PENNSVILLE – The Pennsville Township Fire Department is now operating as a single, unified organization, with both the Pennsville and Deepwater fire stations remaining open and fully operational.
The change was announced in a Facebook post from Pennsville Fire & Rescue Co. 1 and in an update on the township’s website. The post addressed what it called rumors of “changes within the fire departments” over the past year and a half and said the update “hopefully clears the air.”
According to the township, the stations will no longer function as two separate departments. Both now operate together under one leadership and officer structure, which the township says allows better coordination of personnel, apparatus, training, emergency response and administrative duties, and more flexibility in using volunteers and resources across the township.
The restructuring was discussed at public Township Committee meetings earlier this year. On March 19, Committeeman John Dyer said the fire companies had formed two committees and that it was going very well. On June 4, Fire Official Eric Guglielmo told the committee the department had held its first township-wide department meeting and that a major change was coming: the department wanted to try a single-station daytime response, with both companies responding to the Pennsville firehouse to improve response times.
The township said the changes are meant to modernize fire services and respond to challenges with volunteer availability, staffing, training and growing demands on responders. Both stations will keep their own histories and identities.
The township’s fire department page lists Mike Miller as chief of Pennsville Township Fire Rescue and Cody Sooy as chief of the Deepwater Fire Department. Eric Guglielmo is listed as fire administrator. Both stations are volunteer-run, and the township says new members are welcome.
Residents with questions can contact the fire administrator at 856-678-3089, ext. 1144.