Fire Chief Asks Council For More Firefighters

Fire Chief Richard Blohm addressed the city council Wednesday night, asking for the ability to hire more fire fighters.

Reducing overtime, Blohm said, has to go hand in hand with new hires and promotions.

Per shift, Blohm said, he needs 21 fire fighters on duty. The current average is much lower, he said.

Matthew Markey, fireman in Hoboken for the last five-and-a-half years, also addressed the city council.

"The city is pointing fingers about overtime," Markey said. Meanwhile, he added, more manpower would be cheaper.

This wasn't the first time the chief asked the city council for the ability to hire more fire fighters. Blohm agreed to close one fire company, but asked for the hiring of more men. The audit then recommended to the city to fill vacancies.

In May, the Fire Department in It's still unclear if the city will be able to hire additional firemen.

Markey also told the council on Wednesday that "we’re beginning to have an apparatus problem."