Is there a fire in you?

Join us! If you’re interested in finding a fun and rewarding way to give back to your community, please consider joining the Newton Fire Department. We’re always looking for new members.

Volunteer firefighters are truly unpaid professionals. We don’t receive paychecks, but it remains our duty to provide the same top quality protection of lives and property to our community at all times.

The Newton Fire Department answers more calls per year than even some career fire departments. We serve a population of over 8,000 residents, which climbs to over 15,000 during the day when institutions such as Newton Medical Center, Sussex County Community College, Thorlabs World Headquarters, the County of Sussex government offices, and many retail establishments bustle with activity. State Highways 94 and 206 bring an additional 30,000 motorists and freight vehicles through our town daily.

This unique setting requires our department to be ready to meet a wide variety of operational challenges, from high-rise structural firefighting to vehicle crashes and wildland fires. We operate a varied contingent of fire apparatus and firefighting equipment to meet these challenges including a 95-foot tower ladder, an engine with a Snozzle aerial waterway, a squad truck with specialized vehicle extrication equipment, an engine with a large volume water tank, and a Command Vehicle. Such a varied contingent of apparatus and response requirements provide a challenging and exciting firefighting experience which is unique to our department, especially here in rural Sussex County.

Do you have what it takes?

Seventy percent of firefighters in the United States are volunteers, but fire does not discriminate. Volunteer firefighters face the same risks and dangers as their career counterparts while receiving no pay. This important duty to protect lives and property must be maintained at only the highest quality, without exception.

While the number of volunteer firefighters is declining, the number of calls for help continue to increase. We need your help to bolster our ranks and to continue the tradition of volunteer service that the Newton Fire Department has been providing for over 180 years.

Candidates for the position of Firefighter are subject to minimum eligibility requirements, including but not limited to:

Must be 18 years old or older (Teens between 14 and 17 years old may be eligible for our Junior Firefighter Program)
Resident of or employed within the Town of Newton or contiguous municipality
Hold a valid New Jersey Driver’s License
Be of good moral character and provide personal references
Submit to a background investigation and criminal background check
Complete a physical examination by a qualified medical professional and submit a certificate of good health
Must be able to respond to calls for service and attend regular drills, meetings, and events with a mandatory minimum participation percentage
Must complete a Firefighter I training course as prescribed by the New Jersey Administrative Code and approved by the New Jersey Division of Fire Safety

All training and Equipment are Provided

All new members are provided with firefighting equipment and are required to complete the Firefighter I course at the Sussex County Public Safety Training Academy. Graduates of the program will have been trained and tested in the following areas:

Orientation to the Fire Service / Fire Department Organization
Incident Management System
Forcible Entry and Cutting Tools
Self Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA)
Ropes and Knots
Salvage and Overhaul Operations
Fire Hose, Appliances, and Adapters
Fire Streams and Nozzles
Ladders
Building Construction and Ventilation

Search and Rescue
Sprinklers
Fire Alarms and Communications
Firefighter and Scene Safety
Fire Behavior / Fire Science
Fire Extinguishers
Fire Control and Suppression
Hazardous Materials Awareness and Operations
Live Fire Evolutions
Response to Terrorism

Utility Emergencies
Wildland Urban Interface Firefighting
Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation (C.P.R.) and Automated External Defibrillator (A.E.D.)
Firefighter Wellness
Burn Education
Bloodborne Pathogen Training

Benefits

Being a volunteer firefighter requires a big commitment. The Newton Fire Department is a 100% volunteer organization with no paid staff. We all volunteer our time for the benefit of our community and its safety. However, we do provide some incentives for our volunteers, which include:

Volunteer Tuition Credit Program – Active firefighters in good standing as well as their spouse and their dependent children are eligible to receive tuition credit at any New Jersey county college, county vocational school, or county technical school in the amount of $600 per year, not to exceed a maximum of $2400 over a four year service period, provided that classroom space is available and that tuition paying students constitute the minimum number required for the course.
Scholarship Eligibility – Newton Firefighters and their dependent children who are currently enrolled college students or high school seniors are eligible to apply for a college scholarship through the 200 Club of Sussex County.
Clothing allowance – The Town of Newton provides a small annual clothing allowance to each active member based upon the actual number of calls for service and other required participation events attended.
Length of Service Award Program (L.O.S.A.P.) – This program, established by a referendum vote of Town of Newton residents, rewards meaningful and dedicated service as a volunteer Newton Firefighter. Members who meet the active service requirements can earn as much as a $1,150 annual contribution to a tax-deferred retirement account and become vested after five years of participation.
Burial Benefit – Members of the Newton Fire Department are also members of the New Jersey State Firemen’s Association. Active participation in departmental calls for service and training drills contribute towards earning creditable service in the State Firemen’s Association. Qualified members work to earn a burial benefit of up to $12,000 to be paid upon their death. Amounts are tripled should the death occur in the line of duty. Other types of available benefits include Local Relief, Special Relief, Supplemental Relief, and Home Health Care.
Benefits to Widows and Dependent Children – When a public safety official loses their life in the line of duty, the Action Committee of the 200 Club of Sussex County reaches out to the widow(er) and/or dependents to offer emotional support and financial assistance in the form of a death benefit to help manage the financial burden during this difficult time. Additional line of duty death benefits may be available through the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation.
Hall Rental – The Newton Fire Department does not rent our fire hall to the general public, but active members in good standing are eligible to use the fire hall for parties and events free of charge upon approval from the Department President as an incentive for their service.
Make your community safer and stronger – Being a volunteer firefighter is tough, but the satisfaction gained from helping your community is incredibly rewarding and is the biggest benefit we could possibly offer.

Join Today

If you’re ready to apply for membership, please complete our online application.

Proceed to Membership Application

DUTY ~ HONOR ~ BROTHERHOOD