Introduction
Howard Bennett was a veteran member of the Camden Fire Department, serving for over 26 years after entering the department on December 13, 1999. He was assigned to Engine Company 1 at department headquarters.
Bennett was widely regarded as the department’s foremost expert in boat operations. Pete Perez, president of Camden City Firefighters Local #788, who trained under Bennett, remembered him as “our guy when it came to the boat stuff.”
Fire Chief Jesse Flax described him simply: “He was a valued member of this department. He loved being a fireman. And loved the community he served.”
Howard Bennett is survived by his wife and two children.
Photos
Howard Bennett, November 28, 2013
Howard Bennett, November 28, 2013
Howard Bennett and Gabe Rivera at a fire on Rutgers Street, March 14, 2012
Ken White and Howard Bennett at a fire on Rutgers Street, March 14, 2012
Ken White and Howard Bennett at a fire on Rutgers Street, March 14, 2012
Howard Bennett, Ken White, and Gabe Rivera at a fire on Rutgers Street, March 14, 2012
Ken White, Howard Bennett, and Gabe Rivera at a fire on Rutgers Street, March 14, 2012
Ken White, Howard Bennett, and Gabe Rivera at a fire on Rutgers Street, March 14, 2012
Ken White, Howard Bennett, and Gabe Rivera at a fire on Rutgers Street, March 14, 2012
Ken White, Howard Bennett, and Gabe Rivera at a fire on Rutgers Street, March 14, 2012
Ken White, Howard Bennett, and Gabe Rivera at a fire on Rutgers Street, March 14, 2012
Ken White, Howard Bennett, and Gabe Rivera at a fire on Rutgers Street, March 14, 2012
Line of Duty Death
On the morning of February 5, 2026, Howard Bennett and three colleagues went to Wiggins Park Marina on the Camden waterfront to perform a routine maintenance check on a fire department boat. At approximately 11:00 a.m., Bennett fell into the icy Delaware River and became trapped beneath the ice. The water temperature was approximately 35 degrees.
Fellow firefighters worked to rescue Bennett, who was submerged for approximately 30 minutes before being pulled from the water. Life-saving measures were performed, and he was transported to Cooper University Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
The Camden County Prosecutor’s Office investigated the incident, which was not considered suspicious.
Tributes
He wasn’t just a public servant. He was a husband, a brother, a father that committed his adult life to serving, and protecting, and being there for our residents in the city.
— Mayor Victor Carstarphen
Today, the city of Camden and the entire state of New Jersey lost a hero. This tragedy is a stark and painful reminder that the dangers of this profession do not only exist within a burning building.
— PFANJ President Mathew Caliente
He had two families. His home family and his fire department family.
— Fire Chief Jesse Flax
At Camden Fire Department headquarters, Bennett’s locker was decorated with black bunting in his honor. His body was escorted by uniformed colleagues from Cooper University Hospital to a funeral home in Maple Shade.