How can I become a member of the Prospect Heights Volunteer Fire Company?
How old do I have to be to join the fire company?
Does the Prospect Heights Fire Company tax for fire and emergency services?
What is the annual fund drive for?
How are the apparatus purchased?
Are there full-time firefighters or is it all volunteer?
Do I have to fight fires if I become a member?
What are Fire Police?
Are there training requirements?
What happens when I call 911?
Is it ok to burn leaves, grass and trash?
Why does the fire department break windows and cut holes in a house during a fire?
Why do firefighters wear different colored helmets?
Does the Prospect Heights Fire Company have an ambulance and respond to EMS calls?
How can I obtain a fire incident report for my insurance company?
Can I arrange a tour of the firehouse?
Who does the Prospect Heights Fire Company serve? The fire company responds primarily to fire and emergency calls in Fire District #1 in Ewing Township, NJ as well as to the other two fire districts in Ewing Township. (see response map) There are many times when the fire company is requested for mutual aid in the city of Trenton, Lawrence, Hopewell and Hamilton Townships. At times, we are requested to other municipalities in and out of Mercer County and sometimes across the Delaware River into Pennsylvania.
What are fire station numbers? Each Mercer County fire company has a station number. The Prospect Heights Fire Company is Station 31. This is also used to identify apparatus and fireline officers. For example, Chief 31, Captain 31, Tower 31, Engine 31, Engine 31-1, Squrt 31, etc.
How can I become a member of the Prospect Heights Volunteer Fire Company? It is very easy to become a member! Please refer to our membership page for detailed information and downloadable application.
How old do I have to be to join the fire company? Junior membership in the fire company begins at 16 years of age. Senior membership begins at 18 years of age. There is no maximum age...everyone from 16 to 160 years old has the ability to contribute!
Does the Prospect Heights Fire Company tax for fire and emergency services? No, there is no direct fire tax. The fire company operations are funded in part in the Ewing Township municipal budget. Funds are solicited of residents and businesses in Ewing Township Fire District #1 through the fire company annual fund drive. There are also fund raisers throughout the year to help with the fire company budget such as our weekly Friday night bingo, our ham dinner in November and 50/50 raffles.
What is the annual fund drive for? The residents and businesses are solicited to help support the fire company through its annual fund drive. This is in lieu of a direct fire tax on businesses and residents that are instituted in other Mercer County municipalities. The funding that is received from the Ewing Township municipal budget does not fully fund the fire company. For more information, refer to our Fund Drive page.
How are the apparatus purchased? Fire apparatus are replaced every 20-25 years as the need is determined and purchased by the Township of Ewing. Ewing Township bonds these through their capital budget. The fire company is responsible for the replacement of auxiliary vehicles such as the pickup truck and chief's command vehicles.
Are there full-time firefighters or is it all volunteer? To help assist the fire company with manpower during the daytime, there are three career firefighters who are first responders with the volunteers to daytime calls between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. They assist with apparatus and equipment maintenance as well as other tasks.
Do I have to fight fires if I become a member? No. Though we can always use new firefighters, you can choose to be part of our fire police or to assist with the "business-side" of our fire company operations. There are many ways that your membership can enhance our fire company!
What are fire police? Fire police are trained members of the fire company who respond to troublesome intersections to block traffic for responding apparatus or they respond directly to the incident scene to provide traffic and crowd control. The fire police play an important role in the operational safety of an incident scene, providing protection to both our firefighters and citizens. Because of their expertise and training they are sometimes asked to respond to police incidents to also help with traffic and crowd control.
Are there training requirements? The Prospect Heights Fire Company provides all training necessary. Firefighter I is mandatory of all firefighters in the State of NJ and is offered at the Mercer County Fire Training Center in Lawrence Township. A new member should expect to attend this training (at night and a couple Saturdays) during his/her first year of membership. Drill night for all firefighters is held, usually twice-a-month, focusing on a wide-variety of firefighting tactics and equipment. Some of these drill nights also fulfill state required training needs.
What happens when I call 9-1-1? When you dial 9-1-1, your call goes to the closest Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP). In Ewing Township, NJ, the PSAP is Ewing Police. If the emergency requires the assistance of the fire department or EMS, Ewing Police immediately transfers the call to Mercer County Central Emergency Communications Center where the emergency dispatch and subsequent communications are conducted.
Is it ok to burn leaves, grass or trash? No. It is against the NJ Uniform Fire Code to do any open burning.
Why does the fire department sometimes break windows and/or cut holes in a house during a fire? During a fire, there is a buildup of smoke, heat, and gasses. These items need to be released to prevent flashover or backdraft. By breaking windows or cutting holes in roofs, we are allowing the smoke and heat to escape, which in turn, decreases the level of damage done to the structure and increases the safety of firefighters.
Why do firefighters wear different colored helmets? The color of the firefighter helmets is a quick way to distinguish rank at the fire scene. Chief fire officers wear white helmets, captains and lieutenants wear red helmets and firefighters wear black helmets.
Does the Prospect Heights Fire Co. have an ambulance and respond to EMS calls? No. The Prospect Heights Fire Company does not have an ambulance and does not respond to EMS calls. Ewing Township employs an EMS squad and Capital Health has advanced life support (ALS) response to critical care needs throughout the county. There are times where the EMS squad has called the fire company to assist with a specific emergency but direct EMS services are not provided by the fire company.
How can I receive a fire incident report for my insurance company? Have your insurance company contact the firehouse. The fire company will work with your insurer to make sure the proper information needed is obtained.
Can I arrange a tour of the firehouse? We welcome your inquiries about how the fire company serves you. A tour is a good start and you can also discuss with any of the firefighters anything that is on your mind. You can contact the fire house to set a date and time for your visit. Advance notice is preferred so that the schedules can be planned appropriately.
