Prospect Point Fire Station To Get a Facelift

This article is being refeatured as there was a mistake in the original copy. Firefighter Jeff Bessemer was originally identified as Jim Bessemer. We apologize to Mr. Bessemer. We didn't mean to change your name!

The Prospect Point fire substation at the corner at Schwartz Blvd. will get a facelift thanks in part to a community grant. Plans were discussed at a recent Jefferson Township council meeting.

Jefferson Fire Company No. 2 tried to get approval for an addition onto the main firehouse on Rt. 15, but was denied by the Department of Transportation (DOT). According to the DOT, if Rt. 15 were ever to be expanded, any addition to the firehouse would be in the way. Instead, the township will expand the substation, which it already owns.

Fire company no. 2 would like to store diving equipment at the substation once the addition is complete, according to volunteer firefighter Jeff Bessemer.

“Most of the responders respond out of the Prospect Point substation,” Bessemer said. “When we go to the house on Rt. 15, we have to move other equipment to get to the dive equipment, then get all the way back to the lake. Moving this equipment to Prospect Point will let us get to it faster and enhance our response time.”

Volunteers use the dive equipment for other towns around the lake, including Mt. Arlington, Hopatcong and Roxbury.

“Is there any way we can get these other towns to chip in toward this service?” councilman Jay Dunham asked.

Leach said that there is no provision for volunteers to bill for services, since they are provided free of charge, but that the township would look into an interlocal services agreement.

The addition to the Prospect Point house will cost no more than $120,000, according to township administrator James Leach, $80,000 of which will be covered by the grant.