N.J. bill seeks to clear up confusion during fire responses

Warren County officials say current plans already make clear who leads departments through disasters.

View full size Under a proposed New Jersey bill, fire officials would have to make clear who takes charge when multiple departments respond to an emergency, such as this fatal fire in Holland Township. Express-Times Photo | TIM WYNKOOP  

When it comes to responding to fires, New Jersey lawmakers are pushing to make sure departments have a clear answer to one question: Who’s the boss?

Under a bill that awaits Gov. Chris Christie's review after recent state Senate approval, fire officials would have to make clear who takes charge when multiple departments respond to an emergency.

The bill wouldn’t replace current mutual aid agreements, but it would require each town or fire district to submit plans every two years laying out command structures for mutual aid within and outside a county.

Bill sponsor Sen. Steve Oroho, R-Warren/Sussex/Morris, said the measure is intended to eliminate any confusion when crisis strikes. He said the bill doesn’t focus on leadership titles as much as it establishes an emergency pecking order.

“The issue is not what they call them, but to make sure there’s a delineation of who’s in charge,” he said. “It makes good sense that not only do you have a plan for the resources, but that you have a plan in place for who’s in charge.”

But Warren County officials say existing plans already make clear who leads departments through disasters.

Deputy Emergency Management Coordinator Bill Hunt said location and arrival time dictate who commands responding departments.

For example, if a fire breaks out in Independence Township and multiple departments are required, the Independence Township Fire Department will take charge. If the township department is elsewhere when the fire breaks out, whoever responds first will lead, Hunt said.

“It boils down to whoever shows up first, takes charge,” he said. “This bill really doesn’t change any of it.”

Hunt said the county follows the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Federal Incident Command System, which details response protocol for emergencies ranging from a one-vehicle wreck to major disasters.  

Hunterdon County has worked under ICS since its county 911 center was established in 1977, said county Fire Coordinator Drew Stephens. The fire departments have also worked under New Jersey State Police Directive 33, which instructs leaders to request aid in the following order: mutual, then county, then state resources.

Stephens said towns operate on box alarm systems which, when triggered, alert certain fire departments, making clear who should respond.

Stewartsville Volunteer Fire Company Chief Joseph Mecsey III said his department has a clear command structure and that members know what to do whether they are responding within or outside the township.

He said the bill could help in areas of the state where mutual aid response isn’t as clear. Mecsey said situations such as Superstorm Sandy illustrate the importance of having an unambiguous command structure.

His department, along with many others, lent some volunteers to southern areas of the state hit hard by the storm.

“It’s a big deal to have a chain of command,” Mecsey said. “This way people know where orders are coming from.”