New Providence Fire Chief John Singorello wants to add paid staff to the borough's volunteer fire department. Singorello pitched a hybrid model to the Borough Council on Friday, Sept. 4, calling it a "responsible and proactive investment."

TAPinto New Providence reported that Singorello cited a 59% jump in call volume from 2015 to 2025. That pace far outstrips the roughly 12% growth the department saw in the prior decade.

The busiest hours fall on weekdays between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., when the department handles about 21 incidents an hour. Nights and weekends see roughly 13. That gap matters because most volunteers are at their day jobs during peak demand.

Under the proposal, the borough would hire paid inspection and daytime response staff to work alongside volunteers. The Bureau of Fire Prevention, currently staffed by one fire official and two inspectors, would expand to cover more complex buildings being built in the borough. A 192-unit development will fall under the bureau's inspection responsibilities in 2027, along with projects at 121 Chandler Ave. and 100 Mountain Ave.

Singorello said staffing levels in both the fire department and the bureau have stayed roughly the same for 20 to 25 years. Multi-story apartment buildings and healthcare facilities within residential buildings have been added in that time. The bureau has already scaled back public outreach, including in-home fire safety reviews for older adults and in-school fire prevention programs.

"We have an incredible core group of volunteers here that are giving it their all," Singorello said. "But they reach a ceiling, and the demand continues to exceed it."

The plan is modeled on a hybrid program Scotch Plains implemented roughly eight to nine years ago. Singorello said the department consulted with Scotch Plains officials on lessons learned.

Inspections of individual apartment units, not just common areas, would be required every 24 months. To offset costs, Singorello proposed three revenue measures: updated inspection fees in line with comparable municipalities, insurance billing for motor vehicle accidents and hazardous material responses, and fees for repeat nuisance false alarms.

A fully paid department would cost a "seven-figure" annual sum, Singorello estimated. The hybrid plan's specific cost has not been made public.

Council members voiced support. Councilman Brian Gardner said the plan allows volunteers "to do what they signed up to do" while shifting administrative burdens to paid staff. Mayor Al Morgan framed the urgency around development, saying the borough doesn't "have the capacity to do all this unless we make these changes."

On the same day as the council presentation, the department responded to a structure fire at a downtown business around 9:30 a.m. The blaze required a second-alarm response with mutual aid from Summit, Berkeley Heights, Chatham Township, Springfield and Scotch Plains. No injuries were reported. Singorello pointed to the fire as a real-time example of the daytime staffing pressures he described.

The proposal requires formal council action to move forward. No vote date has been set. If approved, Singorello estimated the plan would take 12 to 18 months to fully implement. The department is also actively recruiting new volunteers.