The Livingston Volunteer Fire Department is asking residents to open their wallets for its 2026 annual fund drive, the department's only fundraising appeal of the year.

The ask comes after a busy 2025. The all-volunteer department responded to 21 general fire alarms and 1,208 miscellaneous emergency calls last year, according to a letter submitted to the West Essex Tribune by department officials Tom Cooney and Craig Dufford. Members also answered mutual aid requests from neighboring towns throughout the year.

That puts the department's 2025 call volume at 1,229 total responses.

The department operates with a full-time chief and assistant chief, supported by volunteer firefighters and three volunteer deputy chiefs on call around the clock. Volunteers participate in weekly training drills and attend state and county firefighting, hazardous materials, and disaster response programs on their own time. They also maintain annual first aid and CPR certifications.

Dufford served as fire chief from 1990 to 2003 and now works as a fire inspector with the department, according to the township's official history page. Cooney has served as department president.

The department, founded in November 1921, has operated for more than a century without paid firefighting staff.

The department awards scholarships to three Livingston High School graduates each year and runs fire education programs at local grammar schools, businesses, and civic organizations. Members also participate in the township's annual Community Block Party.

How to donate

Residents can contribute online or via Venmo by searching @livingstonfiredepartment. All donations are tax-deductible.

The department has not announced a fundraising goal or a deadline for contributions.