Country United States City Philadelphia Staffing Career Founded 15 March 1871 Platforms in use 4 | State Pennsylvania Annual calls 437,329 (2013) Phone +1 215-686-1324 Number of employees 1,973 | |
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Established March 15, 1871 (1871-03-15) Address 240 Spring Garden St, Philadelphia, PA 19123, USA Profiles | ||
The Philadelphia Fire Department (Philadelphia Fire Department) provides fire protection and emergency medical services (EMS) to the city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The PFD's official mission is to protect the public safety by quick and professional response to emergencies and through the promotion of sound emergency prevention measures. This mandate encompasses all traditional firefighting functions, including fire suppression, with 57 engine and 27 ladder companies deployed throughout the City; specialized firefighting units for Philadelphia International Airport and the Port of Philadelphia; investigations conducted by the Fire Marshal's Office to determine the origins of fires and to develop preventative strategies; prevention programs to educate the public in order to increase overall fire safety; and support services such as: research and planning, management of the Fire Communications Center within the City's 911 system, and operation of the Fire Academy.
Contents
- History
- USAR Task Force 1
- Fire Station Locations and Apparatus
- Apparatus Glossary
- Disbanded Fire Companies
- References
The delivery of EMS now generates more than seventy percent of the Department's total calls for services. Furthermore, the Department's Regional EMS Office is responsible for regulating all public and private ambulance services within the city. Lastly, the Department enforces all state and federal hazardous materials (HAZMAT) regulations within the city, and coordinates the response to such incidents.
The PFD is largest fire department in the state of Pennsylvania and also has the busiest EMS division in the United States with a single ambulance, Medic 8B, responding to 8,746 calls in 2013.
History
One of the oldest established fire departments in the United States, the PFD traces its origins back to early volunteer companies, specifically the Union Fire Company, established on December 7, 1736.
Ordinances of 1840, 1855, and 1856 established a City Fire Department which was a voluntary association of independent fire companies which, in return for subsidies, accepted the direction of City Councils.
An ordinance of 29 December 1870, established Philadelphia's first fully paid and municipally controlled Fire Department, administered by seven Commissioners chosen by Councils. The PFD officially entered into service on 15 March 1871. In 1887 the Commissioners were abolished and the department placed under the control of the Department of Public Safety as the Bureau of Fire in compliance with the 1885 Bullitt Bill and enabling ordinance of 1886. The Fire Marshal, first appointed on 1864, was a member of the Bureau of Police until 1937 when his office was removed from it and placed directly under the Director of the Department of Public Safety. In 1950 it was transferred to the Bureau of Fire.
The City Charter of 1951 abolished the Department of Public Safety and established the present Fire Department. At that time its inspectorial duties were transferred to the Department of Licenses and Inspections. Investigation of the origin and cause of fires remains with the PFD fire marshal's office.
USAR Task Force 1
The Philadelphia Fire Department is the sponsoring agency for Urban Search and Rescue Pennsylvania Task Force 1 (PA-TF1), one of thirty-three FEMA Urban Search and Rescue Task Forces in the nation and the only one in the state of Pennsylvania.
Fire Station Locations and Apparatus
Below is a complete listing of all fire station, fire company, and medic unit locations in the city of Philadelphia according to Division and Battalion. There are two divisions in the department, division 1 consist of 5 battalions and 27 fire stations while division 2 has 6 battalions and 34 fire stations. There are 50 medic units spread across the stations. All 50 are advanced life support (ALS). For special events, or to meet staffing requirements, the medic units may be downgraded to basic life support (BLS). A BLS unit will contain a 'B' in their call sign, for example Medic 41B.