In 1971, the Red Bank Jaycees made a proposal for the City to form a fire department and take over fire protection for the community. Prior to 1971, Red Bank’s fire service was provided by a private company on a subscription basis. The proposal and the funding was approved and today, Red Bank Fire Department marks a milestone by proudly providing 50 years of fire protection services to the City.
Red Bank’s first fire station was built behind City Hall in 1971 and remained there until 1999 when Fire Station #1 moved to its current location at 3127 Dayton Boulevard. The City purchased its first new fire engine in 1973 – a Pierce Pumper with a 750 gallon water tank that could pump 1000 gallon per minute.
The need to provide better fire protection and quicker response time for the community was resolved in 1981 when Fire Station #2 was added at 4901 Dayton Boulevard. Today, the Red Bank Fire Department operates out of both stations which are manned 24 hours a day. The City’s firefighters consist of members who work full-time as their career, those who receive compensation for working part-time shifts and are paid on call, and volunteer members who receive no compensation for services rendered.
One of Red Bank’s earlier volunteer firefighters, Fire Chief Mark Mathews, began his firefighting career with the City in 1975 before becoming full-time in 1976. He holds the distinction of being only the fourth Fire Chief since the City took over fire protection services. Mathews has been instrumental in the progress and growth of the Department and in 2015, Fire Station #1 was named the Mark A. Mathews Fire Station. He has announced that he will be retiring June 4 after 45 years of service.
“I was appointed Fire Chief in 1989,” said Chief Mathews, “and it has been an honor and privilege to lead the RBFD over the years. When I joined as a volunteer firefighter in 1975, I never would have imagined in my wildest dreams the advancements that have been made in the fire service and the Red Bank Fire Department. Carry on RBFD for another fifty years!”
During his tenure, Chief Mathews worked to assure that all members of the Red Bank Fire Department are State Certified Fire Fighters. Included in this membership are Rescue
Technicians, Hazardous Materials Technicians, Paramedics, and Emergency Medical Technicians. As a result from the training and certifications, the Department is able to respond not only to fires, but also provides rescue services, hazardous materials response, service calls and public education programs.
Continuously going through training, the City’s firefighters are abreast of the latest strategies and tactics and are an effective, well-coordinated department with standard methods and procedures of operation. As a result, the Red Bank Fire Department has a Class 3 ISO rating, providing first class fire protection to the community for 50 years.