Former Volunteer Firefighter Opposes Restructuring of Force

When the Springfield township committee voted mid-April to disassociate from the Springfield Volunteer Firefighters veteran volunteer Dino D'Angelo was with the Fire Department, out on a call. When the engine returned to the firehouse, D'Angelo told Patch, "One of the captains said 'did you hear what happened? It sounds like the town wants to disband the volunteers and start their own volunteer company.'"

D'Angelo said while he was engaged in that conversation, Fire Chief James Sanford approached and told him in "a very matter of fact way" of that night's town council meeting.  After almost a decade of volunteer service to the township, his key-fob (for firehouse door entry) was deactivated on the spot and he had to make an appointment to pick up personal items stored there.

The Springfield Volunteer Fire Department was formed in 1906 with 35 members and was the only township fire department until 1929, when the Springfield Fire Department was formed. The two departments worked together ever since.

According to D'Angelo volunteers joined a separate company, Number One.  "It had its own bylaws and officers" he said "we made decisions and voted and spent funding. We worked in tandem with the paid Department. We didn't have our own fire engine—the paid dept has the equipment."

In the past, Springfield Volunteer Firefighters had received various perks and stipends ranging from free Springfield Pool passes to payments as small as $5.00 per call.  All forms of compensation were stopped in 2008.

At the time of the disassociation, the 39-year-old D'Angelo was the vice president of the volunteer company and serving as the acting president.  D'Angelo is employed as a Registered Nurse and EMT in Jersey City and in Hackettstown. He and his family have lived in town since 1992 and he was a 9/11 first responder.

D'Angelo is turning 40 on May 11 and had hoped to be named to the paid Springfield Fire Department before he 'aged out' according to NJ statute (generally firefighters must be under the age of 35 unless they have been volunteer firefighters for the two years preceding appointment.).

The situation is complicated somewhat by a legal dispute between D'Angelo and fellow volunteer Connor Hamilton and the Township. The two are charging the Township with improper conduct in their failure to make firefighter appointments in accordance with state law and Springfield township ordinances. D'Angelo alleges that preferential treatment was given to other, lower-scoring applicants, two of whom were related to the Fire Chief Wayne Masiello and Fire Captain Michael Bilotti. Both are no longer on the force; Masiello  retired and Bilotti was terminated by the Township Committee.

D'Angelo asserts that with 14 members, Springfield's fire department is understaffed. He believes that keeping staffing at that level creates a fire hazard in town that may eventually affect home- and business-owners' insurance rates.

Springfield Mayor Ziad Shehady said that other volunteers were content with the restructing and would make the transition to the new volunteer force.

"[They] are eager to continue serving the way they had been before under the authority of Chief Sanford," Ziad said.

"As for hiring paid firefighters, the Township previously made a conditional offer of employment to Jason Ropelski at the meeting of September 23, 2008 but the actual appointment was deferred. Presently, there is no timetable associated with appointing paid firefighters and I don't anticipate that there will be in the immediate future due to financial constraints.

"Because of the problems the Volunteer Fire Company has been experiencing, we recently reorganized the Springfield Fire Division to create positions and incentives for volunteer firefighters and the doors of the Firehouse are open to anyone who wishes to apply as a member." 

Springfield is not unique with Fire Department re-orgs. Tight budgets are forcing more area-towns into restructuring their Departments.

Ziad also stated "The Township of Springfield and I greatly appreciate the efforts, hard work and dedication of all Springfield volunteers who are so critical to the continued successful operation of the community, to include the countless volunteer firefighters who have heeded the call to service over the years."

* Editor's note: this section of the article was altered after the story was published to reflect new information we felt was important to the story.