Department of
Fire & Rescue
contact
Firehouse
Phone: 973-383-9424
(non-emergency)
Address:
436 Route 94
Fredon, NJ 07860
VOLUNTEER RECRUITMENT & INFORMATION GUIDE
Fire & Rescue
Welcome to the Fredon Volunteer Fire Company
When an emergency happens in Fredon Township, it isn’t strangers who answer the call—it is your neighbors. Operating out of our station on Route 94, the Fredon Volunteer Fire Company relies entirely on dedicated community members to keep our township safe 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
You do not need any prior background in emergency services to make a massive impact. We provide 100% of the gear, the professional training, and the logistical support. You just bring the willingness to serve.
Diverse Ways to Serve: Finding Your Role
A successful fire company requires a wide variety of skills, allowing every volunteer to find a role that fits their comfort level, physical capabilities, and personal availability:
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Active Firefighter
Respond to residential and commercial structural fires, perform search and rescue operations, handle hose lines, and operate heavy specialized extrication tools (“Jaws of Life”) at motor vehicle accidents. -
EMS Provider /
Emergency Medical Technician (EMT)
Ride along on medical emergencies to provide vital, life-saving pre-hospital care, stabilize patients, and assist transport units. -
Fire Police Officer
Manage traffic safety, secure active emergency scenes, and ensure the protection of pedestrians and first responders from passing motorists during active incidents. -
Support & Administrative Member
Help with vital logistical operations, apparatus maintenance, IT infrastructure, public education, and planning community fundraising events.
Core Benefits: Why You Should Step Up
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Protect Your Own Backyard
In a small, close-knit community like Fredon, the lives and homes you save belong to your friends, family members, and local business owners. There is no greater feeling than knowing your direct actions kept your immediate neighbors safe. -
Free, World-Class Professional Training
We trade your time for elite, life-saving skills you can use anywhere. The department provides 100% free professional training through county fire academies and emergency medical programs. These formal certifications look incredible on a professional resume and build high-level teamwork, leadership, and crisis-management skills. -
A Second Family and Lifelong Bonds
Firehouses thrive on trust, camaraderie, and mutual support. Eating meals together, cleaning the trucks, and backing each other up on an active emergency scene builds deep, lifelong bonds and a profound sense of belonging that you cannot find in a standard hobby or gym. -
High-Octane Purpose
Break the monotony of your standard 9-to-5 routine. Volunteering injects exciting, meaningful purpose into your week. One night you are sitting on the couch, and the next you are operating a heavy apparatus or saving a life.
Invest in the Future:
Junior Firefighter Program
Are you a high school student looking for a profound way to serve your community, build discipline, and jump start a future career? Our Junior Firefighter Program allows teenagers aged 16 and 17 to get directly involved in the fire service under strict safety guidelines.
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Hands-On Learning
Junior members train right alongside our senior firefighters. You will learn essential tool handling, hose operations, knot tying, and ladder techniques, and participate in non-hazardous station activities. -
Strict Safety Focus
In compliance with New Jersey Child Labor Laws, junior members are closely supervised. They are legally prohibited from entering burning structures, handling hazardous materials, or operating in dangerous environments. -
The Advantage
Build unmatched teamwork and leadership skills, earn community service hours for high school graduation, and gain a massive advantage if you choose to pursue a future career in public safety, medicine, or the military.
Financial Rewards:
The LOSAP Program & Tax Incentives
While our members volunteer out of a sense of duty, Fredon Township and the State of New Jersey ensure that your personal sacrifice is recognized. Active volunteers are rewarded through structured financial and tax incentives designed to minimize your out-of-pocket burdens:
Length of Service Award Program (LOSAP)
Pursuant to Chapter 49 of the Fredon Township Code, Fredon sponsors a voter-approved, tax-deferred retirement incentive program for eligible volunteers. Think of it as a volunteer pension system funded entirely by the township:
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Annual Township Contribution
Active members who meet annual participation benchmarks receive a direct financial contribution deposited by the township into a tax-deferred investment account (managed via Corebridge/VALIC Financial). Recent annual township contributions have grown to over $1,026 per qualifying member to adjust for inflation. -
Tax-Deferred Compound Growth
Just like a private-sector 401(k) or 457(b) retirement plan, the money in your account grows completely tax-free. You do not pay income tax on the funds or their investment growth until you begin taking distributions in retirement -
The Point System
To qualify for the annual LOSAP payout, volunteers must reach an objective minimum threshold of 50 points per calendar year. Points are transparently tracked and awarded for responding to emergency calls, attending monthly business meetings, completing training drills, participating in public fire prevention events, or serving in elected leadership roles.
Additional Government Tax Relief & Benefits
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State Income Tax Deduction
Active emergency responders in New Jersey can claim a dedicated $500 state income tax deduction on their annual returns. -
Stipend Tax Exemptions
Under state legislation, any small stipends or expense reimbursements paid out to active volunteer responders are exempt from state income tax, temporary disability insurance (TDI), and family leave insurance (FLI) taxes. -
Tuition Assistance
Active volunteer firefighters can tap into state-sponsored tuition credit programs to help offset the costs of higher education at local community colleges or state universities.
How to Take the First Step
Ready to make a difference right here in your community?
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Download the Application
Access the official membership application form -
Visit the Firehouse
Stop by the station at 436 Route 94 during a scheduled drill or meeting night to speak with our members, ask questions, and see our apparatus fleet firsthand. -
Get in Touch
For non-emergency inquiries about the joining process, call the station at 973-383-9424 or reach out through the Fredon Township Clerk’s office.
fire & rescue
Volunteers are always wanted and if you feel you can help out it some way – Firefighter, EMS or Fire Police, please use the membership application to join this dynamic group of individuals!
Membership
Address Markers
Reflective Address Marker Order Form will be posted soon.
