In 1986, the Washington Township Fire District formed a local enforcing agency under the New Jersey Uniform Fire Code and hired a Fire Official to oversee local business inspections, provide public prevention education, and conduct fire investigations. The Bureau of Fire Prevention would work with the three volunteer fire companies in the township to provide a safer community. Then over the next few years, with the population and number of local businesses increasing, it became necessary to hire more inspectors and office staff to handle the workload. This also led to the need to hire an office staff and mechanic for fleet maintenance. By 1990, due to the increase in population, the Bureau of Fire Prevention was not only conducting more local inspections, but providing more public education and investigating fires that occurred within the township. The number of dispatches to emergency calls was also increasing and a need for more personnel during the weekdays.
Two fire inspectors and two mechanics already working for the district assumed a dual role as firefighters. In 1998, the Board of Commissioners decided that the district needed one person to run the day to day operations of the district and hired a district chief. A year later, six firefighters were hired to fill the weekday need for personnel making the district a combination career/volunteer department. Four more firefighters were hired over the next couple of years.
Today, there are twenty-six (26) full time uniformed personnel that include a District Fire Chief, a part-time Assistant Fire Chief (Chief of Staff), 6 captains, 3 Lieutenants and 16 firefighters. The Career firefighters provide 2 staffed apparatus 24/7. The Department also as two full-time civilian mechanics. The office staff also includes a bookkeeper, clerk to the board and a part-time office assistant. Some of the duties of our career staff include fire suppression, rescue assignments, training, building maintenance, report writing, logistics, fleet maintenance, public education, fire inspections, fire investigations, and daily business practices. The career staff works with the volunteer staff on a daily basis to provide the best possible service to the citizens of Washington Township.