UPPER FREEHOLD – A new firefighter has been hired by the Township Committee to serve the residents of Upper Freehold Township and Allentown.
During a recent meeting, committee members hired Andrew Hoehn as an additional on-call, per diem firefighter for the Hope Fire Company, acting on the recommendation of the acting supervisor of the fire department.
Hoehn will receive an hourly rate of $13.26, according to a resolution. The Hope Fire Company serves Upper Freehold and Allentown.
The resolution states that Upper Freehold’s governing body has the authority to create the positions of firefighter for the Hope Fire Company to fill a need in the community to have permanent employees available during the day to ensure efficient response to emergency calls.
Per diem firefighters are used on an on-call basis because municipal officials have found it necessary to have them fill in during vacation days and sick days, or under other circumstances that may arise that would prevent department personnel from fulfilling their duties.
In other business, committee members reclassified Salem Bahr from a probationary employee of the Hope Fire Company to a permanent employee, effective Aug. 1.
Bahr was hired as an on-call, per diem firefighter in January and then on a probationary basis in May before the acting supervisor of the fire company and the township administrator/CFO recommended that he be reclassified as serving on a permanent basis, according to the resolution.
