Mount Ephraim Fire Department Highly Praised by Board of Commissioners
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
NEWS Correspondent
The Mount Ephraim Board of Commissioners praised the efforts of the Fire Department during last week’s meeting. On July 21, a house fire in the 200 block of Hartka Avenue had caused injury to a police officer as he tried to enter the home to see if anyone was inside. Mayor Joseph Wolk thanked the MEFD for doing their best to prevent as minimal damage as possible to surrounding homes.
Fire Chief Brian Gilmore said the department will canvas a three-block radius of the Hartka Avenue fire to inspect residences for working smoke detectors, and will install smoke detectors for free if needed.
All the Commissioners thanked the Fire Department for the excellent job they did in dealing with the Hartka Avenue fire.
The Mount Ephraim Fire Department is 100 percent volunteer, and has 4,022 man hours and 22,853 volunteer hours so far this year, Gilmore said.
Fire Department President Richard Holmes said that morale has improved since the process has begun for construction of the new fire station, and thanked everyone involved.
In the past 30 days, six new structural firefighters have joined the Fire Department, he said.
Commissioner Andrew Gilmore commended Police Chief Edward Dobleman and Captain Brian Beppel for obtaining a $4,400 grant for the drunk-driving crack-down program, "Over the Limit, Under Arrest."
Gilmore said the grant was awarded to 12 municipalities in Camden County.
It will aid the Police Department with the statewide crackdown from August 20 through September
6. More information can be found at www.njsaferoads.com.
Chief Dobleman received a letter from a Stratford resident, whose son was involved in car accident on July 1. It stated that Captain Bepple, along with police officers and emergency responders, were very helpful and courteous towards his son after the incident.
Tax Collector Marie Darlington said that tax bills should be arriving in residents’ mail boxes soon, and that the due date will be based on the date that the office mails the bills.
Commissioner Bruce Greenwald said that for July, the Borough collected $4,065 for 19 permits.
Public Works has gone another month without any accidents or safety violations, and recycling tonnage has remained steady, he said.
A resident of Gloucester Avenue said teenagers have been hanging around the Conrail tracks behind her home, and have been seen throwing rocks at homes and pets. Dobelman said he will handle this situation, and Wolk asked that this resident call him if she should have anymore problems.
The next Commissioners meeting will be Thursday, September 2, at 8 p.m. in Borough Hall.