In our town, fire alarms are answered  entirely  by volunteers. If you have a fire emergency, your neighbors will be driving the fire trucks and put 
out your fire.

Members of the tax-exempt non-profit corporation called Kinnelon Volunteer Fire Company provide day and night fire protection to our entire 
town. The fire apparatus responds from three firehouses: Company 1 on Kiel Avenue, Company 2 on Boonton Avenue, and Company 3 on 
Perimeter Road in Smoke Rise.

When our pagers alert us to a 911 fire emergency, we drive our personal cars to the firehouse, don our protective clothing and equipment and answer the call on the fire apparatus. In our Borough we average about four calls a week. Most alarms tend to be easily resolved. But we occasionally must deal with some serious emergencies.

Our Kinnelon firefighter volunteers, all your neighbors, are men and women ranging in age from 14 to senior citizen. If you are in good health and have a valid driver's license, you can start your training:

How do I become a volunteer firefighter?

1. Stop at a firehouse closest to where you live in Kinnelon and meet some of your neighbor-volunteers. Take a firehouse tour. You will see, first-hand, the people and equipment you will be working with, and get to understand how much even the newest members-in-training can be a big help.

2. Come to our monthly business meeting, usually on the first Monday of the month at 7:30 pm at Firemen's Hall at the Kiel Avenue Firehouse, and meet the fire chiefs and officers and be introduced as a "prospective candidate." No obligation yet!

3. Fill out the application and take the short, free physical exam.

4. After passing your physical and upon completion of the paperwork, then, when you attend the next monthly business meeting, you will be greeted as a new member and be issued a pager and "turnout gear": the firefighter's helmet, boots and protective clothing. When you are "in town" you always carry the pager because you are now on duty! When you respond to alarms there is plenty to do as a probationary firefighter "under instruction", and lots to learn.

5. At some point in your first year as a member, you will begin the required 150 hours of classroom and practical training at the  Morris County Fire Academy . The sessions, typically meeting twice a week, are scheduled so you can choose to attend daytime, evening or weekend classes.

6. Upon completion of the formal training course, you will earn a "Firefighter I" qualification certificate. But the training goes on... We drill twice a month on Monday evenings to maintain proficiency. Although not every member can respond to every alarm or attend every drill, we stay safe by participating in as much recurrent training as we can.

Again, stop by a firehouse anytime you see someone there and get a personal tour.

Thank you for taking an interest in the community and your all-volunteer fire company.

For info on joining call 973-838-5401 x216 or  email Chief Jeff Bresett

Company 1, Kiel Avenue
Company 2, Boonton Avenue
Company 3, Perimeter Road