By Eric Conklin
nj.com
CAMDEN, N.J. — Supply chain shortages have delayed new fire trucks from being delivered to South Jersey’s largest city.
Meanwhile, union leaders say not having reliable trucks in a fleet roughly two decades old has created a perilous problem that already may have been tied to a resident dying in a recent house fire.
“We’re a very busy department,” said Samuel Munoz, president of the Camden Fire Officers Local No. 2578. “We get a lot of fires. We have a lot of vacant structures.”
Firefighters in Camden are represented by two unions – Local No. 2578 and 788. Together, both represent about 181 firefighters.
Amid a fear that firefighters can’t adequately serve the city, union leaders sent a letter to city leaders, asking them to act in what the labor alliances consider a “crisis situation.”
Camden has about 15 firetrucks across the city, Munoz said. Most of the trucks are about 20 years old, but one is close to 30, he said.
A recent letter from the unions said about 50% of the fire engines recently failed a pump test. Munoz said the problem is tied to mechanical problems with built-in systems failing to supply air to equipment on the trucks needed to fight fires.
“The worst feeling to have is to go into an unknown structure – and the minute you get in there you have zero visibility, 1,200 degrees, as fire is licking down your neck – and your only chance of survival and the survival of the occupants of that structure is your hose line, and your hose line goes limp,” Munoz said.
City officials on Monday said three new trucks were purchased for the department, but nagging supply chain shortfalls have prolonged their arrival.
“Unfortunately, new fire apparatus takes significant lead time (up to two years) to design, manufacture and deliver,” Camden officials said in a statement to NJ Advance Media.
Beyond fighting apparatus, both unions have also pressed the city for more mechanics to service the existing fleet. Camden officials told NJ Advance Media the city has solicitations for those jobs, citing a tight job market as why the roles remain vacant.
Camden also has entered into an emergency contract with an outside vendor for specialized work while weighing shared service agreements with other towns as a way to get qualified mechanics, officials said.
Meanwhile, both unions said mechanical failures hindered their chances of reaching a resident who died in a recent house fire. The fire happened last week on Newton Avenue.
Firefighters were preparing to enter the building after being told the man was inside on the second floor, but a pump failure on one of the trucks, leading to another unit having to respond to assist.
City officials said in response to the claim, “The safety of our city residents and city of Camden fire personnel are always a top priority, and remain a top priority.”
Camden’s firefighting force is made of career members. It was the first New Jersey department with paid members and is among the oldest in the U.S., according to the city’s website. It also was among the first United States fire departments to transition to motorized fire trucks while neighboring Philadelphia and New York remained dependent on horse-drawn ones.
The city last year spent a combined $23 million on firefighter salaries and other expenses, according to the 2024 municipal budget.
It also last year received nearly $400,000 in support grants from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the budget states. City officials said those grants, which FEMA awards to support firefighting operations across the country, are being dedicated for personnel, training and equipment purposes, but not on the new trucks.
Munoz said the unions have lobbied for new trucks for between one to two years, holding meetings between firefighting leaders and city representatives.
“The city has always been in a tough spot,” Munoz said of Camden’s budgetary appropriations. “Nevertheless, we can’t put a price tag on life-saving.”
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