Boston Fire Department
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| Boston Fire Department |
|
| Established | 1678[1] |
| Staffing | Career |
| Strength | 1,467 uniformed 68 fire alarm 76 civilian[2] |
| Stations | 35[3] |
| Engines | 34 (includes Fire Brigade a.k.a Engine 54) |
| Trucks | 18 ladder 4 tower |
| Rescues | 2 |
| Fireboats | 2 |
| EMS Level | BLS |
| Fire chief | Kevin P. MacCurtain |
| Commissioner | Roderick Fraser |
The Boston Fire Department (BFD) provides fire protection services for Boston, Massachusetts, USA. The department serves approximately 596,000 people in a 47 square mile area of the city proper and additional mutual aid to 32 surrounding communities of the Greater Boston Metro Area including Logan International Airport. A separate agency, Boston Emergency Medical Services, provides emergency medical services for the city.
Contents |
[edit] History
[edit] 1631 - 1678
The Boston Fire Department traces its roots back to 1631, a year after the city was founded, when the first fire ordinance was adopted. In what then was the Massachusetts Bay Colony of the Kingdom of England, the city banned thatched roofs and wooden chimneys. However, it wasn't until 1653 that the first engine was appropriated to provide pressure for water lines[4].
[edit] 1678 - 1872
In 1678, the city founded a paid fire department, and hired Thomas Atkins to be the first fire chief[5].
[edit] 1872 - 1925
Famous Boston fire led to appointment of a board of fire commissioners. Fire destroyed 776 buildings, 13 killed, and a $75,000,000 loss.[6]
[edit] 1925 - present
In 1925, the last fire horses were retired. The department first started using radio communication in 1925, installing radios in the fireboats, chiefs' cars, and rescue companies[7].
[edit] Divisions
The divisions are Fire Suppression; Fire Prevention; Training, Maintenance and Research; Special Projects; Office of Strategic Planning; Information and Technology; and Personnel[8].
[edit] Notable fires
[edit] Great Fire of 1760
The first "Great Fire" of Boston destroyed 349 buildings on March 20, 1760.
[edit] Great Fire of 1872
The second "Great Fire" of Boston began on November 9, 1872, and destroyed 776 buildings.
[edit] Cocoanut Grove Fire
The Cocoanut Grove fire is the deadliest nightclub fire in US history. At 10:15 PM on November 28, 1942 the fire began when a busboy at the club dropped a lit match. The fire eventually claimed 492 lives, and injured hundreds more. It was the second deadliest building fire in the US. Only the Iroquois Theater fire in Chicago in 1903 killed more people (602).
[edit] Trumbull Street Fire
On the night of October 1, 1964, an abandoned 4-story factory caught fire in the South End. The building collapsed, resulting in the death of 5 fire fighters and a civilian photographer.
[edit] Paramount Hotel Fire
A large natural gas explosion occurred on January 28, 1966 at 17 Boylston Street. Fifty-seven people were injured, and eleven died as a result of the explosion and fire.
[edit] Vendome Hotel Fire
At 2:35 PM on Saturday, June 17, 1972, Box 1571 was received at Boston Fire Alarm for the Hotel Vendome on Commonwealth Avenue at Dartmouth Street in the Back Bay. It took nearly three hours to stop the the 4-alarm blaze. During overhauling operations the southeast section of the building unexpectedly collapsed killing 9 of Boston's bravest and injuring 8 more.
This fire was the worst tragedy in the history of the Boston Fire Department and one of the dozen most deadly fires in the history of U.S. firefighting.
[edit] East Boston gas surge
The East Boston gas surge took place on September 24, 1983.
