Perth Amboy Fire Department
As one of the oldest fire departments in Middlesex County, serving since 1881, the Perth Amboy Fire Department provides fire protection, EMS, and rescue services for the 4.5 square mile city of Perth Amboy, NJ.
In 1890, the city of Perth Amboy hired the first Paid Firefighters. These members were originally hired to tend to the firehouses as well as the horses that pulled the fire apparatus. They also drove the apparatus to the alarm locations. Some of the required equipment that the paid firefighters were responsible for having at a fire scene was enough wood to maintain a fire in the boiler of the fire engines to maintain the steam to run the fire pump.
Today, the department is comprised of a Career Division of 67 full-time firefighters consisting of 53 Firefighters, 8 Captains, 5 Battalion Chiefs and a Fire Chief. The department also has 11 volunteer Firefighters and 7 Fire Police Officers. The department responds to an average of 2,500 emergency incidents a year ranging from fires and emergency medical calls to rescue and other emergency type incidents.
The Perth Amboy Fire Department is equipped to respond to a wide variety of calls for assistance above and beyond fire type emergencies. The Perth Amboy Fire Department operates a year-round Fire/Rescue boat that protects an assigned area of the Port of New York and New Jersey. In addition, the department’s Special Operations Bureau currently provides technical rescue services throughout Middlesex County. Since the implementation of the “First Responder” program to assist our Raritan Bay Emergency Medical Services, the department responds to numerous Medical assistance calls during the year. With emergency response vehicles equipped with a full complement of emergency medical equipment, department members responded to all serious medical emergencies within the city. Semi-automatic defibrillator units have been used on several occasions to stabilize residents who were in cardiac arrest, as well as delivering several babies since the implementation of the First Responder program. So when you call 9-1-1 for a medical type emergency, don’t be surprised to see a fire truck pull up to offer assistance.