We provide mutual aid to the other 5 fire companies in the township (ChewsLanding, Blenheim, Blackwood, Lambs Terrace and Erial) and departments in neighboring municipalities i.e.;Magnolia and Runnemede across both Camden and Gloucester Counties. We are also on many countywidetask forces, Marine strike team and a large-diameter hose task force responsible for water supply operations atmulti-alarm incidents throughout Camden County (pop: 510,923). Our heavily built-up 3 sq mi district contains over 10,000 residents. Our mutual aid response combinedpopulation served is over 40,589 (US Census data). Thanks to the high population density and numeroushazards, we are very busy and responded to 394 calls for service in 2016. Call volume in 2017 (470 calls) and2018 will be even higher now that we’ve entered into additional automatic aid agreements with our neighboringfire districts.

Our district is mostly high-density suburban residential. This area was continuously built-up over along period, meaning we must deal with every kind of residential hazard you can imagine: Victorian mansions,post-war ranchers, garden apartments, and more recent lightweight truss construction which fails quickly undera fire load. There are also many commercial hazards, including auto body shops, restaurants, a sign fabricationshop, and a HVAC supply warehouse. Our district also contains 4 medical office buildings and an elementaryschool with 300 children. The Deptford Mall, a busy 1,040,000 sq ft shopping center, is located on the westernborder of our district. Surrounding districts also contain other commercial hazards, such as a large FedExdistribution center.

There are many sections of our township and mutual aid response area that are stillundeveloped wooded areas, fields etc…There are numerous freight rail lines in nearby mutual aid districts. Our district contains critical infrastructuresuch as a large sewage pumping station, water pumping station, water tower communications towers, PSEGPower lines that supply the grid.Over the last few years we have been dispatched to multiple alarm fires in large apartment complexes limitedaccess to fire apparatus having a “birds eye view” would have helped us deploy our recourses better.

Just twomonths ago we were deployed as a Marine strike team to search the Big Timber Creek for an elderly man whohad wandered off 10 boats and a helicopter were dispatched. If we again had “eyes in the sky” we could havesearched a larger area without deploying many boats in the water at one time.We strongly feel that by adding a piece of equipment with an Ariel view with thermal/ infrared capabilities wouldbe a valuable asset to our department and our Mutual aid partners as well as the county emergency services,Police, Fire and BLS. I feel that in today’s world this will attraction the next generation of firefighter to who will be eager to use thisnew and exciting technology.We have been trying to seek donations to fund this project. Our budget is capped by the State of NJ and mostof it goes to maintence and up care of our fire equipment. My Capital Expense budget goes mostly for turn out gear, and loose firefighting equipment. However I believe that my district will be able to fit maintence and training in the budget to support this program