The Courier-Post of Southern New Jersey has written an excellent article about the challenge facing the Medford Township Division of Fire and surrounding communities filling the demand for firefighters during both these tough economic times and the strain on existing volunteer membership.

A Burlington County fire department is bucking the statewide trend of being forced to operate with minimal staffing.

Medford's fire department has maintained its staff size with six paid daytime officers and 80 volunteers.

This year, officials said, response averages in the 39-square-mile township are steady with 59 volunteer firefighters responding to at least 30 percent of calls and attending at least 50 percent of training exercises. They said the average response time has held between three and four minutes per call.

Read More at the Courier Post Online…