Sea Isle is paying firefighters to work shifts at the firehouse to provide around-the-clock coverage.
Sea Isle City’s fire department continues to evolve into a hybrid operation combining volunteers with paid firefighters to increase response times and boost fire protection throughout the shore town.
In the latest step in the department’s restructuring, City Council on Tuesday approved an employment contract with Fire Chief Bruce Knoll that will make him a paid professional overseeing fire services.
Knoll will be paid a $91,400 salary to start and will receive a 4 percent raise each year through the end of his employment contract on Dec. 31, 2028, according to a copy of the agreement.
Since 2019, Knoll has been serving as the chief of Sea Isle’s emergency medical services division, the city department that replaced the former volunteer ambulance squad.
He was appointed fire chief last June and will continue serving in both his fire and EMT leadership roles under his new employment contract.
Mayor Leonard Desiderio said Knoll’s leadership of both departments reflects “an important step in the city’s evolution of fire and EMT services.”
“As the fire and rescue service has evolved over the years, with more stringent requirements for our volunteers and more state regulation, we’ve been faced with challenges in retaining volunteers for fire and rescue services. Accordingly, the municipal government has taken a much larger role in the provision of these services,” Desiderio said in a report to Council.
Sea Isle began restructuring the volunteer fire department following four separate fires in 2017, 2018 and 2019 that destroyed a total of nine single-family homes or duplexes. One of the fires killed an elderly woman on 54th Street in November 2018.
Although it remains a volunteer fire department, one major change is having paid firefighters on duty 24 hours a day, seven days a week, year-round, Desiderio said.
“Public safety is our No. 1 concern in Sea Isle. Having a fire department that is always available is very, very important for our residents and visitors,” he said in an interview after the Council meeting.
Mayor Leonard Desiderio says the city is taking a much larger role in providing fire and emergency services. Firefighters are paid $160 for each shift they work at the firehouse. By having crews stationed at the firehouse, they are able to respond to emergencies much faster.
Sea Isle built four bunk rooms at the firehouse in 2023 to accommodate the firefighters who work the overnight shift. There are separate rooms for male and female firefighters, providing all of them with privacy and comfort.
Normally, Sea Isle’s volunteer firefighters must drive to the fire station from their homes or jobs after the alarm goes off, a process that adds time for responding to emergencies. Some of them live offshore and must contend with heavy traffic heading into Sea Isle during the peak summer tourism season and on holidays.
By having crews stationed at the firehouse, they are ready to rush to fire emergencies at a moment’s notice. Then they are reinforced by other volunteers as they arrive on the scene later on.
Desiderio said the demands on the city’s fire and emergency services dramatically increase during the busy summer season. At that time, Sea Isle swells from its year-round population of about 2,100 to more than 50,000 summer visitors.
“With the magnitude of providing first responder services in a city that goes from a few thousand to upwards of 50,000 in season and at various times throughout the year, it makes eminent sense that the leader of the fire and EMT division be a career member of the city’s workforce,” Desiderio said.
By having Knoll lead both the fire and EMT departments, it will effectively place both operations under “one roof” and help improve fire and emergency services, Desiderio said. Police Chief Anthony Garreffi will continue to serve as public safety director, the top job overseeing police, fire and emergency services.
“Along with the city’s career police and EMT first responders, I couldn’t be prouder of our fire department. Public safety is paramount and today represents another step in our efforts to ensure we provide the most effective services to the community,” Desiderio said to Council.
A series of fires between 2017 and 2019 led to a restructuring in the volunteer fire department.
