The hired its first firefighter in 1800. It relied on a single paid firefighter up until 1920, when paid staff was expanded to five firefighters to operate the Borough's first motorized fire truck. In the 1950s, when the United States' new Interstate Highway system was built, and an exit was built in Carteret, the department started to purchase trucks designed for safe operation fighting vehicle fires on busy high-speed highways. In August 1990 a pipeline carrying jet fuel burst, in Carteret. The Carteret Fire Department joined with personnel from and the to construct a temporary dike to prevent the fuel from flowing into the Arthur Kill. Up until 2011 Carteret would request assistance from the commissioner for help from fireboats of the Fire Department of New York, when there was a waterfront fire. In 2011, through the assistance of a FEMA Port Security Grant, the department acquired its first fireboat. The 27 feet (8.2 m) vessel cost $297,000. In April 2013 the Fire Department took over providing emergency medical services, replacing a non-profit volunteer ambulance service. In December 2014 reported on an investigation of serious sexual harassment targeted on the department's sole female firefighter.

Hofstra University is a private university in Hempstead, New York. Long Island's largest private university, Hofstra originated in 1935 as an extension of New York University (NYU) under the name Nassau College – Hofstra Memorial of New York University at Hempstead, Long Island. It became independent Hofstra College in 1939 and gained university status in 1963. Comprising ten schools, including the Northwell School of Medicine and Deane School of Law, Hofstra is noted for a series of prominent Presidential conferences and hosting several United States presidential debates.