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 55 full-time firefighters consisting of 41 Firefighters, 4 Captains, 4 Lieutenants, 1 Fire Chief, 1 Deputy Chief. The department responds to an average of 6,000 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 the only year-round available Fire/Rescue boat in the tri-county area. 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.

MISSION STATEMENT
The mission of the Perth Amboy Fire Department is: Strive to become a strong and cohesive, well supervised and trained, combination fire department that will be able to meet the challenges of the new millennium by providing fire suppression, Emergency Medical Services, promoting public awareness and fire prevention activities to decrease the perils of fire; as well as responding to other emergencies to best protect the community.

Always vigilant - planning for the future.