Camden City Relying More Often on Surrounding Fire Departments for Help

Despite pouring more than $60 million into overtime for off-duty firefighters to fill in for absent colleagues over the past 15 years, firefighters say incidents like this prove that Camden hasn\’t done enough to keep them and residents safe. Union leaders claim the department has been understaffed and underequipped for years. As a result, they say, the city is not only risking public safety, but increasingly relying on resources from other towns. Surrounding municipalities sent fire engines, ladders, rescue vehicles, staff and other equipment to help the Camden Fire Department battle blazes a staggering 383 times in 2009, twice as many as the year before. To department critics, the solution is not hiring but cracking down on contractual staffing requirements, overtime rules and payout policies that have inflated department budgets. Fiscal watchdog Kelly Francis said former state-appointed leader Theodore Davis\’ recent attempts to limit overtime have shown that the department can still function just fine with less money. \”Has Camden burned down since Judge Davis cut the overtime?\” Francis asked.

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