July 5, 1994 (~estimated)

In other business, Mayor Reed reported on the complaint about the Princeton Fire Department that was lodged with the State Department of Health. There appeared to be general agreement that the complaint was made by a member of the Department.

The Mayor said he had called Gary Ludwig at the Public Employees Occupational Safety and Health Program and told him that almost all the items on the list are currently under discussion and are being worked on. The Mayor said the Borough would ask for a waiver from the 30 days it was given to respond to the complaint.

The complaint alleged the Department was in violation of State requirements by not having such items as a respiratory protection plan, diesel exhaust plan, hazardous material plan, incident management plan. and standards for firefighters.

Councilman Ray Wadsworth said that some people in the Fire Department have been pushing for a paid department…

for the past three or four years. He said that department members, however, will not get first crack at paid firefighter jobs, since “[firefighters] from New York and Philadelphia have more degrees than doctors and lawyers, and this is a sweet-heart of a town.

Councilman Mark Freda took issue with this. “I totally disagree with you,” he told Mr. Wadsworth. “I know no one in the Fire Department who is pushing for a paid department, and no one on Council is pushing for this.”

-Myrna K. Bearse