The state Department of Community Affairs' Division of Local Government Services has agreed to the study.
HAMILTON -- The state Department of Community Affairs has agreed to study the consolidation of Hamilton's nine fire districts at no cost to the township, Hamilton Mayor Kelly Yaede announced Wednesday.
Yaede met Monday with officials from the department's Division of Local Government Services, who agreed to the study. The mayor said earlier this month she would request such a study from the department.
Clik here to view.
Hamilton Mayor Kelly Yaede delivers her annual State of the Township address The Stone Terrace by John Henry's on Wednesday, February 11, 2015. (Michael Mancuso | Times of Trenton) "Our goal is clear - how can we continue providing fire services to protect the safety of our residents while finding ways to achieve a cost savings that will benefit all of our taxpayers," Yaede said in a statement.
No specifics on when a study might be complete, but Yaede did announce that she met with Local Government Services Director Timothy Cunningham as well as Donald Huber, a public safety liaison and fiscal monitor with the division who is also a former fire chief.
Yaede said Huber has assisted other municipalities in developing consolidation plans to merge fire districts.
In the near future, Yaede announced, state officials will be requesting information and documents pertaining to the fire districts.
The consolidation of the township's nine fire districts has been a topic in town for years, but in August and September the boards of fire commissioners at three districts, 9, 6 and 5, passed resolutions publicly calling for consolidation of all districts into one, unified force.
RELATED: Hamilton mayor talks fire consolidation, wants state input
The resolutions led to a re-birth of the issue, and in early October the two unions that represent the township career firefighters publicly announced a plan that calls for consolidation of all the districts, but with District 3 being the surviving district that would serve the entire township.
The unions went door-to-door at homes in all districts - except District 3 - seeking signatures on petitions needed to bring the matter before the township council
If 5 percent of a district's voters sign the petitions, the council will hold a public hearing and vote whether or not to dissolve the district and possibly merge it with another district.
Many districts are supportive of consolidation, but do like the unions plan to have District 3 be the surviving district, The unions say District 3 provides the best protection for their members.
Yaede falls in the group that supports consolidation, but that would like to see the unions petitioning in District 3 as well.
She reiterated that stance Wednesday, saying: "We need to have petitions circulated in all districts so that it will create a clean slate for a complete, township-wide study as to how we can achieve an efficient, cost-effective and safe fire protection service for our entire community."
The state study would then lead to "a concrete plan, with specific details, which is ultimately in the best interests of every Hamilton Township taxpayer," Yaede's statement said.
The presidents of the fire unions, locals of the Firefighters Mutual Benevolent Association (FMBA), said they welcomed the study, but they will be pushing forward with their plan.
"We don't see it saying anything other than consolidation is needed," Presidents Mike Kiernan and Nick Buroczi said in a joint comment.
The unions have been meeting with groups in town involved in the fire service to explain their plans. Kiernan said a meeting this week with the career and volunteer fire chiefs went well and the chiefs agreed to work on an operations plan in anticipation of consolidation.
RELATED: Two Hamilton fire districts to remain neutral on consolidation
Consolidation has become a hot topic in the town recently, sometimes political, with fire districts making public statements and politicians weighing in on the issue.
Kiernan said specifically of Yaede's request for the state study: "I think it has to do with the time of year and the political climate, but I can't fault her for doing that."
Amy Inman, who is challenging Yaede in the general election, said earlier this week that Yaede's call for a study amounted to a "retreat" and a desperate call to the state for a rescue. "A tactic that will only delay a solution that satisfies everyone," Inman said.
And David Jones, a Republican running for a seat in the state Assembly's 14th district, issued a statement Wednesday criticizing Assemblymen Wayne DeAngelo and Dan Benson (both D-Mercer) for attending the unions' announcement earlier this month.
Jones said his opponents "have prematurely and hastily jumped to support a fire consolidation plan in Hamilton which has not been studied thoroughly."
Consolidation has also been discussed at the past two Hamilton council meetings, with residents querying councilmembers and how consolidation would affect them and opining on the issue.
The council has responded several times that until petitions are certified and come before them, they cannot do anything.
Most council members agree with consolidation, but Council President Dennis Pone and Councilman Ed Gore said the union plan is just one possible solution and numerous things could happen when the council debates it and seeks public input, if the petitioning is successful.
Pone said he's looking for: "The best fire protection for the town at the least cost. Period."
Kevin Shea may be reached at kshea@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter@kevintshea. Find The Times of Trenton on Facebook.