The Raritan Township Fire Company is raising funds to restore its gear and station after the remnants of Hurricane Ida deluged the building with flooding and water damage, rendering it uninhabitable for a few months.
The storm inflicted damage on the whole station, including the firefighters’ wooden gear lockers, walls, kitchen, generator, bay doors, and other pieces of equipment, said Chief Keith Paradiso.
The kitchen was recently upgraded and will need to be replaced, along with the other gear, he said. It will be an ongoing process to assess what needs to be repaired or fully replaced. And the station itself is not currently operational, he said.
“We are hoping to (have a) modified return this year, hopefully November, but there is still some work to determine that,” he said.