Fire districts in New Jersey, which provide most of the state's firefighting services, are subject to the Open Public Records Act, though their member fire companies may not be subject to the same rules, the state Supreme Court ruled on Monday.

The court ruled unanimously that the fire districts are subject to OPRA because they are “instrumentalities” of the local governments they serve. Such districts may provide coverage for more than one municipality.

However, the court split 5-2 over the question of whether individual fire companies—many of which are staffed only by volunteers—should also be subject to OPRA. The majority, in an opinion written by Justice Jaynee LaVecchia, ruled that the fire companies are not automatically subject to OPRA.