Lakewood Mayor Ray Coles and Deputy Mayor Menashe Miller joined the Lakewood fire commissioners and Chief Jonathan Yahr gathered at Lakewood Fire Department (LFD) headquarters on Cedar Bridge Avenue to honor Ocean County Chief Fire Marshal Dan Mulligan upon his retirement.
Honorary proclamations from Lakewood Township and the LFD were presented to Chief Mulligan, a show of appreciation for his over three decades of service to the Lakewood community and its environs.
Chief Mulligan noted that in addition to the general responsibility of ensuring fire safety in a fast growing town, Lakewood’s diverse populace had several unique challenges each year, such as chametz burning before Pesach and Lag Baomer fires. “We came up with a system that was difficult to implement at first, but then everyone bought into it,” he reminisced. The bottom line, says the Chief, “If I’m confident that you’re safe, my job is done.”
Deputy Mayor Miller echoed this sentiment, describing how challenging these issues were during his childhood years, prior to Chief Mulligan’s tenure. “You were always goal oriented and solution focused,” he exclaimed.
Committeeman and Emergency Services Liaison Meir Lichtenstein shares his feelings: “Chief Mulligan has an amazing ability to understand the sensitivities and unique challenges that occur in the town. This enabled him to raise the level of fire safety in town while preserving the fire related rituals that take place.”
The Chief was visibly moved by the outpour of respect and appreciation, with a distinct sentiment in the room that the LFD and the Fire Marshal are in their best, most effective state in memory. “We have one of the best relationships we could possibly have with an agency,” Chief Yahr summed up.
