By RHEA BERNARD
Newark Star-Ledger
BOONTON, N.J. — Committed to serving the public, Joe Mullaney, 43, has been a police officer for 22 years, now serving as a sergeant with the Mountain Lakes (NJ) Police Department.
He also works for the volunteer fire department during his time off. “It is a balancing act. It is a time commitment, but it works because it’s the right thing to do,” he explained.
The beginning
When Mullaney was a young man, one of his neighbors was the adviser for the junior fire department. That influence, along with seeing schoolmates join the program, encouraged him to follow in their footsteps.
Mullaney started working with the Mountain Lakes Volunteer Fire Department as a junior fireman in 1979. Currently serving as the department’s captain, he manages the junior fire department of which he himself is a product.
Basic training
Junior firefighters are 16 to 18 years old. They have their own officers and do hands-on training in group drills and individually. The students respond to calls along with the senior firefighters. Their primary job involves duties performed outside at the fire scene, such as hooking up fire hydrants and hose lines and getting breathing apparatus off the truck.
Success story
Mountain Lakes’ Junior Fire Department serves as a model for other programs throughout Morris County and is the largest and most active in the state, according to Mullaney.
“I’ve assisted no less than a dozen companies in establishing their own junior departments. People know we have a very good reputation,” he said.
Group effort
Even though Mullaney is the man in charge, he’s quick to give credit to those around him, including the junior firefighters. “I do rely on the kids. They’re good kids and they do a great job,” he said.
Fruits of his labor
Mullaney said every summer the new crop of fresh faces keeps him motivated and focused. “It’s a new opportunity to train and show them the importance of community service and doing the right thing,” he said.
An added joy for Mullaney is seeing former members of the junior department go on to join departments in their college towns, with serious thoughts of pursuing firefighting as a career.
“Knowing that our department had an influence on them makes me feel good,” said Mullaney.
Family first
No matter how packed his schedule gets, Mullaney always makes time for family. A husband and father of three, he enjoys hiking with his children and often brings them along to the junior department training drills.
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