As I begin my second decade serving on Lawrence Township Council, I reflect on the changes to the township over the last 10 years, including the revitalization of the Lawrence Shopping Center, the addition of Costco, and the preservation of open space at Colonial Lake Park.
Another change to our community is the relationship of our fire services to the community.
Ten years ago, Lawrence Township had three long-serving volunteer fire companies. The township’s first volunteer group is Slackwood Fire Company, organized in 1907. Seven years later, the Lawrence Road Fire Company was founded, and the Lawrenceville Fire Company organized the following year in 1915.
These three separate volunteer fire companies covered Lawrence Township for the next 100 years with pride and dedication to our community.
By 2018, the municipality started to understand that times were changing, and the all-volunteer model was starting to strain under the pressures of less volunteers and the expectations of service that the community deserved. In 2019 council called for proposals to provide a comprehensive study of our fire department. The Rodgers Group was hired, and they published their final report in November 2020. This 171-page document detailed the strengths and weaknesses of the fire service and offered 38 specific recommendations for the township to consider.
Most of the recommendations were adopted quickly as they revolved around becoming more efficient and updating training and reporting to the latest industry standards. Other recommendations sought to standardize operating guidelines for the three fire companies so that each company would work seamlessly with another company. The creation of a single, combination volunteer and career fire company under the authority of a full-time fire chief was also a recommended action that was implemented.
There was one recommendation that would prove to be controversial to some in the community. In the report, Recommendation 5 called for the undertaking of an in-depth study “to determine the feasibility of constructing a new fire station in a central location in the township.” Cotter Strategies was hired in May of 2023 and produced a 20-page report locating this new fire station at the southeast corner of the municipal complex. This report was not well received by residents in the nearby neighborhood. Council also had its reservations based on the data in the report.
Nearly two years later at the end of 2025, council finally was able to choose Center for Governmental Research (CGR) as the consultant to provide an updated report on the fire services as well as revisit the number and locations of fire houses in the township. In February, the Public Safety Committee, which I am the council liaison, had a special meeting that allowed a representative of CGR to present his plan and methodology to answer the township’s request, to determine the best model for township fire service and the recommended location or locations for fire and EMS services.
The meeting was well attended by the community. The consultant answered questions about various technical standards for fire services and the timeline for his work. I did feel the need to speak up about how I see the role of the consultant as we come to a final decision about the direction of the Lawrence fire service. I thought it might be helpful to expand on my comments.
I look to CRG as the township’s consultant to provide their professional recommendations to council based on the data they collect about Lawrence, fire service best practices, and industry standards and guidelines. It is then the responsibility of the five members of council to take those recommendations and speak with the manager and township staff. As elected officials, I believe it is also our responsibility to listen to and communicate with the residents to understand their insights into the issue.
Once that work is complete, the final decision, though, rests with the five members of council. This is what you elected us to do, to develop a deep understanding of an issue, to understand the variety of community viewpoints, and to come to a decision using our wisdom and character to make what each one of us believes is the right decision for the community.
Thank you for this privilege and your trust.
Christopher Bobbitt is a councilman and mayor of Lawrence Township
Lawrence Township Mayor Christopher Bobbitt. (Facebook photo.),
