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 55 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.
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 the largest fire department in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and also has the busiest EMS division in the United States with a single ambulance, Medic 2, responding to 8,788 calls in 2013.
Video Philadelphia Fire Department
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.
Maps Philadelphia Fire Department
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.
Operations
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 55 medic units spread across the stations, including 46 advanced life support (ALS) and 9 basic life support (BLS) units. For special events, or to meet staffing requirements, the advanced life support (ALS) medic units may be downgraded to basic life support (BLS) units. A BLS unit will contain a 'B' in their call sign, for example Medic 9B.
- E - Engine
- L - Ladder
- Hazmat 1 - Hazardous Materials Unit
- Hazmat 2 - Hazardous Materials Command Unit
- Chem 1 - Chemical Unit
- Rescue 1 - Heavy Rescue
- Rescue 1A - Dive Unit
- Collapse Unit 1 - Collapse Unit
- Squad 47/Squad 72 - Rescue Pumpers
- Squad 47A/Squad 72A - Special Operations Vans
- ES - EMS Officer
- F (Foxtrot) - ARFF Crash Unit
Disbanded fire companies
* Engine 1 - 711 S. Broad St. * Engine 4 - 1528 Sansom St. * Engine 6 - 2601 Belgrade St. * Engine 8 - 101 N. 4th St. * Engine 14 - 1652 Foulkrod St. * Engine 15 - 1625 N. Howard St. - Disbanded to form Marine Unit 15 * Engine 17 - 1328 Race St. * Engine 21 - 609 N. 2nd St. * Engine 23 - 2736 N. 6th St. - Disbanded to form Marine Unit 23 * Engine 26 - 1010 Buttonwood St. * Engine 30 - 3548 Germantown Ave. * Engine 31 - 2736 6th St. * Engine 32 - 239 S. 6th St. - Disbanded to form Marine Unit 32 * Engine 39 - 6630 Ridge Ave. * Engine 42 - 3320 N. Front St. * Engine 48 - 930 S. 7th St. * Engine 65 - 5331 Haverford Ave. * Engine 67 - Haverford Ave. & N. Preston St. * Engine 74 - Never Organized * Engine 75 - Never Organized * Ladder 1 - 1541 Parrish St. * Ladder 7 - 400 W. Girard Ave. * Ladder 11 - 1357 S. 12th St. * Ladder 17 - 1210 Oak Lane Ave. * Ladder 26 - 8201 Tinicum Blvd. * Ladder 32 - 3023 Grays Ferry Ave. * Ladder 33 - Never Organized * Battalion 5 - 2108 Market St. * Battalion 6 - 2426 N. 2nd St.
Gallery
See also
- Philadelphia Police Department
- City of Philadelphia
- List of Pennsylvania fire departments
References
External links
- Official Site
- Philadelphia Fire Museum
- http://www.philly.com/philly/photos/Fire_Department_Time_Capsule_Opened.html
- https://www.flickr.com/photos/philadelphiafiretrucks/
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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