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Permalink Reply by HeightsFF on February 18, 2011 at 12:27pm

what B.S. Id be pissed if I was a Philly taxpayer. Hopefully they squash this mutual aid agreement soon!

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Permalink Reply by Paul Price Sr on February 18, 2011 at 6:05pm

I have a great deal of respect for Philadelphia Fire Commissioner Lloyd Ayers. I have know him for many years and he is a professional guy. That being said, this plan is outrageous! The City of Philadelphia Fire Department is stretched too thin, as Philadelphia firefighters union President Bill Gault said in the interview. The taxpayers of Philadelphia should not be asked to sacrifice their own protection for residents of another state, a state which has the resources to protect its own residents.
The villain here is the governor of New Jersey. The responsibility of protecting the residents of Camden is Camden's. Camden cannot provide this coverage because the state let them down. Camden has been funded and directly controlled by the state for many years. Suddenly, this governor has decided to cut Camden off cold turkey, without a plan, and without any concern for the poor of Camden, who have no voice in this tragedy.
The cuts to the Fire and Police Departments in Camden are ridiculous. How can one of the poorest and most dangerous cities in this nation possibly protect its residents without a tax base to fund necessary services, or help from a state government that allowed the situation to deteriorate to this level?
Fortunately, during the past month, nothing tragic has happened. As the weather improves, the criminals will again prey on the law abiding and hard working Camden residents. Fires will rage that will quickly overtax the decimated Camden Fire Department. The lives of the firefighters and residents will be in peril, and it is not the responsibility of the Philadelphia Fire Department , or any other fire department, to have to come in and clean up the aftermath.

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Permalink Reply by GARY HANSON on February 18, 2011 at 6:19pm

I read something on this story a couple of weeks ago. The problem arose when the city of Camden, whining about a budget shortfall, manipulated by the states proposed cuts in aid, began laying off 80 some paid fire fighters. Then some city officials were overheard saying, they expected volunteers could man the stations! If I was a volunteer in that locale I would turn off my pager till all city council, city employees and the mayor gave up their salary to bring back the fire fighters! ! ! !

Now we read - - The city of Camden and NJ politicos are laying their mismanagement woes on another city ! WTF? ? ? Philly ought to tell them "Not Now, Not Ever, folks!"

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Permalink Reply by Truckinainteasy on February 18, 2011 at 7:08pm

There is blood on on a lot of hands, and the governor isn't even the worst of them. The governor said enough is enough. The Unions and probably the Mayor thought it was the normal budget dance. When everyone is serious and willing to sit down at the table Camden will be well protected again, but the suburb funded gravy train in the poorest city in the US would appear to be over.

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Permalink Reply by Ron Ayotte on February 18, 2011 at 9:32pm

Insanity... absolute franking insanity.

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Permalink Reply by Paul Campanell on February 19, 2011 at 4:24am

while i agree with everyone responding that Philly should have no responsibility towards Camden in the nature of emergency response, to lay this on the current governor is absurd. yes, the state money was cut under his administration, but it was administrations going back past Florio that blindly gave money to that dung pile of a city without ever having any kind of oversight as to how it was being spent. that city gobbles up state funds year after year and maybe now is the time that its own residents bear the brunt. it just sucks that now firefighters and police officers will be put in increased risk.
so why did fire officials seek the help of Philadelphia Fire and not knock on the doors of Pennsauken, Cherry Hill or Moorestown.
they'd be better off doing surround an drowned on that whole city anyway. it would probably help the property value.

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