December 3, 2014 THE VILLADOM TIMES I • Page 5 Franklin Lakes Volunteer fire department celebrates 90 years by Frank J. McMahon The Franklin Lakes Volunteer Fire Department will celebrate its 90th Anni- versary on Thursday, Dec. 4. The department was founded in 1924 and it has been serving the residents of Franklin Lakes since that time. Mayor Frank Bivona recently high- lighted the anniversary year of the vol- unteer organization whose members, he emphasized, perform their duties on a vol- unteer basis and receive no compensation. According to Bivona, the department has 55 active members and two firehouses that stand ready to protect lives and prop- erty 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year, rain or shine. “The members of the fire department perform many heroic deeds during the course of their very arduous duties and with great personal sacrifice on the part of themselves and their families and they are often taken for granted.” Bivona said. “Their capability, competence, and effi- ciency in their duties, as well as their com- mitment to the preservation of life and property have saved the residents of this community in countless ways, and the vol- unteer fire department has always main- tained the same standard of excellence from the borough’s beginning as a small farming hamlet, to its present status as a growing suburban community. “On behalf of all the residents of Frank- lin Lakes, I congratulate our volunteer fire department on 90 years of service to the community and I publicly recognize the sacrifices made by the families of these firemen so that our community is a safe place to live and work.” Earlier this year, former Mayor G. Thomas Donch, the president of the Frank- lin Lakes Fire Company and 40-year member of the borough’s volunteer fire department, described the fire depart- ment to the council. He pointed out that the department responds out of two fire- houses located strategically within the borough, with its headquarters located on Bender Court the north side of town, and the Southside Firehouse on Franklin Lake Road, which covers the southern portion of the borough. He said the current apparatus fleet consists of three engines, one squad engine, one aerial truck, one tanker, one air and light unit, one support vehicle, and two command vehicles. The fleet also includes a flat bottom rescue boat which is located at the south side firehouse. Donch advised that, during 2013, the department answered 470 calls. In 2012, when Hurricane Sandy struck the area, the department answered 570 calls. The borough’s volunteer fire depart- ment is funded by the borough’s budget, according to Donch, which covers every- thing needed to put out a fire. The borough owns the firehouses and maintains them. The borough’s fire company, however, does its own fundraising and has its own bylaws. The funds raised by the fire com- pany are used to provide social activi- ties for the volunteers, such as providing snacks after a weekly drill and to pay for Santa Day and three major social events during the year, such as the department’s Installation Dinner. Santa Claus comes to town The Franklin Lakes Fire Department invites youngsters to visit with Santa at the firehouse on Bender Court on Sunday, Dec. 14. Santa and Mrs. Claus will tour the town from 11 a.m. until his arrival at the fire- house at 2 p.m. While at the firehouse, he will speak with children and distribute gifts until 5 p.m. Parents are encouraged to bring their cameras.