New shared-emergency hub could reshape life off Exit 31 — and the way three Camden County towns move, shop and respond in a crisis
By Ari Williams
If you use I‑295 through Camden County — especially the ramps around Exit 31 — this proposed shared fire-and-EMS facility for Haddon Heights, Barrington and Runnemede is worth watching. It’s not just about a new garage for engines and ambulances; it’s a small but significant piece of infrastructure that could change how emergency services land on local streets, how zoning boards think about municipal parcels, and how small businesses along nearby commercial strips weather construction and altered traffic patterns.
Why this matters here, now
South Jersey towns have long juggled pride in local identity with financial realities. Haddon Heights’ manicured downtown and tree-lined blocks, Barrington’s compact commercial stretch along Cross Keys Road and the Black Horse Pike, and Runnemede’s mix of residential neighborhoods and light industrial edges each bring different expectations of public safety and service delivery. A joint building aims to modernize the equipment and workspace first responders need — but its biggest returns could be regional: faster mutual aid, administrative savings through shared overhead, and more resilient coverage during peak traffic hours or large incidents.
I’ve been covering this corridor for years, and what’s new about this project is its framing as a “test case.” With a planning infusion from the state, the three towns are trying to prove whether consolidation can deliver better on-the-ground outcomes without erasing local control. That’s a high bar — politically and technically.
How the facility could touch daily life
– Response times and traffic: I‑295 is the spine for commuting and freight movement in this part of Camden County. Ambulances and fire apparatus don’t operate in a vacuum — they compete with rush-hour backups near interchanges and with school dismissal traffic on side streets. A centrally sited, well‑designed station could shave minutes off response time by putting units where they can access major arterials quickly. But placement matters: locate too close to a congested interchange and you trade station access for driveway delays; place it on a quieter side street and crews may fight signalized intersections to reach I‑295. (Assumption: exact site undecided — verify location and traffic study results.)
– Land use and zoning: A new joint facility will prompt zoning reviews. Municipal lots that have long served as low-density municipal yards or aging single-use footprints can be reinvented. That opens opportunities — not just during construction, but afterward, as empty municipal parcels are consolidated, sold, or redeveloped. For local planners this is a chance to think beyond a station: could the project fold in community meeting space, training rooms, or even shared dispatch technology that serves other regional partners?
– Small businesses and economic life: Businesses near the likely service area — diners, auto shops, convenience stores along the Black Horse Pike and nearby commercial corridors — will feel short-term effects from construction traffic and staging. Longer term, improved emergency coverage can be a selling point for small employers worried about employee safety and insurance rates. But developers and merchants will want clarity on property impacts, construction timelines and potential road closures.
– Volunteer culture and labor: South Jersey still leans on volunteer firefighters in many towns. A contemporary, well-equipped building can help recruitment and retention by offering cleaner facilities, training amenities and space for family-friendly schedules. Yet consolidation also raises thorny questions: will operations shift to a paid staffing model? How will pensions, union contracts, and volunteer expectations be reconciled? Those labor and cultural questions are as important as the bricks and mortar.
Where the money fits — and what still needs to be funded
The initial state planning grant gives the three towns a runway: architectural plans, traffic and environmental studies, and community engagement. But planning money rarely covers construction. The tricky part is turning a planning grant into a shovel-ready project without surprising taxpayers. Expect rounds of grant applications, municipal budgeting debates, potential bond referenda, and—if past projects are any guide—years of iterative design. The goal, publicly stated, is a “state‑of‑the‑art” facility; making that phrase real means decisions about vehicle bays, decontamination areas, EMS patient-care spaces, secure evidence or supply rooms, and interoperability with county dispatch.
Political dynamics to watch
Shared services can be technocratic, but they are political. Mayors and council members in Haddon Heights, Barrington and Runnemede will need to balance local pride and control against efficiency gains. Residents who value local identity may worry about losing a hometown firehouse; others will press for cost savings and better service. How leaders structure interlocal agreements — governance, cost-sharing, asset ownership, and decision-making authority — will determine whether the partnership survives the first stormy night.
Questions still to be answered (and how to verify them)
– Exact site selection: Where will the building sit relative to Exit 31, the Black Horse Pike, and local commercial strips? (Assumption: site undetermined — verify proposed location.)
– Staffing model: Will the three towns keep volunteer crews, move to full‑time staff, or adopt a hybrid model? (Verify municipal staffing plans and collective bargaining status.)
– Long-term funding: Beyond the planning grant, what sources will cover construction and operations? Bonds? FEMA grants? County or federal dollars? (Verify budget proposals and grant applications.)
– Traffic and environmental impact: Have traffic impact studies and environmental assessments been commissioned? What are their preliminary findings? (Verify with municipal planning departments.)
What residents should look for next
– Public design meetings and zoning hearings: these are where details become visible and where residents can shape outcomes.
– Interlocal agreement drafts: they show how costs, governance and liabilities are split.
– Traffic studies and site plans: watch for access points, apparatus circulation, and staging that signal how crews will actually get onto I‑295 and neighborhood streets.
– Ongoing transparency on costs: if this is a test case for other consolidated services in the state, a clear accounting of projected versus actual costs will be instructive for nearby towns weighing similar moves.
This corridor is changing: aging municipal structures, shifting volunteer bases and the pressure to do more with less all make consolidation attractive. But success depends on the small things — a driveway that lets an engine clear an intersection, a training room that keeps volunteers engaged, an interlocal agreement that prevents one town from shouldering disproportionate costs.
For residents exiting at Exit 31 — the commuters, shop owners, parents and first responders — this project will matter less as an abstract efficiency and more as practical benefits (or headaches) that show up in daily life. If the towns get the planning right, this could be a model for how small South Jersey municipalities modernize without losing the neighborhoods and commercial corridors that give them shape.
I’ll be following design meetings, zoning filings and budget hearings closely. If you live in Haddon Heights, Barrington or Runnemede and have thoughts or questions about where a shared station should be sited, how it should operate, or what it should include, email me — community input will make or break this effort.
Note on facts and assumptions
Where I’ve flagged “assumption,” I’m indicating items not yet publicly specified (site, staffing model, traffic study outcomes). Those should be verified with municipal planning departments, council minutes or the official project filings as the project moves from planning to implementation.
