SECAUCUS — A former Secaucus volunteer firefighter who resigned after being accused of a prank phone call is now battling to rejoin the Rutherford Fire Department — but the Secaucus incident may hold him back.
As today’s Record explains it:
Richard Ballance, a former Secaucus firefighter who moved to Rutherford several years ago, applied to join the Rutherford Fire Department in 2006. Ballance had resigned from the Secaucus Fire Department in 2005 prior to the council holding a hearing on a prank phone call Ballance had made to another firefighter. Ballance said he made a threatening call to a friend of his in the department in jest and later told him that he was the caller. However, in between the call and his explanation the friend had the call traced and filed a report with Secaucus police. Ballance said he went with the firefighter to the police department to explain the situation and that no complaint was ever signed.
After Ballance applied to the Rutherford Fire Department, he was allowed to begin training with the West End Fire Department, Engine Co. 3, and served for several months. However, in early 2007, he was notified that his position with the department was going to be terminated because of an issue regarding his criminal background check.
‘I joined, I was a member of the fire company, I was told my background check was clean,’ said Ballance. ‘Why did they let me be a firefighter for 10 months? … There’s no way a background check takes a year.’
Ballance told the Record he believes the department found out about the Secaucus incident, even though he hadn’t been convicted of any crime. He said he reapplied in 2007 but was rejected again.
He said that he is awaiting a hearing or meeting, but that it keeps being put off.