By Chief Joseph V. Palumbo, Sr., Pennsauken Township Fire Department
In 1965, a group of like-minded public safety members from around Camden County looked to find a way to provide financial support to families and more specifically, the children of fire, police, and EMS personnel following the loss of life in the line of duty. Led by the process already in place in the City of Philadelphia at that time, the Camden County Hero Scholarship Fund was formalized in 1966.
The Camden County Hero Scholarship Fund, celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, provides the funds to facilitate a college education to the children of a firefighter, police officer, or EMS staff member who loses their life in the line of duty. Since the inception of the fund, the children of 41 members of public safety departments in Camden County have been assisted by the Hero Scholarship. Additionally, the Hero Scholarship recognizes members of public safety departments for efforts above and beyond the call of duty annually and celebrates the life and service of the 64 members of Camden County fire, police and EMS departments who have died in the line of duty since 1917; six of whom are from Pennsauken Township.
As with many Camden County fire service initiatives of the era, the Pennsauken Fire Department was instrumental in the development of the Hero Scholarship Fund. The members of all six fire companies banded together to donate man hours and financial support; in addition, several Pennsauken businesses contributed goods, services, and funding to help get the organization off the ground. One of these steps was the largely unknown emblem of the organization that stood for 40 years.
In 1966, Robert Bartosz, a volunteer firefighter, Camden County fire photographer, and Delaware River Port Authority police officer, offered to come up with a design for the organization. Bob knew that on an almost daily basis, one could find Pennsauken firefighter Nick Salvo and Pennsauken patrolman Robert Hurley having a cup of coffee around 9:00 a.m. daily at Pennsauken Fire Company Number 2 on Merchantville Ave. Bob wrangled up his daughter, Debra, and his son, Robert, and stopped at the fire station. The result was the photo that accompanies this article.
This photo was transferred into a pencil sketch by Courier-Post artist Art Emerson and remained the logo of the Camden County Hero Scholarship for 40 years.
The Pennsauken Fire Department is extremely proud of our history with this great organization and we remain active supporters today. We are also very proud of our Pennsauken representatives past and present who have served or are currently serving on the Board of Trustees of the Camden County Hero Scholarship: Chief (Retired) Norman F. Figueroa, Sr. (deceased), East Pennsauken Volunteer Fire Association; Deputy Chief (Retied) James T. McGrory, Jr. (deceased), Bloomfield Park Volunteer Fire Company; Chief (Retired) Joseph Lipka, Delaview Volunteer Fire Company; and EMT Samuel Bello, Pennsauken Emergency Medical Services.
The Pennsauken Fire Department remembers the following members of service from Pennsauken Township who have died or have been permanently disabled in the line of duty:
- Chief Edward Pomroy, Pennsauken Fire Department, February 7, 1917
- Chief Franklin Dennis, Pennsauken Fire Department, August 21, 1960
- Captain Herman Blank, Pennsauken Fire Department, July 3, 1972
- Patrolman Richard Dawson, Pennsauken Police Department, September 7, 1974
- Patrolman William Brey, Pennsauken Police Department, May 15, 1987
- Patrolman George Bowman, Pennsauken Police Department, September 3, 1995
