City of Perth Amboy Awarded $945,000 in Port Security Grants
City of Perth Amboy Awarded $945,000 in Port Security Grants
PERTH AMBOY – July 10, 2020 – The Department of Homeland Security with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has awarded the City of Perth Amboy with two Port Security Grants. The Perth Amboy Fire Department has been awarded $900,000 towards replacing its 15-year-old fireboat, Marine 5, with a new, greater capacity fireboat. View the link to the video announcement from Mayor Wilda Diaz and Fire Chief of the City of Perth Amboy, Ed Mullen, here.
“Having a fireboat with high capacity is critical in the Perth Amboy Fire Department,” said Fire Chief Ed Mullen. “The federal government realizes the City of Perth Amboy has a lot of properties on the water; we also have three terminals, so that creates a number one priority for having Perth Amboy to respond immediately with firefighting capabilities on the waterfront,” Mullen continued.
The new Marine 5 will be a 44’ fire rescue boat with twin 3500 GPM water pumps, capable of flowing more than 8,750 GPM of water. This is almost four times the flow capacity of the old Marine 5 and is vital in protecting Perth Amboy’s waterfront, waterways, and petroleum terminals. Additionally, the Perth Amboy Police Department was awarded $45,000 for maintenance of its existing four police boats: Marine 2, Marine 3, Marine 6, and Marine 7. This will provide for the engine, jet, and generator maintenance as well as seasonal painting of the bottom of the boats to keep them ready for service 24/7.
The Perth Amboy Fire Department is also part of the New Jersey Regional Fireboat Task Force, which is comprised of 12 fire departments that span from Perth Amboy to Edgewater. The task force covers over 50 miles of New Jersey waterways up through the Port of New York and New Jersey.
Mayor Wilda Diaz celebrated the announcement that will further protect the community, “We understand that our fire department and our police department need to have the tools at hand so that they can perform the task of keeping our residents and our business community safe,” she said. “When you take a look at all of the new development that’s going on in the City of Perth Amboy and on our waterways, it’s important to make sure that we not only have the facilities but also the equipment to be able to provide safety to the entire community.”
About the 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. 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.
About the City of Perth Amboy
The City of Perth Amboy has a history as long as New Jersey’s. It was settled in 1683 and named after James Drummond, 4th Earl of Perth, and the native Lenape tribe who called it Ompoge. The name was later corrupted to Amboy. Today, Perth Amboy is a vibrant city with a growing population according to the last two censuses. It is home to the second-largest Hispanic population in the state with approximately 78 percent of its more than 50,000 residents. Its form of government is composed of mayor and council.
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