2 days ago
Camden Fire Department receives federal funding to address equipment issues union says are a crisis
Leaders in Camden, New Jersey, on Thursday announced new federal funding for the fire department that leaders believe will make the city safer.
The city will soon receive a $6.4 million loan from the Department of Housing and Urban Development to renovate six fire stations across the city and add two new fire trucks to the fleet.
The city is using community development block grant funds to pay for the renovations and new trucks.
"Updating the fire truck fleet will significantly enhance the city's ability to respond to emergencies, protecting both lives and properties," Camden Mayor Victor Carstarphen said.
Officials say they expect to get the money within the next few weeks.
CBS News Philadelphia first reported on the fire department's ongoing mechanical issues with its fire trucks last year.
At the time, the president of the firefighters union, William Perez, said the aging trucks were delaying response times and potentially putting lives at risk.
"We wanted to bring to light the issues because we knew at some point, someone could get hurt, or someone could, worse, die," he said.
Perez says this new funding is a step in the right direction.
Jesse Flax, the chief of the Camden Fire Department, said the money will help his team better serve the community.
"It's going to make an improvement all the way around," he said.
The renovations of the fire stations are expected to start by the end of the year. Officials say they expect to get the new fire trucks sometime in 2026.
