Phoenix Fire Department

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Phoenix Fire Department
Motto: Our family helping your family
Established	1898
Staffing	Career
Strength	1,588
Stations	53
Engines	58
Trucks	14
Rescues	33
EMS Level	ALS
Fire chief	Bob Khan

Contents 1 History of Phoenix Fire Department 2 List of Phoenix Fire Stations 3 Regional Dispatch Center 4 Regional Dispatch Number Assignments

[edit] History of Phoenix Fire Department

Several fiery conflagrations struck the western town of Phoenix before the citizens took any measures to create a fire department. Finally, on Aug. 17, 1886, a special bond issue was passed that raised $10,000 to improve the water supply, purchase modern firefighting equipment and form Phoenix Engine Company #1. It was strictly a volunteer fire company with a charter membership of 25 men.

A Knott steam fire engine, a hook and ladder wagon, two hose carts and 1,000 feet of fire hose were purchased for $5,000. Prior to delivery of the new equipment in the spring of 1887, other volunteer companies were organized. On Feb. 12, 1887, the Aztec Hook and Ladder Company No. 1 was formed. There was also a Pioneer Hose Company No. 1 and a mostly Hispanic group that became known as Yucatec Hose Company No. 2.

Bitter rivalry between the different volunteer companies led Frank Czarnowski to unite the companies and, on April 13, 1888, he became the first chief of the Phoenix Volunteer Fire Department.

In 1894, the Central Fire Station was built on the northeast corner of First and Jefferson streets on the same block that City Hall sat on. Before the building of Central Station, the equipment was housed behind members' homes or next to business establishments. The first firehouse was an impressive two-story block building with four separate sets of bay doors - one for each company.

When the Central Station was completed, a 1,222 pound bell was ordered, received and hung in the wooden tower on top of Central Station. The bell tolled according to the location of the fire. As the city was divided into a four ward system, the fire bell would sound once for ward one, twice for ward two, and so on. The town only measured .5 square miles at the time. One look in the direction of the designated ward told the firemen where the fire was. Unfortunately, the bell proved to be too heavy for the rafters of the station and had to be moved to a steel frame tower on City Hall.

A fire alarm system was set up in 1896. Fifteen alarm boxes were connected to the Central Station. A paid, full time fire department was still a few years away in 1898, but on July 1 of that year, the first paid member was hired. Billy Simmons was employed as a custodian of the firehouse and caretaker of the equipment. Later, he would become the chief.

By 1908, the Phoenix Fire Department consisted of six companies with no more than 25 members each. There were five full-time paid positions - three drivers, one house captain and one extra man. There were six head of horses and the apparatus included one second size Knott engine, one third size Ahrens engine, two combination hook and ladder and chemical trucks, one hose wagon, two hose carts and about 4,000 feet of cotton hose. They also had a first class eight gallon double tank chemical engine. This was later bought by Chief George Simpson and is now in the Hall of Flame, the only piece of Phoenix's volunteer fire department to survive today.

On May 17, 1910, one of Phoenix's most famous early-day fires took place when the Adams Hotel, a four-story wooden structure, burned to the ground in spite of all efforts by firemen. However, no one was killed.

In 1914, two new stations were built and the gong system was now in effect. Whenever a call was received on the "99," the phone line at Central Station headquarters, the dispatcher would tap out the type of call over the telegraph lines to all stations. This would ring the gongs in all stations.

Also in 1914, the days of the fire horses came to an end. Three 325gpm chain driven, white, 1914 Seagraves Type 19 firetrucks were purchased.

The department gradually changed from volunteer to a paid, full-time organization. By 1922, the transition was completed.

The first motorized ladder truck of the Phoenix Fire Department was a rigid frame 75 foot 1921 American LaFrance. The department still has it.

In 1924, the department split into a two shift system, A and B shift, each working every other day.

On Dec. 9, 1929, the Phoenix Fire Department suffered its first fatalities 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 the Squad was killed immediately. Ambrose Shea died from injuries the next day.

The fire department struggled through the 1930s to bring itself up to national standards. New innovations were tried. Gas masks were used for the first time. Resuscitators were acquired to use on drowning patients. Inhalators were first carried on Squad 1. In 1935, the Fire Prevention Bureau was created. On Nov. 6, 1936, Phoenix firemen joined the International Association of Firefighters and formed Local 493.

In 1947, C Shift was created. For a brief period during the 1940s, firemen were expected to repair small equipment for the Parks Department and some patrolled with police officers as hybrid firemen-cops.

During the 1950s, James Wesley Robinson joined the Phoenix Fire Department, the first black man to do so. Alarm Headquarters was taken out of Station 1 and established in a separate building at 131 N. Ninth St. More emphasis was put on fire prevention. The city now had 12 fire stations. A new group called the Ladies Auxiliary to the International Association of Firefighters, known as the Fire Belles, was formed.

In the 1960s, the first fire station was opened at Sky Harbor Airport. In 1965, the first highrise fire took place at Camelback Towers. The Training Academy opened in 1968.

The 1970s saw a lot of changes. In 1971, the early retirement bill allowed years of service for retirement lowered to 20. Emergency Medical Services started to become a big part of the Phoenix Fire Department. In 1971, the first firefighters to become EMTs did so. The first Rescue Unit was put in service in 1973. The next year, the first two Phoenix firefighters were certified to become paramedics. On Aug. 5, 1974, the ARA fire took place. Firefighter Randy Potts was injured and died the next day. The Arson Task Force was formed in 1978 and the Hazardous Materials team started responding to incidents. Plus, the NFPA's Learn Not to Burn Program was piloted in Phoenix. On July 31, 1979, firefighter Dale Lockett was killed in a house fire.

The 1980s opened with the new Computer Aided Dispatch System starting and the first two female firefighters in the Phoenix Fire Department. Valley of the Sun municipal department firefighters all became a part of one union (Local 493) in 1984. The Phoenix Fire Department also started its debriefing program. On Nov. 15, 1984, firefighter Ricky Pearce was killed in a toluene explosion. The year 1985 was a banner year for the Phoenix Fire Department: the Maricopa County 9-1-1 system went into effect, Phoenix Fire Department ambulances were put in service, labor/management started productivity agreement and the Health and Fitness Center was dedicated.

The decade of the 1990s continued to be one of progress and advancement. The Phoenix Fire Department became part of the Federal Urban Search and Rescue network in 1991. Ladder tenders were introduced to help with the wear and tear on ladder trucks and streets. Unfortunately, firefighter Tim Hale was killed in the line of duty on Feb. 12, 1994.

The Phoenix Fire Department has approached the 21st Century with a respect for change. After the death of Firefighter/Paramedic Bret Tarver on March 14, 2001 in a supermarket fire, we looked at how we can improve our procedures further. This was done through a "Recovery Process." Over the course of a year, department officials identified how we could improve safety, and implemented new procedures through additional firefighter training.

As we continue to evolve, we will respect the past, respond to the present, and implement with the future in mind.

[edit] List of Phoenix Fire Stations

Map of Phoenix Fire Stations

Station 1 323 N. 4th Avenue, Phoenix, AZ 85003-1505 Engine-1, Paramedic/Engine-2, Ladder-1, Heavy Rescue-1, Command Van-1

Station 3 1257 W. Pierce Street, Phoenix, AZ 85007-2348 Engine-3, ALS Rescue-3, Rehab-3

Station 4 1601 N. 3rd Avenue, Phoenix, AZ 85003-1134 Paramedic/Engine-4, Ladder-4, HazMat-4, Ladder Tender-4

Station 5 1840 E. Cambridge Avenue, Phoenix, AZ 85006-1460 Engine-5, Paramedic/Engine-905, Peak Time Rescue-5

Station 6 368 W. Apache Street, Phoenix, AZ 85003-2729 Paramedic/Engine-6

Station 7 403 E. Hatcher Road, Phoenix, AZ 85020-2537 Paramedic/Engine-7, Rescue-7

Station 8 1025 E. Polk Street, Phoenix, AZ 85006-3347 Paramedic/Engine-8, Heavy Rescue-8, Rescue-8, Squad-8, Car-957

Station 9 330 E. Fairmount Avenue, Phoenix, AZ 85012-2078 Paramedic/Engine-9, Ladder-9, Ladder Tender-9, Rescue-9, Battalion-1

Station 10 2731 N. 24th Drive, Phoenix, AZ 85009 Engine-10, Paramedic/Engine-910, Utility-10

Station 11 2727 E. Roosevelt Street, Phoenix, AZ 85008-4946 Paramedic/Engine-11, Ladder-11, Ladder Tender-11, Rescue-11

Station 12 4247 N. 32nd Street, Phoenix, AZ 85018-4722 Paramedic/Engine-12, Ladder-12, Ladder Tender-12, ALS Rescue-12, Battalion-2

Station 13 2828 N. 47th Place, Phoenix, AZ 85008-1651 Engine-13, ALS Rescue-13

Station 14 1330 N. 32nd Avenue, Phoenix, AZ 85009-3427 Paramedic/Engine-14

Station 15 4730 N. 43rd Avenue, Phoenix, AZ 85031-1523 Engine-15, Peak Time ALS Rescue-15

Station 16 1414 East Mohave, Phoenix, AZ 85034 Engine-16, Peak Time ALS Rescue-16, Crisis Response-16

Station 17 1531 E. Missouri Avenue, Phoenix, AZ 85014-2408 Paramedic/Engine-17, Rescue-17

Station 18 5019 N. 23rd Avenue, Phoenix, AZ 85015-2707 Paramedic/Engine-18, Paramedic/Engine-918, Rescue-18, Peak Time Rescue-918, Battalion-8

Station 19 3547 E. Sky Harbor Blvd. (Airport), Phoenix, AZ 85034 Attack-19, Paramedic/Engine-19, Foam-1, Foam-3, Battalion-19

Station 20 726 W. Glendale Avenue, Phoenix, AZ 85021-8630 Paramedic/Engine-20, Ladder-20, Ladder Tender-20

Station 21 1212 S. 27th Avenue, Phoenix, AZ 85009-6425 Paramedic/Engine-21, Rescue-21

Station 22 230 E. Roeser Road, Phoenix, AZ 85040-8712 Paramedic/Engine-22, Ladder-22, Ladder Tender-22, Rescue-22, Battalion-5

Station 23 4416 S. 32nd Street, Phoenix, AZ 85040-2804 Paramedic/Engine-23, Brush-23, Tanker-23

Station 24 2602 N. 43rd Avenue, Phoenix, AZ 85009-1020 Paramedic/Engine-24, Ladder-24, Ladder Tender-24

Station 25 4010 N. 63rd Avenue, Phoenix, AZ 85033-4000 Engine-25, Rescue-25, Paramedic/Engine-925, Battalion 3

Station 26 3301 W. Rose Lane, Phoenix, AZ 85017-1943 Paramedic/Engine-26, Ladder-26, Ladder Tender-26, Rescue-26

Station 27 12449 N. 32nd Street, Phoenix, AZ 85032-7142 Paramedic/Engine-27, Rescue-27, Brush-27

Station 28 7409 S. 16th Street, Phoenix, AZ 85042-5607 Engine-28, ALS Rescue-28, Brush-28

Station 29 3949 E. Air Lane Way, Phoenix, AZ 85034-2925 Paramedic/Engine-29, Squad-29, Peak Time Rescue-29, Foam-2, Utility-29

Station 30 2701 W. Belmont Avenue, Phoenix, AZ 85051-6617 Engine-30, Paramedic/Engine-930, Peak Time Rescue-30, Rehab-30

Station 31 5730 E. Thunderbird Road, Phoenix, AZ 85254-3744 Paramedic/Engine-31, Rescue-31

Station 32 7620 South 42nd Place, Phoenix, AZ 85042-7303 Paramedic/Engine-32, Rescue-32

Station 33 2409 W. Cactus Road, Phoenix, AZ 85029-2742 Paramedic/Engine-33, Ladder-33, Ladder-Tender-33, Brush-33, Rescue-33

Station 34 50 N. 51st Avenue, Phoenix, AZ 85043-3701 Engine-34, ALS Rescue-34

Station 35 646 E. Paradise Lane, Phoenix, AZ 85022-2525 Engine-35, Paramedic/Engine-935, Brush-35, Rescue-35

Station 36 21602 N. 9th Avenue, Phoenix, AZ 85027-2820 Paramedic/Engine-36, Brush-36, Tanker-36, Peak Time Rescue-36

Station 37 16602 N. 40th Street, Phoenix, AZ 85032-3342 Paramedic/Engine-37, Ladder-37, Ladder Tender-37

Station 38 5002 E. Warner-Elliot Loop, Phoenix, AZ 85044-3312 Paramedic/Engine-38, Rescue-38, Hazmat-38, Brush-38

Station 39 2276 W. Southern Avenue, Phoenix, AZ 85041-3756 Paramedic/Engine-39, Brush-39

Station 40 3838 N. 83rd Avenue, Phoenix, AZ 85033-3453 Paramedic/Engine-40, Rescue-40

Station 41 2501 W. Morningside Drive, Phoenix, AZ 85023-2136 Paramedic/Engine-41, Hazmat-41, Ladder-41, Ladder Tender-41, Battalion-4, Crisis Response-41

Station 42 3246 W. Greenway Road, Phoenix, AZ 85053-3957 Engine-42, ALS Rescue-42

Station 43 4110 E. Chandler Blvd., Phoenix, AZ 85048-8868 Engine-43, Rescue-43, Ladder-43, Ladder Tender-43, Battalion-7

Station 44 7117 W. McDowell Road, Phoenix, AZ 85035-4537 Paramedic/Engine-44, Squad-44, Crisis Response-44

Station 45 2545 E. Beardsley Road, Phoenix, AZ 85050-1322 Paramedic/Engine-45, Peak Time Rescue-45, Brush-45

Station 46 15402 S. Marketplace Way, Phoenix, AZ 85048-6228 Paramedic/Engine-46, Brush-46

Station 48 5230 W. Happy Valley Road, Phoenix, AZ 85310-2945 Paramedic/Engine-48, Brush-48

Station 49 3750 E. Dynamite Blvd., Phoenix, AZ 85331-2219 Paramedic/Engine-49, Brush-49, Tanker-48

Station 50 20225 N. 35th Avenue, Phoenix, AZ 85027-3071 Paramedic/Engine-50, Rescue-50, Ladder-50, Ladder Tender-50, Utility-50

Station 52 21650 N. Tatum Blvd., Phoenix, AZ 85050-4249 Paramedic/Engine-52, Brush-52, Battalion-6

Station 54 9820 W. Campbell Avenue, Phoenix, AZ 85037-1412 Paramdic/Engine-54

Station 56 3210 W. Canotia Place, Phoenix, AZ 85086-4027 Paramedic/Engine-56, Tanker-56

Station 57 1660 W. Dobbins Road, Phoenix, AZ 85041 Paramedic/Engine-57, Rescue-57

Station 58 4718 West Dobbins Road, Phoenix, AZ 85339 Paramedic/Engine-58, Brush-58

Station 61 1925 East Indian School Road, Phoenix, AZ 85016 Engine 61, Rescue 61, Ladder Tender 61, AR 61

Paradise Valley Station 91 8444 N. Tatum Blvd., Paradise Valley, AZ 85253-2018 Engine-910

Paradise Valley Station 92 6519 E. Lincoln Drive, Paradise Valley, AZ 85253-4311 Paramedic/Engine-92, Brush-92, Tanker-92

[edit] Regional Dispatch Center

Currently Phoenix Fire Department Regional Dispatch Center (PFDRDC) provides fire and emergency medical dispatching services for twenty (20) jurisdictions directly and three (3) entities indirectly. This covers over 2,000 square miles within Maricopa County. PFDRDC is on track to dispatch 327,000 calls for service and will handle an estimated 1.3 millions telephone calls in 2005.

The Phoenix Fire Department has a long history of providing the highest level of life safety and property preservation to the citizens we serve. In 1982 the Department automated its dispatching services going from a manual process to using a Computer Aided Dispatch system or “CAD” for short. This technology afforded a reduced response time or the time it takes a unit to be dispatched and make patient contact, which ultimately saves lives. Our state-of-the-art CAD system is customized to fit our needs, thereby ensuring the highest level of customer service at all times. Because of the technology that is available today, we currently provide dispatching services to twenty (20) jurisdictions directly and three (3) entities indirectly within Maricopa County. This service area is over 2,000 square miles and encompasses the City of Phoenix as well as the surrounding areas that make up what is widely known at “The Valley of the Sun”.

In 1996 the Phoenix Fire Department’s Regional Dispatch Center was relocated to its current location and is the centerpiece of the Operations Center. We remain on the cutting edge not only with our CAD system but also with our radio and telephone equipment and enhancements.

“Automatic Aid” erases jurisdictional boundaries for all participating agencies. This ensures first and foremost that the customer is receiving the highest level of care available at all times and secondly, allows all participating agencies better use of their resources. Each participating agency must adhere to standard operating policies and procedures which allows multiple agencies to work side-by-side on incidents under one Incident Command. This seamless cooperative effort ensures that the closest most appropriate resources are dispatched without a time or distance delay.

In the dispatch center itself you will find personnel on duty 24 hours a day 7 days a week trained and ready to answer incoming 911 calls or assisting units on-scene using a radio. This area is staffed with an on-duty Battalion Chief who works a 24-hour shift mirroring the field, a shift supervisor, a lead dispatcher and a team of dispatchers who are cross-trained in all positions and rotate throughout the shift answering incoming calls for service, dispatching calls or handling the radio traffic of working incidents. On busier shifts the staffing level is increased. We have the ability to call in additional personnel if activity levels warrant. All of our personnel are EMD certified and provide self-help instructions as necessary.

Phoenix Fire Department’s Regional Dispatch Center is considered a “Secondary Answering Point” in the 911 System. This means that when an individual dials 911 to report an emergency the call will be answered by the local law enforcement agency first. This agency is known as the “Primary Answering Point”. The local law enforcement agency determines if the emergency requires fire and/or medical services and if so transfers the call. This all transpires within seconds. When the 911 phone rings in the dispatch center one of our Fire Communication Operators, also called an “Incident Taker”, will answer and confirm the location of the emergency, the phone number, and determine what the emergency is before sending the incident off via the CAD system to be dispatched by another Fire Communications Operator or our “Channel One Operator”, all the while giving self-help instructions if needed. The Channel One Operator is responsible for “dispatching” the call, or letting the responding units know where they are to respond, what type of emergency they are going on and the tactical radio channel the incident will be worked off of. This position also handles all administrative radio traffic such as units going available or unavailable. The Fire Communications Operator who talks to the units assigned to an incident is called the “TRO” or Tactical Radio Operator. This position is responsible for ensuring that additional resources are dispatched if required and documenting pertinent information in the incidents history.

CAD knows where every piece of equipment is at all times due to global positioning technology. This is commonly referred to as “AVL” or Automatic Vehicle Location. This technology not only selects the closest most appropriate unit to dispatch, it is also a tool used by the Incident Taker when reassuring the caller, by being able to give them precise information about the units distance from the call. Imagine a drowning call and being able while giving CPR instructions to let the caller know that the unit is one (1) mile out, 1/2mile out and so on. The CAD system knows what to dispatch based on response requirements for each call type in the system. We call these call types “nature codes”. When we have an emergency that involves someone having a heart attack this nature code has a pre-set response requirement and units are selected based on that criterion

[edit] Regional Dispatch Number Assignments

001 – 099 Phoenix

101 – 109 Sun City West

121 – 129 El Mirage

131 – 139 Sun City

141 – 149 Daisy Mountain

150 – 159 Glendale

160 – 169 Tolleson

171 – 179 Avondale

181 – 189 Goodyear

191 – 199 Peoria

201 – 229 Mesa

231 – 239 Sun Lakes

241 – 249 Guadalupe

251 – 259 Gilbert

261 – 269 Apache Junction

271 – 279 Tempe

281 – 289 Chandler

291 – 299 Salt River

301 – 309 Surprise

321 – 329 Buckeye Valley

331 – 339 Black Canyon City

341 – 349 Tonopah

351 – 359 Palo Verde Nuclear

361 – 369 Luke Air Force Base

371 – 379 Harquahala

381 – 389 Gila Bend

401 – 409 Fort McDowell

421 – 439 Gila River

501 – 515 Casa Grande Fire Dept.

516 – 519 Stanfield Fire Dist.

521 – 529 Eloy Fire Dist.

531 – 539 Coolidge Fire Dept.

541 – 549 Florence Fire Dept.

551 – 555 Queen Valley Fire Dist.

556 – 559 Thunderbird Farms Fire Dist.

561 – 565 Ak-Chin Fire Dept.

566 – 569 Arizona City Fire Dist.

571 – 585 Maricopa Fire Dist.

586 – 589 Regional Fire Rescue

591 – 595 Western Fire

601 – 629 Scottsdale

631 – 699 Eastern Pinal County

701 – 729 Town of Buckeye

801 – 899 Rural Metro

901 – 999 Phoenix Adaptive Units*

2001 – 2299 Mesa Adaptive Units*

2801 – 2899 Chandler Adaptive Units*

The Phoenix Fire Department is the agency that provides fire protection and emergency medical services for Phoenix, Arizona.