address Fire Company Closures in Jersey City

JERSEY CITY– Hudson County Commissioner and Mayoral candidate Bill O’Dea is calling on city officials to take immediate action after raising concerns over an unusually high number of fire company closures in Jersey City during the holiday season, citing serious public safety risks. According to Commissioner O’Dea, six fire companies were closed on Christmas Day and seven on December 29 due to understaffing—an unprecedented situation in recent years.

“Unnecessarily closing fire companies creates a serious public safety issue that needs to be addressed immediately,” said Commissioner O’Dea. “While staffing shortages during the holidays are common, measures must be taken to ensure public safety. In this case, authorizing a limited amount of overtime would appear to be the most effective solution and I believe that this must be strongly considered by Director Shea.”

O’Dea noted that the city has not approved requests for overtime by Jersey City Fire Department (JCFD) supervisors in recent years, even though limited overtime could help maintain sufficient manpower to protect residents and their homes.

“Of course, overtime should be limited and not abused,” O’Dea acknowledged. “However, it is clearly warranted in this situation, especially during the winter months when the risk of fires increases due to the use of home heating systems and equipment.”

Commissioner O’Dea emphasized the urgency of implementing a plan to prevent further fire company closures and expressed his willingness to collaborate with city officials to address the issue. “I am available to discuss this matter in more detail and urge the city to act swiftly to ensure the safety of our residents,” he added.