Full Notification

Dear Ho-Ho-Kus Residents:
 
You may have recently received a communication allegedly coming from certain members of the Ho-Ho-Kus Fire Department.  Be assured that such message does not speak for the entirety of the Department, and it is with regret that a response to such message is now required due to its serious misstatements, which would leave our residents with a false understanding of recent events.
 
Despite its inflammatory tone and personal attacks, the content of the message is almost entirely untrue. The one aspect that is factually correct and relevant is that there is currently a pending disciplinary hearing regarding a serious incident at the Fire House.  This action is not against the Fire Department as a whole, as alleged, but does relate to an individual member.  The hearing is being conducted by a retired Superior Court Judge as an independent arbiter of the matter. Despite the unfortunate comments made in the recent letter, the Borough, out of respect for the hearing process which has almost concluded,  will refrain from commenting further until the decision is issued. While it is difficult  to discern what public relations benefit was hoped  to be gained by the department in getting ahead of the Judge's decision, be assured you will get a full accounting from your Mayor and Council upon its conclusion. 
 
You can be also assured that such a disciplinary matter was not in any way instituted because of a disagreement with the Department about the need for additional radios.  Such baseless accusations only seek to deflect from the serious nature of the disciplinary issue and are demonstrably false.  In fact, over the past four years, well over $200,000.00 has been expended from our budget to the Fire Department for mobile, portable, and other radio upgrades.  That number does not include the $65,000.00 held over and available from our 2021 budget, which remains unused by the Department.  Instead of utilizing such monies, it appears certain members of the Department would rather create a false narrative surrounding the issue of radios for reasons best known to them.    
 
The Fire Department was specifically invited to the Ho-Ho-Kus Day event last year, which was postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic, and of course are invited again this year. If certain members do not wish to participate due to their displeasure with the disciplinary hearing, that is their choice.  But be assured the Borough has acted for the safety and well-being of our residents.
 
Let me close by expressing the Borough’s continuing gratitude for the volunteer Fire Department of Ho-Ho-Kus.  For the past 30 years I've been involved, Ho-Ho-Kus and its department have always worked together seamlessly toward the same goal of providing a fully equipped and trained department to serve the residents. I look forward to that relationship moving forward. The residents deserve no less.
 
  Mayor Thomas W. Randall