Kelly Yaede sought the study in early October and the state Department of Community Affairs agreed to it later that month.
HAMILTON -- The township's nine fire districts have been given surveys to fill out that will assist the state Department of Community Affairs (DCA) study the township's fire service in advance of possibly consolidating into one district, officials said.
The surveys ask for a multitude of data from each district, from exact numbers of personnel and salaries, to work schedules, apparatus and copies of labor contracts, insurance policies and any debts or grants each district has.
Yaede sought the study in early October and the DCA agreed to it later that month.
Yaede, and a DCA spokeswoman, said Friday that a timeline on when the study would be complete depends on when the surveys are completed and returned.
Recently, Yaede and Hamilton fire union officials met about their consolidation plan, discussing the DCA study and the unions' petitioning.
To consolidate fire districts, the unions need signed petitions from 5 percent of a district's voters to bring the matter before the township council.
That effort is done, union officials said Friday.
In a Nov. 23 letter to the two Hamilton fire unions, though, Yaede urged the unions to hand in the petitions to council so the process can move forward.
Yaede, in the letter, referenced a conversation between herself and Nick Buroczi, the fire officers union president.
Buroczi, according to the letter, wants a guarantee that no firefighters will be laid off as a result of consolidation before the petitions are turned in. Yaede wrote that no such guarantee could be made until the DCA study is done, and the town has a better idea of what the fire service would look like.
Yaede said she her position stands on that, and that the surveys need to get done and she would like to see the petitions turned in.
In a statement, Buroczi and Mike Kiernan, president of the rank-and-file firefighters, said the petitioning is really an issue for council to address.
"We remain committed to bringing the changes necessary to the Hamilton Fire Department and once again invite the mayor to be part of these efforts, and ask only for a guarantee that the final product will make our residents and our firefighters safer," the statement said.
Both the unions and Yaede support consolidation, as does the township council.
Kevin Shea may be reached at kshea@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter@kevintshea. Find The Times of Trenton on Facebook.