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 The most common question heard by fire police officers is: “What is Fire Police?” The original concept, established in the late 1800’s was to provide a ‘law enforcement extension’ of the fire department. This ‘extension’ provided investigative, security, and traffic and crowd control services exclusively for the fire department during fire emergencies and drills, thereby freeing local law enforcement resources. The police powers of fire police officers were, and indeed, remain quite limited. (It was never intended for fire police officers to replace dually sworn local law enforcement officers with regard to police authority.) During the 1800’s and early 1900’s, fire police officers were charged with investigating the cause of fires, maintaining the integrity of the evidentiary chain of custody, and providing expert testimony in court. In addition, fire police officers were charged with maintaining control of civilian onlookers, controlling pedestrian and vehicular traffic, and providing security for firefighters, apparatus and the fire scene. With the advent of the Fire Marshall’s office, the onus of investigating fires and maintaining the evidentiary chain of custody, as well as providing testimony has passed from the fire police to the office of the fire marshal or to the police department’s office of arson investigation (for those departments so equipped). |
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 The Camden County Fire Police Association is one of the oldest fire police organizations in the world. It was established in 1937 with the assistance of the New Jersey State Police. It is comprised entirely of volunteers who have dedicated themselves to providing fire police services for the County of Camden. This organization originally existed as a loose knit federation of individual fire police officers from various fire companies throughout the County of Camden. The association provided the ability to pool that manpower to provide assistance to those municipalities lacking fire police services. Within this structure, each fire police officer derived his/her authority, under NJ Title 15:8-4, from his/her respective fire department as a duly sworn fire police officer for that municipality called to provide mutual aid service. In 2008, the CCFP was granted independent department status by the Director of Public Safety and police authority/powers were derived on a county level through the Camden County Fire Department. This allowed the association to recruit officers directly from the general public, as opposed to through local municipal fire companies. However, in 2010, the Camden County Administrators and Camden County Council, determined that this was no longer feasible, as the Camden County Fire Department no longer exists. In March of 2011, the Camden County Fire Police Association was placed under the auspices of the Camden County Office of Emergency Management with the Chief of Fire Police answering directly to the County OEM Coordinator. This move has been extremely positive in terms of credibility, accountability, financial resources and county-level support. The association looks forward to a continued positive symbiotic relationship with the County of Camden and the Camden County Office of Emergency Management for years to come. |
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While the Camden County Fire Police Department's services are still occasionally requested by local fire departments, the predominance of requests are made by local police departments. In light of government cutbacks, limited manpower, escalating crime, and budgetary constraints, local police departments are finding themselves overwhelmed. In the battle to do more with less, provide the same high standards of service and maintain public confidence, local police departments are utilizing the services of the Camden County Fire Police Association to supplement their manpower with regards to traffic and/or crowd control. Incidents that the Camden County Fire Police Association has handled include: bomb threats; SWAT assignments such as warrant services and barricaded individuals; crime scene investigations for shootings and fatal accidents; and large scale road closures for the New Jersey State Police on limited access highways such as Route 295 and the New Jersey Turnpike. This is in addition to the traditional assignments associated with fire police such as flooding, wires, power outages, malfunctioning traffic lights, and fires. |
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 Currently, the Camden County Fire Police Association boasts twenty-eight (28) active fire police officers that respond to requests for service throughout the county and four (4) associate fire police officers that serve in an administrative capacity. Our officers come from all walks of life and include teachers, firefighters, emergency medical technicians, janitors, municipal police officers and even retired federal police officers. Interest in the fire police service has increased over the past few years. In fact, the association has literally had to freeze the membership.
Through generous donations by the local police departments within Camden County, the Camden County Fire Police Association has eight (8) marked fire police vehicles of various types and ages. These vehicles are registered, insured, tagged, fueled and maintained by the County of Camden. Each vehicle is equipped with emergency visual and audio devices, fire and police radios, cones, signs, flares and other necessary equipment which are either donated or purchased with donated funds or are provided by the County of Camden. Each of these vehicles are strategically located throughout the county and are assigned a primary and a secondary driver. |
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As of this time, the association does not maintain a permanent base of operations. Records for the department are maintained according to the Executive Officer's sphere of influence (i.e. Secretary, Financial Secretary, Treasurer, etc.) and are stored at the respective officer's residence or in a storage unit donated by Public Storage of Blackwood. Once each month, the association meets at the Camden County Communications Center in Lindenwold to conduct the administrative business of the organization.
Operational funding is provided primarily through donations (coin drops, fund raisers, and monetary donations from civilian and emergency service organizations and, in the near future, through the Camden County Office of Emergency Management). The Camden County Fire Police Association and the Camden County Park Police Department have greatly assisted each other in terms of equipment and manpower to the mutual benefit of both departments. |
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 Over the past five years, the Camden County Fire Police Association, Inc. has strived diligently to present itself as an organization dedicated to the tenants of 'Integrity, Professionalism, and Service'. The association has undergone numerous administrative and operational changes to further raise the standards of the services it provides. From establishing an internet presence to encouraging our officers to turn out in uniform; from redesigning our fleet striping to establishing standard operating procedures; the Camden County Fire Police Association has worked to rise above the traditional image of retired firefighters no longer able to fight fires to an image of progressive, professional traffic officers dedicated to delivering the highest level of service available. The association continues to explore new ideas, methods, and technologies to further enhance its ability to serve the community and remain on the cutting edge of the fire police service. |
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