The Princeton Fire Department took the center stage at the Princeton Council meeting last month, as the town’s first paid fire chief, the fire official and a career firefighter were ceremonially sworn into office.
Ten volunteer firefighters, including Mayor Mark Freda, also were honored for their service.
Freda hit the half-century mark – 50 years – as a member of Princeton Hook & Ladder Co. It is one of three volunteer fire companies that make up the career/volunteer Princeton Fire Department.
Fire Chief Adam Kooker was sworn into office as the Princeton Fire Department’s first paid fire chief. He is a third-generation firefighter who grew up in Ocean City. His father was a firefighter and his mother was a nurse and homemaker.
Kooker earned a degree in chemical engineering from Rowan University and a master’s degree in business administration from Temple University. He worked as an engineer and manager for petrochemical companies for 12 years.
Kooker has been involved in firefighting for 18 years. He has served in career and volunteer fire departments, most recently as the deputy chief of the all-volunteer Riverton Fire Department.
Frank D’Amore is the town’s fire official. He grew up in North Plainfield. His father was a police officer and his mother was a homemaker.
D’Amore was going to follow in his father’s footsteps and become a police officer, but chose to become a firefighter. He began volunteering with the North Plainfield Fire Department in 1990 and became a career firefighter in 1992. He retired as deputy chief in 2021.
David Phillips is the newest addition to the career staff of the Princeton Fire Department. He was a volunteer firefighter with the Pennington Fire Co. and rose to the rank of lieutenant.
He worked as a part-time firefighter with the Lambertville Fire Department, South Brunswick Township Fire District 3 and the Princeton Fire Department.
Phillips was inspired to become a firefighter because of his father’s involvement in the fire service. His father has been a volunteer firefighter for 38 years and served as a lieutenant, vice president and secretary with the Pennington Fire Co.
Several volunteer firefighters and a longtime volunteer firefighter who died in 2024 also were honored for their service with the Princeton Fire Department by the Princeton Council.
Freda issued a mayoral proclamation in honor of the late James “Jimmy” Bird Sr. to acknowledge his 55 years of service as a volunteer firefighter with Princeton Hook & Ladder Co. Bird’s wife and son accepted the proclamation.
In addition to Bird and Freda, nine volunteer firefighters were presented with service awards.
Tom Stange of Princeton Engine Co. No. 1 and David Steward of Mercer Engine Co. No. 3 were honored for 40 years of volunteer service.
Paul Stange of Princeton Engine Co. No. 1, Michael Golomb and James Simon of Princeton Hook & Ladder Co. and Lietta Kahn of Mercer Engine Co. No. 3 were recognized for 20 years of service.
Patrick Shields of Princeton Engine Co. No. 1 was honored for 15 years of service, and Bob Swierczek of Princeton Engine Co. No. 1 and Mark Sitek of Princeton Hook & Ladder Co. were honored for five years of service.
