A Livingston legend died last week, and with his death, an era has ended. Charlie Schilling, Livingston’s Fire Chief for 36 years, and a firefighter for 59 years, died last Tuesday at the age of 98.
Driving through nearby towns, it is common to see signs near the firehouse or the town hall saying “Volunteers Needed” for the town’s Fire Department. Livingston doesn’t have signs like that, and the reason was Charlie Schilling. Livingston is the second-largest municipality in Essex County, after Newark, with three firehouses – the main one on Livingston Avenue, the Circle Station on West Northfield Road near the Route 10 traffic circle, and the Northfield Station, at South Livingston Avenue and East Hobart Gap Road. It’s a big operation, with 60 volunteer firefighters. Being a firefighter can be a terrifying assignment, and most people don’t willingly walk into such a thing. But because of Charlie Schilling’s personal leadership during the Fire Department’s growth years and for decades afterward, this is an all-volunteer community organization.
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