TOWNSHIP OF WASHINGTON—At least two township volunteer firefighters who have provided nearly a century of service protecting local homes have been temporarily sidelined over an apparent paperwork snafu with state fire officials who want paper records to prove the firefighters are qualified to serve.
Ex-chief James Zaconie, Clinton Avenue, told council June 27 that he was told by the fire chief that he and fellow firefighter, Michael Agnello, Meisten Street —listed on the WTFD roster with an honorary chief designation — cannot ride on fire vehicles until a paperwork snafu is resolved between the firefighters and state Division of Fire Safety.
Agnello did not attend the council meeting.
An inside source we spoke with in advance of the meeting but who is not authorized to speak on the matter alleged a third firefighter is affected, and called the situation “disgusting.”
Zaconie said that when he and Agnello joined the department 48 years ago and 46 years ago, respectively, there was no Firefighter 1 rank. He said if one had started as a volunteer firefighter by a certain date, he was grandfathered in to certain ranks, including Firefighter 1 and 2.
He said now the state is requiring paperwork to prove that volunteer firefighters were grandfathered in to their firefighter ranks.
Zaconie said there was “a glitch somewhere” between the state and local fire department in terms of proper paperwork being submitted and on file.
He said the state claims required paperwork was not submitted by a deadline and that now both he and Agnello are both “no longer qualified to be firefighters.”
He urged the mayor and council to “do something politically to put a stop to what’s going on here because there is a movement in Trenton to destroy the volunteer fire service in this state.”
Zaconie added, “They want the whole state to go paid. If that’s what they want they’re going to get it. And it’s going to fall on you because you’re going to have to raise the taxes in this town to pay for that. This has got to stop,” he said.
He said he gave three-quarters of his life to the township fire department. He repeated that the state said since no paperwork was ever submitted, they are allegedly not qualified as Firefighter 1, and cannot ride on the fire trucks to assist at a call.
Zaconie said he did complete a Firefighter 3 certification after attending the Bergen County Fire Academy.
He said the paperwork problem was causing the township to lose the services of two firefighters, both retired individuals with many years of service, being available to answer fire calls.
Council Vice President Steven Cascio asked who was responsible for submitting the paperwork. Zaconie said it was likely the fire training officer, but that position frequently changes, he said.
Zaconie said the issue of paperwork not being submitted may go back 10–15 years.
Councilman Tom Sears, also a longtime volunteer firefighter, commended Zaconie and Agnello for their “lifetime of dedication to the department” and said the issue needed to be solved soon. “We’re getting less and less volunteers and this town cannot afford a paid fire department.”
Cascio asked if there was an appeals process. Township Attorney Kenneth Poller said there should be such a process and an appeal should be filed.
However, Mayor Peter Calamari said he was made aware of the problem last week and that he understood from state officials that there was a grace period and a time allowed for grandfathering firefighters; as that was allowed, no appeals process exists.
He said he was only made aware that Zaconie had obtained his Firefighter 3 certification that night and said his case appeared to be an “extraordinary case.” He said, however, because the state has temporarily said they can no longer ride on a fire truck, their presence at a fire scene would be a liability for the town. “And obviously, the town can’t take that liability.”
Calamari said he would reach out to 39th District Republican Sen, Holly Schepisi and Assemblyman Robert Auth to ask for their aid, noting the firefighters’ plight was not only a townwide problem but also a statewide concern. He said they would work to make sure the issue was resolved in the firefighters’ favor.
Sears said he believed that the state was “trying to force the volunteers out” noting how they have affected ambulance corps volunteers with new regulations. “Now they’re turning their vengeance on the volunteers,” he added.
Cascio said the current situation “was a real injustice” to at least two or three local volunteer firefighters and pledged to do what they could to assist them.