Camden Fire Department - Fire, Rescue & Safety Operations

This page and the other pages in this series are the successors to the series of web-page about the Camden Fire Department called Camden Fire Department: The Fires of the Summer of 2011. On this and other pages in the series you will find pictures and information regarding different events and aspects of the fire service in Camden, New Jersey.

The afternoon and early evening hours of Thursday, September 29, 2011 saw the Camden Fire Department responded to at least five calls in a relatively short period of time.

Around 3:30 PM Engine Company 10 was called to investigate an alarm at the rental office of the All-American Gardens apartments at 1936 Ferry Avenue. On arrival the office was found locked behind iron bars. No smoke or other sign of fire was evident. The Battalion Chief had just left the scene and the Engine Company ha just pulled into traffic when a call came over the radio for a house fire at 1131 Princess Avenue in Parkside. Engine 10 was directed to respond, however, in less than a minute another call came in, and Engine 10 was sent to the scene of a motor vehicle accident at Mount Ephraim Avenue and Route 130, where a motorcycle had run into a pickup truck.

Fire Dispatcher Matt DeGailler gave the following account of the events:

9/29/11 - 1702 hours. Engine 10, Ladder 1 and Battalion 1 dispatched to 1936 South 8th Street, the All America Gardens rental office, for report of a General Fire Alarm activation in the Bravo Building. Battalion 1 arrived at 1706 hours with nothing showing. Companies investigated and cleared at 1715 hours.

1713 hours - Engine 9, Squad 7, Ladder 3, Ladder 1 (FAST TRUCK), Rescue 1 and Battalion 1 dispatched to 1131 Princess Ave. for report of smoke from windows. Battalion 1 arrived with a 2 story end of the row dwelling, smoke showing at 1718 hours. All hands struck at 1720 hours bringing Engine 11, Engine 1 (Resource Company), and Car 3. At 10 minute mark Battalion 1 reported a bedroom fire on the 2nd floor, Ladder 1 opening up, Rescue conducting a primary search. At 20 minutes Car 3 (Dipascale) reported bulk of the fire knocked down, companies in the process of overhaul, fire probable will hold. At 1740 hours Car 3 placed the fire under control.

Around 7:00 PM a call came in from the Victor Building apartments at 1 Market Street, where a fire pump had been activated. Several companies were called upon to investigate. No sooner had this been concluded and all companies but Engine 6 had departed when another call was put out, this time to the Board of Education building at 201 North Front Street, the corner of Front and Cooper Streets, just around the corner from the Victor Building. In this case a faulty electrical ballast had begun to emit smoke. The entire building was inspected and units returned to quarters.

Fire Dispatcher Matt DeGailler gave the following account of the Victor and Board of Education calls:

1916 hours - Engine 1, Squad 7, Ladder 1, Battalion 1 were dispatched to 1 Market Street, the Victor Building for a report of a waterflow activation of the fire alarm. Engine 1 arrived on location at 1919 hours with nothing showing, investigating. Engine 1 reported an alarm malfunction due to a power outage, all units were available at 1932 hours.

1934 hours - Engine 1, Engine 9, Engine 11, Squad 7, Ladder 1, Ladder 3, Rescue 1 and Battalion 1 were dispatched to 201 North Front Street, the Camden Board of Education Building for report of smoke in the building. This required an inflated amount of companies for High Hazard response. Engine 1 arrived at 1936 hours with nothing showing, and investigated. A light haze of smoke was found in the building. At 1943 hours Battalion 1 reported he was using an Engine, Ladder,and Rescue for the investigation, Squad 7 at the standpipe, all other units standing fast. Car 2 arrived, and at 1953 reported smoke from an apparent malfunctioning light ballast, and that the companies were still investigating. All units clear at 2009 hours.

Besides myself, fire photographers Dave Hernandez and Dom Patricelli were on hand at the Board of Education building job.

As with the web page covering other Camden Fire Department events, if you can identify anyone that I've missed, please e-mail me. (I'm terrible at at names and faces).

Phil Cohen
September 27, 2011


Chris Baker & Angelo Decaro


Ali Cooper	Angelo Decaro