Politics & Government

No Disaster Too Big for This Truck

Meet the new (old) emergency response vehicle donated for the use of Camden County first responders.

At 22, it goes about 2.5 tons, nine feet tall, and still rolls through trouble like nobody's business.

It's a six-by-six, high-wheeled, military-surplus vehicle, and it was provided to the Camden County Office of Emergency Management (OEM) for free by the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA).

The truck will join the fleet of county vehicles garaged in Lindenwold, deployable in situations requiring "great flexibility during large-scale emergencies and natural disasters,” said Freeholder Scot McCray in a statement.

Find out what's happening in Collingswoodwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

“The vehicle can be utilized in areas where the terrain makes access a challenge such as forest fires or missing persons in remote wooded areas,” McCray said. 

First responders will be trained in the operations of the truck, which freeholders say can be used in snow removal, emergency evacuations, or storm relief.

Find out what's happening in Collingswoodwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Mostly, McCray said, a big, sturdy truck is good for a whole lot else that you just can't anticipate offhand.

“This is a great asset that will provide us with options we did not immediately have at our disposal,” he said.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here