Introduction
DAVID W. SANDERS had a long and distinguished career with the Camden Fire Department. After serving in the United States Army, he came to Camden and was appointed to the Camden Fire Department on November 22, 1964. He was serving with Ladder Company 3 in December of 1971 when he was injured at the John R. Evans Leather Company fire. He was later promoted to the rank of Captain. Captain Sanders served with Engine Company 6 in the early and mid-1990s. He retired from the Camden Fire Department on November 1, 1998.
After a long and courageous battle with cancer, Captain Sanders passed away on January 13, 2010. After services at Mount Calvary Baptist Church at 1198 Penn Street in North Camden, he was buried at Arlington Cemetery in Pennsauken, New Jersey.
Captain Sanders left his wife of 55 years, Deloris Sanders; five children— Sheila, Linda, Pam, Kevin, and Audie; five grandchildren— Joshua, Sara, Anna, Taelor, Virginia; five siblings— William, Edna, Bernice, Lawrence, and Frances and a host of family and friends.
6 City Firemen Take Oaths
Camden Courier-Post —
Department Rolls Now Total 176
Six new members of the Camden Fire Department yesterday were sworn into office by City Clerk Odorisio at ceremonies in the office of Director of Public Safety Kauffman.
The men and one other, to be sworn in Dec. 7, complete the present list of eligibles for the fire department. Kauffman said he will request the Civil Service Commission to set dates for new examinations for fire candidates. The city now enrolls 176 men in the department.
The new members are Daniel J. Sheppard, 22, of 1340 Dayton Street; Joseph W. Convery, 27, of 157 Eutaw Avenue; John R. Hertz, 23, of 2916 Congress Road; Albert E. Collum Jr., 28, of 2409 Howell Street; David W. Sanders, 31, of 821 Line Street, and Albert Jones, 24, of 220 North 11th Street. The seventh man is Daniel O. Mulvey, 24, of 23 North 25th Street.
The men will be assigned to the fire training school for one month and for one week at a fire school at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard.
Evans Leather Company Fire
Camden Courier-Post —
Thomas DiBiaso – David W. Sanders – John R. Evans Leather Company – Pierce Avenue – Berkley Street – North 2nd Street – Erie Street
Dense smoke billows from former John R. Evans Company leather tanning plant in North Camden. Photo by Robert Cave.
Photos
Ladder Company 3 (second alarm Truck) gets water on fire at the former John R. Evans Leather Company leather tanning plant in North Camden on December 19, 1971. Firefighter Thomas J. DiBiaso operating the ladder nozzle. This incident went to a Fourth Alarm. Photo by Bob Bartosz.
Photo taken moments after Ladder Company 3’s aerial fell, severely injuring Firefighter Thomas J. DiBiaso. Photo by Bob Bartosz.
Photo by Bob Bartosz.
Photo by Bob Bartosz.
It took 3½ hours to bring the blaze under control. These photos were taken shortly before the wall collapsed, as also depicted below and on the cover of Fire Engineering magazine’s March 1972 edition. Photo by Bob Bartosz.
Photo by Bob Bartosz.
John R. Evans & Company factory wall collapsing.
Fire Engineering Magazine Cover
Fire Engineering Magazine —
Cover photograph: firefighters operating at the John R. Evans & Company leather tanning plant fire, December 19, 1971. Photo by Bob Bartosz.
Caption: March 1972 Edition — Fire Engineering Magazine. The Fire of December 19, 1971: John R. Evans & Company Plant Destroyed. Photo by Bob Bartosz.
Evans Leather Company Fire
Camden Courier-Post —
N. Camden Boys
5 Juveniles Arrested in Plant Blaze
Five North Camden boys are in the Camden County Children’s Shelter at Lakeland following their arrests yesterday in connection with Sunday’s general-alarm fire at a vacant leather tanning plant at Second and Erie Streets.
The boys, between the ages of 11 and 14, all live in the vicinity of the waterfront plant, police said.
Three of the juveniles are charged with malicious burning; two, with trespassing.
Face Judge Malandra
They will be arraigned before Camden County Juvenile Court Judge Angelo D. Malandra.
Camden Police Lt. John Giletto, head of the juvenile division, said the boys told police they and other juveniles had been using the former John R. Evans Co. plant as a clubhouse.
They said they panicked and fled when a fire they started in the building Sunday got out of control, Giletto said.
Possibly $200,000
The building’s owner, Thomas Greiff, president of Greiff Trucking Co. of Brooklyn, N.Y., placed his loss at between $100,000 and $200,000, according to City Fire Marshal Harold Pike.
Greiff said there was no insurance on the building, Pike said.
Fireman Thomas DiBiaso, 38, who was injured fighting the blaze, was in fair condition in Cooper Hospital.
Obituary
Camden Courier-Post —
SANDERS, Captain David. Went home to be with the Lord on January 13, 2010. He is survived by his wife of 55 years, Deloris Sanders; five children Sheila, Linda, Pam, Kevin, and Audie; loving grandfather to Joshua, Sara, Anna, Taelor, Virginia; five siblings William, Edna, Bernice, Lawrence, and Frances and a host of family and friends. David was a proud employee of Camden County Fire Department for 33 years with a promotion to Captain. He proudly served his country as a military member in the US Army; he was also a board member for Park Place Home Association. Relatives and friends are invited to attend on Thursday January 21st, 9–11am at Mt. Calvary Baptist Church, 1198 Penn Street, Camden. Funeral services will follow at 11am. Burial at Arlington Cemetery, 1620 Cove Road, Pennsauken. Ministry of comfort entrusted to MAY FUNERAL HOMES, Camden, Pennsauken, Willingboro and Vineland.