Kids & Family

Department Recruits on Hand for Re-Opening of Historic Firehouse

The East Ward's Chestnut Street house is nearly a century old

The Newark Fire Department welcomed its newest recruits and also celebrated the completion of renovations to one of its oldest firehouses during a ceremony Wednesday.


“I think this is a time for joy, and no one is happier than I, especially as a resident of this community and of this city,” said East Ward Councilman Augusto Amador, who was among several officials marking the re-opening of the Chestnut Street Firehouse.


“I am proud today of two great achievements to improve the quality of life and public safety of the residents of the city of Newark,” said Mayor Luis Quintana. “We are welcoming a new class of fire recruits into training, and re-opening a firehouse that combines historic features with state-of-the-art facilities.”

Find out what's happening in Newarkwith free, real-time updates from Patch.


The structure, built in 1919, was in a poor state of repair for several years, officials said, requiring costly annual maintenance. This prompted Amador, Quintana, Chief John Centanni and others to advocate for a top-to-bottom rehab of the nearly 100-year-old house.


The renovation, which took two years to complete, cost about $4 million, city officials also said.  

Find out what's happening in Newarkwith free, real-time updates from Patch.


Twenty-six recruits belong to the 43rd Newark Fire Academy class, and will train at the department’s Orange Street facility for 10 weeks.



Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here