[8] The agency rotated the closing of various firehouses for certain hours in order to save money until July 2010, when it closed two of its firehouses, according to NHRFR chairperson and Weehawken Mayor Richard F. Turner, in order to allow the remaining 13 to stay open 24 hours, and save $500,000 in overtime costs from July 1 until the end of 2010.

Turner further disclosed that the newly implemented Strategic Reorganization Plan, which took two years to create, would also save additional funds.

According to Marino, "Evidence shows that [a ladder and engine] responding at the same time eliminates the circumstances a lot quicker than having to wait."

Marino further asserted that the closing of Engine 6 would mean that the entire west area of North Bergen would lose coverage, and that the promotion of 22 people to higher ranks in the last week of June, including 14 captains, five battalion chiefs and two deputies, meant that there was insufficient personnel to keep the houses open.

[14] On December 12, 2011, the Third Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the departments hiring policy discriminated against African-Americans, because it only accepted residents of local towns, who are predominantly Latino and Caucasian.

The lawsuit, which was filed in 2007 by the Newark branch of the NAACP on behalf of three black firefighters, was the latest development in a longstanding controversy over whether the NHRFR should hire applicants from outside towns.

Marine 1 was specially designed for the areas served by the NHRFR, which include buildings and walkways situated very close to the edge of the Hudson River.