CRANFORD, NJ – During the Township Committee Meeting on Tuesday, May 20, the committee approved the appointments of two new firefighters, including the first female firefighter in the history of the department. The committee also approved the appointment of a full-time emergency medical technician.
Chapin Taggart and Paul Richardson have been hired as probationary firefighters and Kayla Rajcevic was hired as a full-time EMT. Taggart will serve as the first female firefighter in the history of the Cranford Fire Department.
“I am proud of these individuals and the effort they put into the hiring process. They both worked extremely hard to get to this point. They are both dedicated to the safety and well-being of our residents and businesses and will work hard to ensure the values and traditions of the Cranford Fire Department are upheld,” said Chief Dan Czeh. “I am excited for both individuals and happy that Firefighter Taggart will serve as the first female firefighter in our history.”
Taggart has been working as a communications officer for the Cranford Police Department and had a desire to serve the township as a firefighter. She also served as a call firefighter since 2021 and worked as a part-time EMT since 2024. Richardson has worked as a full-time EMT and has been a call firefighter since 2017. He has also gained a lot of firefighting experience as a volunteer firefighter in Kenilworth. Rajcevic, who has served as a part-time EMT with the department since 2023, will be filling the full-time role being vacated by Richardson. She has gained valuable Emergency Medical Service experience as a per-diem EMT and as a volunteer with Fanwood EMS and with the Scotch Plains Fire Department EMS Division.
The addition of the two firefighters have increased the department’s fire staffing to 32 members, which is the most it has been in the history of the Cranford Fire Department.
“This is historic on two fronts. First, the additional staffing gives us the ability to operate safer and will give our existing employees some relief. Our call volume has continued to increase over the last 10 years. When I began my career in 2005, we responded to an average of 1,000 to 1,200 emergency calls per year. Last year, we responded to 3,333 emergency calls. In 2023, we responded to 3,167 calls. This upward trend is due to development and increased service needs of the community. The other historic front is hiring our first full-time female firefighter. We are thrilled to welcome her into the firehouse and are proud to call her our sister,” said Czeh.
“These are important appointments to our fire department in their work to address an increasing and varied level of service calls. It also brings their ranks up to an appropriate level to accomplish their mission,” said Commissioner Kathleen Miller Prunty.
“As the Public Safety commissioner, I am especially excited to welcome our first woman to the department. Firefighter Taggart along with Firefighter Richardson and EMT Rajcevic worked incredibly hard and passed rigorous testing to reach the level we expect of our professionals,” she added.
Photos Courtesy of Cranford Fire Department