NJ firefighters face big, new challenges as paid or volunteer

NorthJersey.com examined how many paid vs. volunteer fire departments there are in the state.

Some experts spoke of the difficulties in motivating people to volunteer for a fire department.

Of the state’s 715 fire departments, only 62 are fully staffed with professional (paid) firefighters.

New Jersey’s firefighters find themselves at a crossroads.

As emergency response demands evolve, New Jersey communities are evaluating the strengths and challenges of both volunteer and paid fire department models.

“Times have changed,” said Doug Sadowski, press information officer for the Fair Lawn Fire Department. “The challenge I have is to motivate people for something they're not getting paid for.”

New Jersey remains predominantly volunteer based. Of the state’s 715 fire departments, only 62