Meet the Chief

Chief Carl Bittenbender proudly leads the men and women of Evesham Fire-Rescue as the Chief of the Department and is responsible for the daily operations of Evesham Fire-Rescue, reporting directly to the Board of Fire Commissioners.

Carl was born and raised in Philadelphia. Carl is a 27-year veteran of emergency services, starting his emergency service career in 1996 volunteering with the University of Delaware EMS and Aetna Hose, Hook and Ladder Company in Newark, DE. Upon graduating from the University of Delaware, he became a career firefighter in New Castle County Delaware. Carl later applied for and tested with Evesham Fire-Rescue was hired in August 2002 to the position of Firefighter/EMT with Evesham Fire-Rescue. He was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant in 2005, Captain in 2012, Assistant Chief in 2018 and Chief of the Department in 2019.

Chief Bittenbender has a Bachelor in Economics from the University of Delaware and received his Master of Science in Public Safety from Saint Joseph’s University in 2004. He graduated the National Fire Academy’s Executive Fire Officer Program in 2012. He holds a second Master’s degree in Public Administration from Columbia Southern University, graduating in 2022.

Chief Bittenbender has served in various roles with Evesham Fire-Rescue, including the Operations Division, Training Division and Fire Marshal’s Office. He is a Certified Fire Investigator through the International Association of Arson Investigators. He is licensed in various construction disciplines including fire subcode official and mechanical codes. He also has numerous professional affiliations, including the International Fire Chiefs Association and the National Fire Protection Association.

Chief Bittenbender is the Task Force Leader with the Burlington County Technical Rescue Task Force and Burlington County LandSAR and is the ESF9 (Emergency Services Function 9) coordinator for Burlington County. This position (and team) overseas several departments throughout the county and performs confined space, rope, structural collapse, trench rescues and land search for missing persons. Chief Bittenbender also serves as the Vice President of the Burlington County Fire Chiefs Association.

Chief Bittenbender has been a resident of Evesham Township since 2002. He resides in Evesham Township with his wife Erin, and his children Avery and Gavin. Chief Bittenbender is actively involved with the Marlton Recreation Council, serving in the role of President of the 501c3 organization. He enjoys coaching his children in hockey, golfing, and offshore fishing in his free time.