Welcome to Cherry Hill Fire Department's News & Information site

This new site is where we are plan to supplement our public website, http://www.cherryhillfire.org/, by building on our desire to provide as much public information as possible. This new venture will hopefully enable us to more easily post recent news stories, public event information, important safety bulletins, and continue to introduce you to our fire department and the people that make it work.
Please make this blog a regular stop in your search for information and happenings in Cherry Hill, NJ, the Cherry Hill Fire Department, our Firefighters & EMTs, and to learn more about the emergency service culture. Thanks for visiting!

CHERRY HILL FIREFIGHTERS FIGHT A FAST MOVING HOUSE FIRE WITH REPORTED “PEOPLE TRAPPED”

At 4:14pm on May 5, 2007, Cherry Hill Firefighters responded to a reported house fire at 133 S. Mansfield Boulevard in the Haddontown neighborhood. Multiple callers dialed 911 to report smoke coming from the corner property.

Cherry Hill Firefighters, from Fire Station 6 were just around the corner performing a neighborhood follow-up to a fire that occurred on March 12 at 45 Plymouth Drive. Firefighters had just started to walk the neighborhood: distributing fire safety literature; testing smoke detectors and replacing smoke detector batteries when they received the call to respond. As the initial response teams raced to the scene, fire dispatchers alerted them there were received reports a person was trapped in the home.

Acting Battalion Chief, Ken Baum, a 17- year veteran commanding his first serious fire, transmitted the “All Hands” signal requesting additional CHFD units to the scene.

Firefighters from Engine 6 arrived and reported smoke showing from the one-story home. They immediately forced entry into the home to locate the fire. Firefighters from Ladder 4 arrived and began to search the interior of the home for any occupants. The initial search team working in the smoke filled home completed a systematic search but did not locate anyone inside. As a second search began, Cherry Hill police officers on scene worked with neighbors to determine the resident’s whereabouts.

Within about 6 minutes of fire department arrival, it was confirmed by the search and rescue teams that the homeowner was not present. However, the resident’s long time pet dog, Winston, had perished while sleeping in a front bedroom.

The Cherry Hill Fire Marshal ruled the fire, which originated in the kitchen and caused extensive damage inside the home, as accidental. The fire originated in the kitchen refrigerator due to a mechanical failure.

Twenty five (25) Cherry Hill Firefighters quickly brought this fire under control within twenty-five minutes. Chief Giorgio remarked, “There where some tense moments as our firefighters worked to locate the homeowner. I am proud of their efforts and commend Acting Battalion Chief Baum on his command presence at this fire”.

CHFD Faces second worst storm ever in New Jersey

Over a three day period in April 2007, the men and women of the CHFD confronted what some will call the second worst storm to face our state in recent history. Statistics aside, no one needs to tell us about the challenging conditions we faced over those three days. Our personnel answered over 200 calls for service, 136 calls on April 16 with a peak between 08:00 and 16:00 hours.

We modified our deployment to include two salvage teams and reassigned the Fire Marshals Office staff to conduct field assessments to help prioritize the incoming calls for service. The use of these resources allowed the staffed firefighting companies to retain local integrity and respond to priority incidents in their first due area. A number of Cherry Hill Fire Police members took off from work and began to stand post at numerous downed wires and flooded road incidents. Their response afforded us the chance to free up fire and police units to handle other calls for service. Some of the fire police units stood post for over six hours before relief arrived. In addition, Cherry Hill Fire Co. 1 provided an on-duty unit to assist in answering calls as needed during the period of peak activity.

Interagency coordination is critical during a period like this and the CHFD helped staff Cherry Hill Township’s Emergency Operations Center to coordinate our combined efforts. Even before this occurred, the CHFD made direct contact with: Pubic Works; CHPD Supervision; and Camden County Communications to synchronize our efforts.

We recognize the extraordinary work of our members and have received a number of complementary calls about their efforts. It is always important that we recognize the conditions before us, asking where do we fit, and what can we do? Sometimes we cannot fix a failing basement wall or stop neighborhood flooding, but we can be there, knee deep with our residents, trying our best to lessen the impact. We applaud all the extraordinary efforts demonstrated by our members. Whether on-duty, off -duty, career or volunteer, our members perform these actions without recognition and for the benefit of those in need.