Hudson County Commissioner Bill O’Dea (D-2), a candidate for mayor, is calling for immediate action to address two recent fire company closures in the past week.
By John Heinis/Hudson County View
“Unnecessarily closing fire companies creates a serious public safety issue that needs to be addressed immediately. While staffing shortages during the holidays are common, measures must be taken to ensure public safety,” O’Dea said in a statement.
“In this case, authorizing a limited amount of overtime would appear to be the most effective solution and I believe that this must be strongly considered by [Public Safety] Director [James] Shea.”
According to O’Dea, six fire companies were closed on Christmas Day and seven on December 29 due to understaffing—an unprecedented situation in recent years.
“Of course, overtime should be limited and not abused. However, it is clearly warranted in this situation, especially during the winter months when the risk of fires increases due to the use of home heating systems and equipment,” he added.
“I am available to discuss this matter in more detail and urge the city to act swiftly to ensure the safety of our residents.”
Back in July when he announced Councilman-at-Large Danny Rivera as one of his running mates, O’Dea committed to abolishing a Department of Public Safety to cut costs and allow the police and fire departments to again operate autonomously.
“We don’t want choices to be made for one agency or another agency by a single director,” he said at the time.
“Each department has it’s own issues, each department has its own challenges, they have their own capital needs. So each should be able to have at its helm a director that can put those plans together to make sure they have the man power and woman power they need is there.”
The non-partisan Jersey City mayoral race isn’t until November 4th, 2025, with the crowded field also including former Gov. Jim McGreevey, Council President Joyce Watterman, Ward E Councilman James Solomon, and former Board of Education President Mussab Ali.
