Mizpah Volunteer Fire Company Closed Due To Criminal Investigation, Officials Say
HAMILTON TOWNSHIP, N.J. (CBS) -- There are a lot of questions but not a lot of answers about a criminal investigation that forced the closure of the Mizpah Volunteer Fire Company In Hamilton Township Atlantic County. Residents are concerned about who will be there with them.
Lawmakers revealed the focus of the probe during an emergency meeting Tuesday night.
The specifics of this criminal investigation are being kept completely under wraps and while it moves forward, the Mizpah Volunteer Fire Company has been set to a halt.
Tuesday morning, heavy equipment was hauled off from the Mizpah Fire Volunteer Fire Company and taken back into the possession of Hamilton Township.
"Mizpah has always been a good company and just recently bought them more apparatus and supported them in every way we could and believe me we don't like what's going on right now," said Mayor Art Schenker.
What is going on right now is a criminal investigation launched by the Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office.
All that has been revealed is that the investigation has to do with the management of fire company finances and physical property.
At an emergency meeting, Hamilton Township approved a resolution to end their financial support of the Mizpah Fire Company, effectively shutting it down until the investigation is complete.
"That's just shutting down all services out of Mizpah until we find out what's going on. We really don't know, the prosecutor's office has not come to us with any results, what they are doing, how bad it is," Schenker said.
Mizpah is a small community within Hamilton Township. While a handful of residents who took part in the public meeting virtually brought up concerns over fire coverage, officials in the room assured that other nearby companies are more than capable of handling any emergencies.
"We are going to do what we have to do to get this done and keep you guys safe," one official said.
The prosecutor's office did not further clarify the details of this investigation.