James Shrewsberry, who has served as a lieutenant, captain, chief engineer and deputy chief of the Point Borough Fire Department, has been elected as department fire chief.

Daniel Mulligan, who has been chief for 12 years, decided not to run for reelection, but will continue to serve as a member of the volunteer department.

Shrewsberry, who has owned property in Point Borough for 20 years and lived in the Borough full-time for 10 years, said his primary goal is to continue carrying out the goals and objectives pursued by Mulligan.

"He's a hard act to follow," said Shrewsberry, who has been a volunteer in the department for seven years. "He's a good leader. He knows the job and he's very good at it."

Shrewsberry is an officer in the Bergen County Sheriff's Department.

Mulligan, who has been chief for 12 years, including three years in the 1980s and then for the past nine years, decided someone else should fill the top spot.

"It was just time," Mulligan said, when asked why he is stepping down. "You spend an awful lot of time as chief. It's almost a full-time job."

His actual full-time job is Ocean County Fire Marshal, a position he has held since 1986. He has been with the volunteer fire department since 1976.

He isn't leaving the top post without seeing his name in lights. Firefighters are thanking him for his leadership and service in the giant digital sign next to the bridge. The sign says, "Thank you, Chief Mulligan, for serving as our chief since 2004 very well!"

"Did you see the sign? I was really happy about that," Mulligan said.

In the Dec. 12 election at the main firehouse next to the Route 88 bridge, Jonathan Miller and Robert Woardell were elected as deputy chiefs and James Van Demark was re-elected president.

The new officers will be sworn in at the Jan. 6 Borough Council organization meeting.

The department has about 65 members including 55 active members who are eligible to vote and the balance are junior members who don't vote, Mulligan said.

The department needs new members and donations. For contact information, click here.