Camden Fire Department gets new fire truck as it upgrades aging fleet

The city of Camden’s fire department is getting a much-needed upgrade with a brand new truck to improve its aging fleet.

Tower ladder three is a long awaited addition to Camden’s North 27th Street Station that is part of the larger effort to address aging apparatus throughout the city.

“There are fire trucks older than some of our firefighters,” Camden Fire Department Chief Jesse Flax.

Camden Mayor Victor Carstarphen says that since 2022, $14 million have been invested in equipment, vehicles and improvements to firehouses throughout the city.

The mayor said that conversations about the new tower ladder truck started back in 2022 and it’s finally here.

“It was important for my administration to step up,” Mayor Carstarphen said. “We will continue to make fire stations better.”

Union leaders have long raised concerns about the fire department’s aging apparatus.

“We want our apparatus to be functional. We want to be able to save lives. We want to be able to protect our community and the only way we can do that is with good equipment,” Pete Perez, the president of City of Camden Firefighters Local 977, said.

Firefighters still have a few more weeks of training before this truck is put fully into service.

Until then firefighters are still relying on the old tower ladder number three which is more than 20 years old.