Two Fire Commissioner seats are open this year. There are two candidates running to fill these seats, both candidates are incumbents.
JOHN LAZORCHAK
I have been a Fire Commissioner for 6 years and have seen the District change and grow in so many ways. In the 30 years of involvement with the Fire Service I feel the District has changed more in this 6-year period than in the previous 24 years. The Board of Commissioners and District Fire Companies have excelled with growing with the Township and I know have the commitment to grow and protect. We have accepted the responsibility of rescue services including improving storm related water rescue. I along with past and current Board members are proud of what we have offered and will continue to offer to the Township residents.
We have been fortunate to provide some the “best” and equipped apparatus to the community for almost any incident. The Board and Office of Fire and Safety work closely together and are well respected by surrounding Communities and State Offices. With the growing needs of Hillsborough, we have been able to develop the process of hiring full-time firefighters for quicker response times when the emergency arises. I feel this is extremely important to promote and continue as the volunteer service has severely changed with the increase in personal and work-related activities.
Back in 2017, I feel I was approached to run for Commissioner because I tend to approach things a bit different. When I was the Chief of the Neshanic Fire Company, I took care of the my “firematic” obligations, but there was a business side of my position too. My Department and District members appreciated both types of skills as we all excelled as a team. I appreciate my 30 years of education as a firefighter, but there is also a place for my 30 years of business experience to help the District grow. As many people know me, my ambition and desire to excel and forge forward is always there. I want nothing less to help the District and continue on this track.
I have listed a brief Biography below to provide some personal background. Thank you for your time.
Lafayette College – BS Civil Engineering
Rutgers University – Civil Engineering Masters Program
Civil Engineer for 8 years @ Applied Water Management, Hillsborough, NJ. Work focused on construction management and compliance with State Departments.
President/ Owner of JML Landscaping for 30 years. Work focused on management or residential and commercial projects of various sizes.
Member of Company and District since 1992
Various Fire Line Officer Positions for Company from 1995-2002.
Fire Chief for Company 2011-2013
Trustee for Company 2010-Present
Hillsborough Fire Commissioner from 2017- Present
Positions held – Secretary, Vice Chairman, Chairman
WILLIAM WOODRUFF
I have been a firefighter at Station 36 in Flagtown since 2010, following in my father’s footsteps who volunteered in New Providence and my uncle who proudly served the City of Yonkers. In my 13 years with the department, I have been on my fair share of calls, served on multiple committees, and have been on the executive line as corresponding secretary as well as the secretary to the treasurer. In my years of service, I have seen a lot of great ideas put into practice and have seen where there is room for improvement.
Upon reelection, one of the areas that I would strive to begin working on is recruitment and retention of new members. Over the past few years, the stations in the district have seen the number of members and volunteers dwindle. It has been happening throughout the country, mainly for a few reasons:
– People do not work locally like they used to.
– People cannot take the time off from work even if they do work close to their station.
– Time / Family Obligations. I personally have a wife and two children, and our schedule is packed with activities.
These are just some of the reasons for the decline in enrollment.
Lately many of the stations have been getting an influx of Junior members which is great for the future, however we need volunteers to fill in the gaps while the juniors age in and come up. My goal is to work with 2 – 3 members from each fire company to create a plan to recruit more volunteers to increase membership. I have been reviewing what the National Volunteer Fire Council has to offer. I have also been reading and researching what other volunteer companies have done. I feel that it is important to listen to our current members and receive input from everyone and work together to keep all of the Hillsborough Volunteer Fire Stations viable and effective.
To help increase membership and maintain volunteerism, I have begun to resurrect the Firefighter Appreciation Program. This program provides a list of goods, services, and establishments that offer discounts to all fire volunteers. You may have seen the stickers in some places like Just Subs, Jersey Mikes, Divine Hair Studio, Salon Dare, etc. This is just one way to create incentives to help retain membership and hopefully encourage people to join when they see the sticker and ask about it.
The most important job of a fire commissioner is to make sure that the district is protected. To make sure all the brave men and women who volunteer have all of the necessary tools and equipment they need to do their job and most importantly keep them safe. I will continue to work with the other commissioners to make sure that does not change.
