LAKEWOOD, N.J. – Lakewood’s growth isn’t just changing its roads, schools and neighborhoods. It is also changing the size and structure of the fire department expected to protect them.
The Board of Fire Commissioners meets Tuesday at Fire Headquarters on Cedar Bridge Avenue, months after creating a new paid career battalion fire chief position. The district is simultaneously moving through firehouse improvements, generator work, equipment testing and hiring — a collection of changes that offers a glimpse at how Lakewood is building a larger professional fire operation alongside its longtime volunteer force.
- Lakewood’s combination fire department now has 48 career firefighters and officers, with career stations staffed around the clock.
- Fire commissioners approved creation of a paid career battalion fire chief position in July after introducing the measure in June.
- Recent district projects include a firehouse addition, emergency generator work and contracts involving fire apparatus, pumps, hoses and ladders.
Lakewood’s Fire Department Isn’t Just Volunteer Anymore
For generations, Lakewood relied heavily on volunteers.
The volunteer department dates to 1888 and remains a major part of the system. Today, seven fire stations are positioned around the township, and volunteers continue responding to structure fires, mutual-aid requests and other emergencies.
But the other half of Lakewood’s combination department has grown considerably.
The district says it now employs 48 career firefighters and officers. Career personnel work four shifts on a 24-hours-on, 72-hours-off schedule.
Each shift puts three officers and nine firefighters on duty, according to district records. Those firefighters serve as first responders to calls and request volunteer assistance when incidents require it.
That staffing model means Lakewood has 12 career personnel assigned to each shift before volunteers are added to an incident.
For a township that continues to see new development, denser neighborhoods and increasing demands on roads and public services, maintaining fire coverage around the clock has become a much larger operation than the volunteer department created nearly 140 years ago.
New Career Battalion Chief Adds Another Layer of Command
One of the clearest signs of that change came this summer.
The Board of Fire Commissioners introduced a resolution June 9 creating the paid position of career battalion fire chief. Commissioners approved it on second reading July 14.
The district had previously posted a battalion fire chief promotional announcement in 2025, but this year’s resolution formally created the paid position under state law.
That adds another career command position to a department led by Chief Jonathan Yahr.
The district has also been actively promoting and hiring within its paid ranks. A firefighter employment announcement was issued July 1, followed by a fire captain promotional announcement Aug. 1.
Taken together, the documents show a department putting more structure around its career operation rather than simply adding firefighters.
That matters during larger incidents, where managing personnel, apparatus, mutual aid and simultaneous calls becomes increasingly complicated.
Firehouse, Generator and Apparatus Work Also Underway
Personnel aren’t the only investment.
The district sought bids this year for an addition and emergency generator at its firehouse at 170 Lafayette Boulevard.
The project calls for general construction and includes plumbing, HVAC, electrical and structural work.
An emergency generator is particularly important for a fire station, where losing commercial power during a major storm or other emergency can’t mean losing the building as an operating base.
District records also show ongoing spending on the equipment firefighters take to calls.
In July, commissioners authorized a contract for fire apparatus pump, hose and ladder testing. The district previously sought contractors for preventive maintenance and repairs to its fire apparatus and vehicles.
Those expenses aren’t flashy, but they’re fundamental to keeping a department operating.
A fire engine is only useful if its pump works. Ladders and hose need routine testing. Stations need backup power, and an expanding career workforce needs places to operate around the clock.
Growth Is Changing Public Safety Across Lakewood
The larger story is what’s happening outside the firehouse doors.
Lakewood Township has undergone extraordinary residential and commercial growth, with development spreading into areas that were far less densely built a generation ago.
More homes mean more potential fire calls. More commercial buildings bring different fire protection challenges. Traffic can also complicate response times when apparatus needs to move across town quickly.
Large residential buildings, schools, warehouses and densely developed neighborhoods can demand more firefighters and more complicated incident command than a small house fire.
The district’s answer remains a hybrid one.
Career firefighters provide continuous staffing and initial response, while Lakewood’s volunteers add personnel and resources when needed.
The department has also invested beyond traditional engines and ladders. Recent district announcements show firefighters completing advanced trench rescue training and participating in a joint emergency exercise with Church & Dwight.
Lakewood also rolled out a next-generation dispatch system.
The changes suggest the fire service is being built for a community that looks very different from the Lakewood of even 20 years ago.
Fire Commissioners Meet Tuesday Night
Residents can get a closer look at the operation Tuesday.
The Board of Fire Commissioners has a workshop scheduled for 5:15 p.m., followed by its regular meeting at 5:30 p.m. at Fire Headquarters, 733 Cedar Bridge Avenue.
District meeting rules allow the public to attend the workshop, although public participation is reserved for the regular meeting. Formal action can be taken during either session.
The district’s published meeting notice says commissioners can take up personnel, finances, administrative and operational reports, buildings and grounds, apparatus, equipment, maintenance and other fire district business.
The September agendas were posted ahead of Tuesday’s meetings.
For taxpayers, the significance extends beyond any single resolution.
Lakewood is maintaining a seven-station combination department, paying a growing career workforce, upgrading buildings and backup systems and maintaining specialized firefighting equipment.
Those investments are part of the price of providing emergency services in a township that continues to grow.
And unlike a new subdivision or commercial building, much of that expansion happens quietly — one firefighter, command position, fire engine and station project at a time.
Lakewood operates a combination career and volunteer fire department.
The district says it has 48 career firefighters and officers while volunteers continue responding to structure fires, mutual aid calls and other emergencies.
A paid career battalion fire chief position was created this summer.
Fire commissioners introduced the position in June and approved its creation on second reading July 14.
The district is also investing in stations and equipment.
Recent records show work involving a firehouse addition, emergency generator and testing and maintenance of firefighting apparatus and equipment.
Sources: Lakewood Fire District No. 1; Lakewood Fire District firehouse addition and emergency generator bid documents; Lakewood Fire District resolutions and meeting notices
