Ho-Ho-Kus October 17, 2012 THE VILLADOM TIMES III • Page 9 Junior firefighters may expand membership by Jennifer Crusco The Ho-Ho-Kus Junior Firefighters Auxiliary, which turned 40 this year, may soon welcome members from outside the Borough of Ho-Ho-Kus. An ordinance introduced by the Ho-Ho-Kus Council in September would extend membership in the organization to any “resident of a contiguous town in good standing and of good moral character.” At present, membership is limited to borough residents who are between the ages of 16 and 21, and to the children of senior Ho-Ho-Kus Volunteer Fire Department members. Ho-Ho-Kus Fire Chief Chris Raimondi explained that the group for juniors, which was established in 1972, is one of the oldest groups of its kind in this area. “This is an incredible resource for us to recruit and ‘This is an incredible resource for us to recruit and retain volunteers. Several of our past fire chiefs started with the juniors.’ -- Ho-Ho-Kus Fire Chief Chris Raimondi on the junior firefighters. retain volunteers,” Raimondi said of the juniors program. “Several of our past fire chiefs started with the juniors. When you get young people involved, there is a good retention rate.” Raimondi explained that the juniors are essentially apprentices whose responsibilities include preparing tools and equipment, assisting with maintenance duties, and providing ancillary support to the fire department’s senior members. The juniors work alongside with the seniors during drills, but must remain in a designated “safe area” during an active fire, the chief explained. “Some training is identical for the juniors and seniors,” Raimondi said, “but we don’t allow juniors to go into a burning building. They must be outside the hazardous area.” He added that the juniors’ activities are carefully reviewed. The chief added that juniors range in age from 16 to 21, but most transfer to the borough’s senior department at age 18. However, he explained that the maximum age for juniors has been left at 21 so that members who are in college are not obligated to adhere to the senior department’s more stringent requirements. “We want them to finish school,” Raimondi said of the juniors. He explained that the newly-introduced ordinance is the result of the fire department’s overall update of its bylaws. A public hearing on the proposed membership expansion ordinance will be held at the council’s Oct. 23 meeting. The governing body will also consider the ordinance for final passage at that session.