By Michael Boren
The Philadelphia Inquirer
CAMDEN, N.J. — Camden’s fire department has received a $5.2 million grant to hire 27 more firefighters, officials said Wednesday.
The money, which comes after years of layoffs that hampered response times in the city, is from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. It will boost the number of firefighters to 196.
Fire Chief Michael Harper, in a brief statement Wednesday, called the hires “a breath of fresh air.”
“These new firefighters will be a wonderful addition to our department,” Harper said.
In 2011, the city laid off 60 firefighters - a third of the department - to cut costs. Though some of them were later rehired, suburban fire companies were needed to assist on calls, and response times sometimes stretched to eight minutes. That was beyond the six-minute mark reached in most calls before the layoffs.
“This federal grant will ensure the City of Camden Fire Department is adequately staffed and ready to respond when an emergency strikes,” U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez (D., N.J.), whose office helped Camden apply for the grant, said in a statement. U.S. Sen. Cory A. Booker (D., N.J.) and Rep. Donald Norcross (D., N.J.) also took credit.
“Keeping our families safe will always be a top priority for me,” Mayor Dana L. Redd said in a statement about the grant.
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