CNBNews

 

Dorothy Philbin | CNBNews Columnist

 

 

GLOUCESTER CITY, NJ (December 19, 2023)--We have been hearing for a few years now that issuing the police/fire blotters to the public is "too much work" even though there are more employees on the city's payroll than at any prior time.

 

This week I began to wonder if this is the reason.  

 

Living near Broadway I see a lot of emergency vehicles drive up and down the street.  There are not always sirens to catch my attention but always lights beaming into my windows.  Over the years I've learned to determine the difference among police, fire and ambulance sirens.  The Carpenter's Square Apartments at Gorman Manor, on South Broadway shares space with Cooper Hospital's Urgent Care Center, so there is a lot of activity in this area. 

 

 

Friday, around dinner time, I was getting ready to go out when I heard a police car, with sirens; it went into the driveway of Gorman Manor.  No big thing.  A few minutes later a fire engine, with sirens blaring.  This was different.  In the "olden days" the truck would have been known as a pumper.  Even though this was different, I had no reason to check it out.  

 

As kids we were taught how to handle any emergency - until the professionals arrive.  We were taught to hand over the problem and then GET OUT OF THE WAY!  If the professionals need our help, they will ask us, which never happened. 

 

Getting back to Friday night, I made a right turn on Market Street and when I got to the Wawa, in came an ambulance and an Paramedic car - lights and sirens.  Since I had pulled over to the side of the street, I had time to notice that these emergency vehicles were labeled "Bellmawr."  Why on earth does Gloucester City need Bellmawr to cover for us when we have an abundance as well as first responders and vehicles?

 

Later that evening my mind went back to the situation in Riverview Heights last week.  Without police reports we will never know but the neighbors claimed that the Westville Police arrived at the scene before Gloucester City.  

 

Then my mind went back to last summer when a juvenile was walking the tracks between Brooklawn and Gloucester City.  He fell between the tracks and ended up in the creek - on the Gloucester City side.  It was Westville who responded first, followed by Bellmawr, then Brooklawn and finally, Miss Tardy Late to the Party - Gloucester City.

 

Going back to yet another incident, the car which went into the Delaware River.  A video filmed by a bystander was recently released.  Gloucester City Police were there immediately, followed by individuals in a small, private boat.  The brought the survivor to land.  When asked why the Fire Department didn't respond - after all they were only a block away - the city officials told the public the firemen were in Westville for training.  

 

That day the police didn't know the firemen were out of town; they were asking where the fire department was.  It never made common sense that the entire department would be out of town at the same time, without making arrangements for coverage.   

If you have the chance to view that video again, look more carefully.  As a police officer is making his way into the river and questioning whether the bed was solid enough to hold his weight, the videographer paned out and, if you look to the right, there is a man wearing a shirt marked EMT.  Why was this man standing around while another did his job - while he was supposed to be in Westville being trained.

 

Over the past year or so the city residents have been lied to on several occasions.  Is it possible we are not getting department reports because in many cases other towns are doing the jobs for our city employees?  In at least one case, one department's members are doing the jobs of another department(?)

 

I think we need to say "thank you" to the police officer who went into the Delaware River to save a life as well as the private individuals who assisted.  Another "thank you" to Bellmawr, Westville and other towns who have provided back-up support prior to our town's first responders. Finally, a big thank you to the person who recorded the incident at the Delaware, giving the residents a true picture of what is happening in town.

 

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GLOUCESTER CITY, NJ --One of those incidents the columnist mentioned in her article took place last week, near the intersection of South Broadway and Kohler Street.  It involved the Gloucester City Fire Department and other first responders. We can confirm that the photo credit for this event goes to none other than the highly skilled CNBNews photographer, Kathy Cleary Underwood.