Office of the State Fire Marshal

I've spent 25 years in the worst city in the U.S.. Camden NJ.



First off Your investigator said on film (Nightline) 8/21/2014 "As you can see this was a Good fire." There is no fire that is a GOOD FIRE !. I HAVE HAD 25 years in the Camden Fire Department and following the Char Factor any firefighter with a few years in an active house (8 to 10 house fires a day) can know how to use the Char Factoring way to find out where the fire started. You bozos hired a police officer with no experience to make a decision into a arson charge? What the heck is wrong with your leadership?



Police cause more problems on the fire grounds then there worth. They knock down doors, break down windows letting air into the fire Before fire apparatus is on the scene. Now you go and hire one to help make a judgment call? Is your Phoenix Fire Department nuts ?? "It sounds to me like your fire dept have a wannabe hero complex. The prosecutor's should be fired on that call of arson. I love dogs but, the human should not interpret the dogs actions. He should be throughly watched. You know we (The Camden NJ fire dept. Took a look at our dept. And found Pyromanics among our ranks along with some substance abusers in my day.

If I were the mayor and prosecutors I would back peddle and fire all those so called inspectors. College is not the same as 25 years of interior attack to 1) LOCATE,2) CONFINE 3) EXTINGUISH while the truck is searching for rescue. I hope that this message goes to the top of your city because, I am sharing 25 years of interior firefighting. I know that that fire has a personality and it wants to hurt you as much or more then you want to extinguish it. Ask some firefighters in your stations who haveu been BACKFLASHED and blown out of buildings. They'll tell you more about fire then any college graduate. Respectfully, John Meksa Engine 9 Retired.