Fire District No. 1 of Middle Township is a governmental organization charged with the responsibility to provide fire protection and prevention services to the area within its boundaries. Hence, there are two separate and distinct organizations operating under the oversight of the Board of Fire Commissioners.
Volunteer Fire Company No.1 is a private, non-profit corporation. Its purpose is fire suppression. Its membership is composed of fifty plus volunteers, and life members. These individuals are the people who respond to the alarm when it is sounded. The Fire Company and the Fire District have a contract in which the responsibilities of each organization are delineated. The Fire District provides material support to the Fire Company, but budgetary constraints cannot allow for everything. Therefore, the Fire Company raises its own money via the annual fund drive and a summer bingo program at an area campground. In these ways, the public receives the high quality fire protection and suppression services provided by the Fire Company.
The Bureau of Fire Prevention is operated directly by the Board of Fire Commissioners. It is a separate and distinct entity, is not a part of the Fire Company, and has a different mission than the Fire Company. The Fire District is the Local Enforcement Agency of the New Jersey State Uniform Fire Safety Act (N.J.S.A. 52:27D-192 et. seq.). The Fire Bureau is a requirement under the Act. The Fire Bureau implements the Act by means of the New Jersey State Fire Code (N.J.A.C. 5:70-1 et. seq.). Since its inception in 1985, the New Jersey State Fire Code has developed into one of the most comprehensive fire codes in the country.