NORTH HUDSON — North Hudson Fire and Rescue, the fire department that covers five North Hudson communities, announced Tuesday that it will close two firehouses, but the others will remain open for 24 hours per day rather than having rotating closures to save funds.
The Regional said that now with the new firehouse at 43rd and Kennedy Boulevard, the houses located at 43rd and Tonnelle Avenue and 43rd and Bergenline Avenue would be closed and moved to this new location.
Regional said that approximately $500,000 in overtime costs will be saved from July 1 through the end of 2010, and a newly implemented Strategic Reorganization Plan, which took over two years to create, will save even more funds.
In addition to closing and relocating the new firehouses above, the firehouse at 66th and Jackson will now only be used for administrative and training purposes. Previously it held some of the department’s rescue equipment. It will be supervised by a newly-assigned Battalion Chief.
The firehouse at 29th and Central Avenue will no longer be a double house and will now be a fully operational single firehouse.
The Regional also announced that it will now operate on a minimum of 15 companies with a total manpower of 273 firefighters, officers and staff. Officials said that previously they operated on 16 to 18 companies.
The Regional has covered Union City, North Bergen, Weehawken, West New York, and Guttenberg since it was formed in 1999.
For more information, read this week’s North Bergen Reporter. — Tricia Tirella