doc13mets

I like the look of the new website. The only thing I don't like is the Forum in the new website. Having the forum in its own scroll box when the webpages is a seperate scroll box makes scrolling very uncomfortable, constantly having to scroll the inner page and the whole page. Anyone else have the same issues? Other then that, I like the site.

I love how Educated posts all get ignored in these topics that deal with PD/FD stuff. The only thing that lives on is uneducated comments that half the time make little or no sense (well more then half)... Amy I am sure you are a FF and a Nurse. Good for you. Don't let all these uneducated people get to you. Obviously they have no life. (And I'm only calling a few uneducated, maybe you guys that like to bash and be negative all the time should make an account and actually sign a name to your work)

I'm sure you can try... they can't punish you for that =p

Big deal. Are they allowed to even vote? If they are allowed it must be legal, so they have a right to vote. If they are classifed under the system where they don't have a right to vote, then they must not be voting. This is not a Kearny issue this is a civil rights issue.

Here is the web address to the info on Kearny's website about it... http://www.kearnynj.org/CommunityEmergencyAlertingSystem Seems like something other local communities should look into.

In this past week observer there was a note about Kearny's Reverse 911 system being implemented and tested. You will even be able to go to Town Hall and register your Cell phone... it was noticed that chemical releases would be a reason to use it as well as other town wide emergencies... Good job Kearny

I was at the Giants game this past Sunday Night. I had never noticed anything other then State Police there before. State Police were still present although I did notice an East Ruther Police Car in one of the lots on Duty. Just wanted to point that out, who was paying for it, i'm not sure.

Boy do some of you guys have it wrong. A lot of people here have no idea what they are talking about. 1. The HFD provides at good service to the community. Beyond EMS and Fire Calls they respond to all sorts of calls. 2. Mutual Aid is provided by Harrison to Kearny and East Newark on a semi-regular basis when needed. This is essentially to provide proper fire protection to all our local communities. 3. Mutual Aid is received in Harrison from East Newark and Kearny when needed. Many times mutual aid is called for and not utilized on both ends but the importance of having mutual aid present is because very quickly with fire a small situation can become dangerous. You have to have as many assets on the scene until proper assessment and control is established. 4. Having a paid FD is fantastic service and you should be thankful. (it is well worth the tax payer money) 5. Harrison FD is trained properly. To say they aren't is ignorant of the situation. 6. The only reason the HFD wouldn't show up at one of their own emergencies first is because they were probably at another emergency/fire. Whenever this happens either East Newark or Kearny is put on Standby to cover Harrison. This goes to show indeed the HFD is slightly undermanned. If people really want to look into saving money do something about it. Don't complain. One possible solution to save some money and keep a paid fire department is talk to Kearny and East Newark. Maybe one day down the line the 3 departments can do what "North Hudson Regional Fire & Rescue" did and combine paid departments. They could become the West Hudson Fire Company. Keeping East Newark as the lone volunteer department among the paid. This could cut some over the overhead, combine some resources (dispatch, one chief) saving the departments some money in the long run while providing more resources for our local communities. I would be proud to be a HFF or a KFF. Unfortunately because there is no longer any town residency requirements the chances of any of our residents to be hired are slim to none.

People have already anwsered the public records part. Just to assure you the town receives no money for this, aside from the money generated from your ticket. When I got a moving violation in West Caldwell I also was bombared with legal requests. Working at a lawfirm myself, I knew there was little a lawyer can do that any average citizen can't do when it comes to a simple moving violation in court. I went on my own, pleaded down and recieved no points.

I believe the reason you need or should have a paid fire department is response time. In a fire seconds count when it comes to survival. If someone was trapped the difference between being in a smoke condition on a floor from 3-4 minutes to 8-9 minutes is HUGE. A price can not be placed on a life. Also property is one of the most important assets we have and the same thing goes for a house free burning for 5 minutes compared to 10 minutes is monumental when it comes to saving a structure. But simply enough the need is for saving that life when it happens (might not happen every few months but its still worth it). What bothers me and you will see more and more of all this FF jobs are going to more and more people that have no connection to the community. These jobs aren't going to our local Harrison, East Newark and Kearny residents any more... we are getting people from Newark, Bayonne and beyond. Same thing is going on in Kearny. At least if residency was required for these jobs we would have people doing them that are invested in the town and would care more about the community in general. I can't comment about the secretary thing, I know nothing about what this person does or doesn't do.

I can't believe you just made fun of Firefighters after 9/11 who were taking up a collection to help the victims. I don't care what your personal beliefs are about the HFD but to make fun of the act of collecting money to help the victims is downright disgusting. You are a horrible human being. Actually calling you a human being is probably being to generous. You are the coward.

It was the Wedding of Mark Balsam to Hanna Walsh. Mark is a East Newark Firefighter. They put it together themselves.

Getting on the fire department is silly. If they go back to their old shifts or 24 hour shifts is no difference in service provided. Allow them to work the shifts they want. If anything Harrison and Kearny should combine fire departments and call it the West Hudson Fire Department. Much like North Bergen, Union City, Weehawken, West New York, and Guttenburg did to create the North Hudson Fire Department. Might save both towns some money and combine resources they respond to a lot of each others calls as it is and with the New Stadium when its complete will offer better fire protection for the long run and phase out a few high salary positions over time. (To me it is sad that Kearny and Harrison residents are at a great disadvantage to become firefighters in NJ due to the agreement with the NCAAP from years ago, but that has nothing to do with the issue)

They day the pull up to a burning buidling, see someone screaming for help and do nothing is the day you can call them that. This lack of Police Officers have nothing to do with Fire Department. Both services are just as important. Raise taxes, hire more.

What do you call someone who graduates last in their Medical class?? I would be fine if the state didn't allow any towns to have a "residency" preference. Only when that happens will the system be fair. As of now Kearny and Harrison aren't allowed to have a town residency preference, while every other town around them are (Jersey City, Bayonne, Newark, Hoboken and so forth). Fair? I think not.

I do not have the same chance to get hired as a firefighter. Because if say I score higher then the Jersey City Resident I will be ranked higher on Kearny's List but not higher on Jersey City's list. If the Jersey City resident scores higher then me, he/she shall be ranked higher on both Kearny and Jersey City's list. In conclusion to live in Jersey City (or Newark, or Bayonne) you have a greater chance of being hired as career firefighter. This to me seems like some sort of discrimination based on residency. The settlement seems to only hurt overall, Kearny and Harrison residents but helps every other resident in Hudson and Essex county.

Unfair generalization... and for a moment lets assume your statement were to be true... at least it should be kearny residents complaining about how much work they do and get paid for by our tax dollars and their own tax dollars then give it to some out of towner... But that wasn't the point of my post and to be honest I don't really believe that.

As it has been discussed before and we all know. The Kearny Fire Department takes part the Civil Service "Merit" system for the way it hires. A number of years ago the Town of Kearny use to have a Residential Preference, meaning residents of Kearny were put at the top of the list and ranked according to score, then "other" county residents next, then state. When the NCAAP sued Kearny and a few other towns a settlement was reached and we now hire off a list of Essex/Hudson country residents being at the top. New Jersey has a combat veteran preference, meaning when they take the Civil Service test they are automatically put at the top regardless of score (ranked among other Vets of course). This is extremely unfortunate as this makes it pretty much impossible for a regular Kearny resident who wishes to be a firefighter/police officer to become one in our town or anywhere else in the county without going off to Iraq or Afghanistan. (I have no problem giving Combat Vets some bonus points on the test, but to give absolute preference makes it impossible to get a job in one of the departments here, but that’s a State issue, I wish the followed the lead of other states and just awarded bonus points). Ignoring the Vet part. I also think its very unfair that under our current system, for example, a Jersey City Resident and a Kearny Resident who wants to be a Firefighter takes the test. Say both score an 88. The JC Resident has preference over the Kearny resident in getting a job in Jersey City FD and is on completely equal ground in getting a job in Kearny FD. This is a double standard. I'm a lifelong Kearny resident. I've always wanted to be a career Firefighter. Unfortunately my only chance to do so would be to move. Reading about what happened many years ago, I feel like the town didn't do enough to protect the residents of Kearny. I have a love of this community and want to serve it. Due to the current economic environment many towns still have a residency preference, they make sure their jobs go to their qualified residents first. Its good for the local economy. Can anything ever be done to correct this? What’s the benefits of being a Civil Service town? Why not a chiefs town? I really don't understand the pro's/con's, I don't have enough information. Has Kearny FD ever thought about having a Volunteer Company, for residents, to assist with major fires/rescues. And to bring in additional manpower. This would also offer at least some opportunity for Kearny residents to gain some bonus points as volunteers on the test. If anyone has any thoughts or comments about this it would be appreciated.