Plainsboro’s fire district will hold its annual election on Saturday, February 18. Voting will take place at the firehouse at 407 Plainsboro Road from 2 to 9 p.m.
Two terms for commissioners are on the ballot; one three-year term and one two-year term. The fire district’s budget is also on the ballot. According to Rob Brown of the fire district, once again tax rates will not be going up as the budget will be just over $1,848,000.
The fire commission will host its monthly meeting on Tuesday, February 14 at 7 p.m. at the firehouse and the two candidates currently running for terms, Scott Kivet and Krishna Jagannathan, are expected to attend.
Jagannathan made headlines last fall (WW-P News, October 21, 2011) as he challenged tenured Plainsboro Mayor Peter Cantu for his seat on the township committee. Cantu won in convincing fashion but Jagannathan, a 27-year-old environmental engineer and emergency medical services educator, followed up the election with a message for Cantu (WW-P News, December 2, 2011) outlining his view of the mayor’s priorities. He had hoped to continue serving the community as a member of Plainsboro’s Environmental Advisory Committee as well, but that outlook changed at the beginning of the year.
“I was dismayed to receive a letter from Deputy Mayor Neil Lewis thanking me for my service on the Environmental Advisory Committee and informing me that replacement committee members had been identified. I hope this had nothing to do with my campaign against the current mayor, but I’m certain it didn’t help my case. However, I always enjoy opportunities to contribute to my local community, so I began my search,” Jagannathan wrote in an e-mail to the WW-P News.
Jagannathan was approached in mid-January by his campaign supporters who are active in the fire community. They asked him to run for a two-year term on the Board of Fire Commissioners, a seat vacated by Philip Giusto who recently moved to Harrisburg, Pa., to pursue a job. Although Giusto maintains his residence in Plainsboro, he was forced to resign from his position because he is no longer living in the state.
While Jagannathan has no experience with firefighting, he says it may be a strength to bring a fresh, new perspective to the Plainsboro Fire Company.
“As an ‘outsider’ at the firehouse I’ll be able to share the community perspective and ensure decisions that are made continue to be in the best interests of the township and its residents,” he says.
Jagannathan believes his career as an EMT has prepared him for the fire district.
“My experience in EMS goes beyond responding to traditional 9-1-1 emergencies. With over a decade of experience, I’ve had the opportunity to interface with a variety of public safety divisions including rescue teams, fire departments, police departments, public safety communications, and other emergency management groups. I know how hectic operational situations can be as I bring my prior knowledge and experience to the table,” Jagannathan said.
While he insists that he “never, EVER wants to be a politician” Jagannathan said he will always consider opportunities that enable him to contribute his thoughts, expertise, and experience to the people of Plainsboro. The election loss has given him great awareness of the community.
“My campaign for township committee showed me what’s important to residents – that those in control of taxpayer money make fiscally responsible decisions related to funding, staffing, and operations to maintain an adequate level of service for the lowest possible cost. I will share my perspective as a taxpayer with the fire district in an effort to keep operational costs at a minimum, encourage transparency with purchases, and ensure economically responsible decisions are made,” Jagannathan wrote.
One of the current members of the fire company who nominated Jagannathan was Scott Kivet, who is seeking a three-year term with the district that would expire March 1, 2015. Kivet is known as the “ricochet rabbit” at his full-time job as a Robbinsville Police officer and Jagannathan calls Kivet an excellent candidate for Plainsboro.
Kivet is a captain with the Plainsboro Fire Company and also serves as a Middlesex County fire coordinator, working with the county fire marshal’s office. He graduated from Rider University in 2003 with a bachelor’s degree in public relations and started out in police work as an officer in North Hanover, Burlington County. Kivet was “picked up” in 2004 by Robbinsville and has been working there ever since.
Kivet has always been motivated to take up a career serving the public through police or fire work, starting out as a firefighter and EMT when he was 16 years old. He views the interactions with people as the key, and says that his police job was a natural fit.
“I’m a people-person and I love my police job as it combines the tools of all trades. There are some police officers out there who don’t have the best attitudes, but not me. Everybody knows me and I try to be the nicest person, and that’s why I love being a cop. I love helping people,” Kivet said.
He is quick to explain that his niceness isn’t a weakness in his police career as he’s led the Robbinsville Police narcotics division for the last four years and won multiple awards for his work. Instead Kivet says having a nice way of talking to people and being compassionate describes him at work and all his endeavors.
Kivet’s compassion certainly shines through in his efforts to work with a drug rehabilitation nonprofit organization called City Angels, which is based in Hamilton. He translated his role in the narcotics division to an opportunity to help people, saying City Angels serves as a middle man between law enforcement and drug rehab counselors.
Kivet’s mother and father owned a chain of travel agencies, saying it was “an empire” at one time, leading his father to prosperity. His parents are semi-retired now, working only part-time with Kivet’s brother-in-law in operating Crown Cruises in Forrestal Village. Kivet said his parents are enjoying their retirement, currently on a 60-day cruise.
Kivet grew up in Monroe Township and attended school there through high school. Kivet’s father was a volunteer firefighter and a fire commissioner in Monroe. Kivet says because it was a big part of his life, he learned how a fire company works “as a business” early on. Kivet eventually followed in his father’s footsteps and became the fire commissioner of Monroe Township Fire District 1 for two years before moving to Plainsboro.
Kivet came to Plainsboro two years ago with his six-year-old yellow Labrador named Kibblebucket, who he proudly calls “the center of his life.” He owns a home on Grovers Mill Road, meaning he is often the first member to arrive at the Plainsboro Fire Company. Kivet says he fell in love with Plainsboro instantly.
“I think Plainsboro is beautiful. I come from Monroe where you have to drive everywhere, and I love the setting and convenience of Plainsboro Village. There’s also a lot of history in this town. When I moved here there were people I hadn’t seen in 10 years here because they all do business here or work for the big companies like Bristol Myers-Squibb. I felt very welcomed here very quickly,” Kivet said.
Kivet says his extensive experience will be an asset to Plainsboro.
“I feel that I’m well-versed in emergency services, I’m well-versed with speaking to people and I’m very experienced in the field. I also feel respected throughout the county, and I feel all these factors can better the board,” Kivet says.
He plans on being a face of the Plainsboro Fire district for many, many years.
“I’ll be answering emergency calls at three o’clock in the morning until they tell me I can’t do that any more,” Kivet said.
