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Phoenix Fire Department

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Phoenix Fire Department
Operational area
Country United States
State Arizona
City Phoenix
Agency overview[1]
Established1886
Annual calls214,040 (2018)
Employees2,018
Annual budget$365,548,474 (2018-2019)
StaffingCareer
Fire chiefMike Duran
EMS levelALS
IAFF493
Facilities and equipment[1]
Battalions10
Stations58
Engines65
Trucks14
Squads3
Ambulances36
Tenders6
Airport crash5
Wildland15
Website
Official website
IAFF website

The Phoenix Fire Department provides fire protection and emergency medical services for the city of Phoenix, Arizona. The department responded to 186,594 calls during 2014–2015, with 88% being for emergency medical services.[2] The Phoenix Fire Department currently protects 1.5 million residents spread across an area of 520 square miles (1,300 km2).[2]

History

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The Phoenix Fire Department was established as a volunteer fire department on August 17, 1886, with the formation of Engine 1.[3] In 1922 the department transitioned from volunteers to career members. From 1924 to present day, the department created the A, B, and C shifts, which started and ended every third day at 8:00 AM.[3]

On December 9, 1929, the Phoenix Fire Department suffered its first fatality in the line of duty. While responding to a call, Squad 1 and Engine 2 crashed into each other at 14th and Van Buren streets. Captain Jack Sullivan of Squad 1 was killed instantly.[4]

In 1936 the Phoenix Fire Department joined the International Association of Firefighters and formed the union Local 493. The surrounding fire departments, Tempe, Glendale, Chandler, Surprise, and Peoria, are also part of Local 493.[5]

On Jun. 5, 2021 the Phoenix Fire Department responded to a fire at around 35th Ave and Lincoln St. The strength of the fire grew quickly from a 2 alarm fire, which it then skipped to a 4 alarm fire, which then grew to a 5 alarm fire, after that it grew finally to a 6 alarm fire with more than 150 firefighters on scene. To this day this was the largest response of the Phoenix Fire Department with more than 10 different agencies from across Arizona and even 200+ firefighters. Source

Stations & apparatus

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Some fire stations have two engine companies. In February 2020, the fire department opened the 9th Battalion in the Central District. Each battalion is directed by one Battalion Chief per shift. Each district is administered by a Deputy Chief.

Temporary Closure of South Deputy and North Deputy

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In February 2020, the Phoenix Fire Department closed the South Deputy Chief (SDC) and the North Deputy Chief (NDC) who had functioned as shift commanders. The functions of both SDC and NDC were absorbed with Battalion 1 and Battalion 4. The Phoenix Fire Department then opened Central Deputy Chief to replace Battalion 8's role. This was later reversed. SDC and NDC have been restored as the shift commanders, while Central Deputy was closed. An old system of Deputy Chiefs as administrative managers over the battalions was restored with six District Chiefs (DC1-DC5, DC19) overseeing nine Battalions. District Chiefs may respond to incidents during weekdays if available or shift commanders are unavailable.

FEMA Urban Search and Rescue (US&R) Team Arizona Task Force

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The Phoenix-based FEMA Urban Search and Rescue Team Arizona Task Force 1 (or AZ-TF1) is a FEMA Urban Search and Rescue Task Force sponsored by the Phoenix Fire Department.[6]

AZ-TF1 is one of 28 such FEMA US&R Rescue Teams with numerous disaster response capabilities such as search and rescue, hazardous material detection and decontamination, structural collapse rescue, technical search, emergency triage and medicine, live find and human remains detection canines, and disaster recovery.[citation needed] The Federal Emergency Management Agency created the geographically positioned teams in an effort to provide support for large-scale disasters in both the United States and the potential international response abroad. In recent years the FEMA US&R system has developed the ability for a modular response in the event a specific capability is needed during a disaster response. An example of this would be a swift-water rescue team needed to augment the current search and rescue assets already deployed. FEMA provides the financial, technical and training support for all 28 teams as well as manage an internal auditing system to verify and validate each team's ability to provide a standardized response of both personnel and equipment.

Deployments

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Noteworthy AZ-TF1 deployments include:[7]

Line of Duty Deaths

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Since its inception, the Phoenix Fire Department has had 11 firefighters die in the line of duty.[10]

Name of Firefighter Title Last Alarm Apparatus Placement Cause of Death
John D. "Jack" Sullivan Captain December 9, 1929 Squad 1 Struck by another truck en route to a commercial structure fire.
Ambrose Shea Firefighter December 10, 1929 Squad 1 Struck by another truck en route to a commercial structure fire.
Randolf J. "Randy" Potts Firefighter August 6, 1974 Engine 11-B Crushed by a falling wall at a commercial structure fire.
Walter D. Kelson Engineer March 12, 1977 Engine 23-A Drowned trying to save drowning children at Lake Pleasant. The children survived.
Chauncey E. Ray Jr. Firefighter March 12, 1977 Engine 23-B Drowned trying to save drowning children at Lake Pleasant. The children survived.
Dale R. Lockett Firefighter August 5, 1979 Engine 25-A Fell through a roof during a fire.
Ricky S. Pearce Engineer-HazMat Technician November 15, 1984 Ladder 4-B Spontaneous explosion while working in a worker-trapped confined space rescue storage tank.
Timothy J. Hale Engineer February 12, 1994 Engine 15-A Crushed by a truck while unloading a gurney from the back of the ambulance.
Bret R. Tarver Firefighter Paramedic March 14, 2001 Engine 14-C Became disoriented and ran out of air while interior of a 5-alarm supermarket fire.
Mark S. Carter Engineer Paramedic June 4, 2007 Engine 37-A Found in cardiac arrest inside of a fire truck by a civilian.
Bradley C. Harper Firefighter May 19, 2013 Rescue 21-B Pinned between his ambulance and a fire truck during a mulch fire.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "2013 Annual Report" (PDF). Phoenix Fire Department. Retrieved February 22, 2015.
  2. ^ a b "About Us". Phoenix Fire Department. Retrieved February 22, 2015.
  3. ^ a b "Phoenix Fire Department History". Phoenix Fire Department. Retrieved February 22, 2015.
  4. ^ history
  5. ^ "About Us". Local 493. United Phoenix Firefighters. Archived from the original on July 24, 2015. Retrieved July 24, 2015.
  6. ^ "US&R Task Force Locations". FEMA. Archived from the original on July 5, 2012. Retrieved August 28, 2006.
  7. ^ "USAR". City of Phoenix. Retrieved February 22, 2015.
  8. ^ "Letter to Michael Chertoff" (PDF). City of Phoenix Office of the Mayor. October 3, 2005. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 8, 2006. Retrieved August 29, 2006.
  9. ^ "Searching in Hope: FEMA's Urban Se July 2024arch and Rescue Teams". FEMA. Retrieved August 28, 2006.
  10. ^ "In Memoriam". City of Phoenix. Retrieved July 19, 2024.
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