| Palm Beach County Fire-Rescue |
|
| Motto: "When seconds count, count on us" | |
| Established | 1984 |
| Staffing | Combination Career/Volunteer |
| Strength | 1473 |
| Stations | 49 |
| Engines | 41 |
| Quints | 5 |
| Squads | 2 (Special Ops/HazMat) |
| Rescues | 43 (ALS Transport Units) |
| Helicopters | 2 |
| Fireboats | 1 Rescue Airboat |
| Tenders | 4 |
| EMS Level | ALS |
| Fire chief | Steve Jerauld |
Palm Beach County Fire-Rescue (PBCFR) is a combination career/volunteer fire department responsible for providing Fire Protection, Emergency Medical Services, ALS Transport, Hazardous Materials Mitigation, Special Operations, Aircraft Firefighting, 9-1-1 Dispatching, Public Education, Fire Inspections, Fire Investigations, and Building Plans Review for unincorporated Palm Beach County, Florida and certain cities under contract.
Contents |
Palm Beach County Fire-Rescue was created on October 1, 1984, when the Palm Beach County Board of County Commissioners passed a resolution consolidating the existing fire districts in Palm Beach County.
Prior to 1984 the following fire districts were in existence, covering mostly unincorporated Palm Beach County:
These departments consolidated, under the leadership of Chief Herman Brice, into Palm Beach County Fire-Rescue. Most of the incorporated cities, unless they were under a contract with a fire district, retained their own departments.
The following departments merged into Palm Beach County Fire-Rescue between 1990 and 2000:
Mergers since 2009
| Batt | Station # | Address | Units Housed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 0 | 405 Pike Road West Palm Beach, FL 33411 |
(Training) |
| 1 | 14 | 12015 W Indiantown Rd Jupiter Farms, FL 33478 |
E14 R14 B14 T14 |
| 1 | 15 | 12870 US Hwy 1 Juno Beach, FL 33408 |
Q15 R15 |
| 1 | 16 | 3550 Military Trail Jupiter, FL 33458 |
E16 R16 B16 |
| 1 | 17 | 8130 N Jog Rd West Palm Beach, FL 33412 |
E17 R17 B17 |
| 1 | 18 | 777 N US Hwy 1 Jupiter, FL 33458 |
E18 R18 |
| 1 | 19 | 322 N Central Blvd Jupiter, FL 33458 |
E19 R19 SO19 B19 BC1 DC1 EMS1 |
| 1 | 68 | 1000 Park Ave Lake Park, FL 33403 |
E68 R68 |
| 2 | 20 | 1000 Greenview Shores Blvd Wellington, FL 33414 |
E20 R20 B20 |
| 2 | 21 | 14200 Okeechobee Blvd West Palm Beach, FL 33470 |
E21 R21 B21 T21 |
| 2 | 22 | 5060 Seminole Pratt Whitney Rd Loxahatchee, FL 33470 |
E22 B22 |
| 2 | 25 | 1060 Wellington Trace Wellington, FL 33414 |
E25 R25 B25 |
| 2 | 26 | 6085 Avocado Blvd West Palm Beach, FL 33411 |
E26 R26 B26 |
| 2 | 27 | 3411 Southshore Blvd Wellington, FL 33414 |
E27 R27 B27 |
| 2 | 28 | 1040 Royal Palm Bch Blvd Royal Palm Beach, FL 33411 |
E28 R28 B28 DC2 BC2 EMS2 |
| 3 | 23 | 5471 Okeechobee Blvd West Palm Beach, FL 33417 |
E23 R23 R231 BC3 DC10 EMS10 |
| 3 | 24 | 1734 Seminole Blvd West Palm Beach, FL 33409 |
E24 R24 LA24 |
| 3 | 31 | 3439 Lake Worth Rd Lake Worth, FL 33461 |
E31 R31 |
| 3 | 33 | 830 Kirk Rd West Palm Beach, FL 33406 |
E33 R33 |
| 3 | 35 | 2501 W Lantana Rd Lantana, FL 33462 |
E35 R35 EMS9 |
| 3 | 36 | 5395 Purdy Lane West Palm Beach, FL 33415 |
E36 R36 |
| 3 | 37 | 500 Greynolds Circle Lantana, FL 33462 |
E37 R37 |
| 3 | 38 | 600 South Ocean Dr Manalapan, FL 33462 |
E38 |
| 3 | 43 | 5970 S Military Trl Lake Worth, FL 33460 |
E43 R43 B43 |
| 3 | 81 | Palm Beach Intl Airport Bldg 120 West Palm Beach, FL 33406 |
RP81 D1 D2 D4 D5 F81 Support81 BC8 DC8 AC1 Airport LT1 Command81 Escort1 AS1 |
| 3 | 82 | 4255 Southern Blvd West Palm Beach, FL 33406 |
TH1 TH2 (Trauma Hawk) |
| 4 | 41 | 5105 Woolbright Rd Boynton Beach, FL 33435 |
E41 R41 R411 |
| 4 | 42 | 14276 Hagen Ranch Rd Delray Beach, FL 33466 |
E42 R42 B42 EMS4 BC4 DC4 |
| 4 | 44 | 6670 Flavor Pict Rd Boynton Beach, FL 33437 |
E44 R44 |
| 4 | 45 | 15450 Jog Rd Delray Beach, FL 33446 |
E45 R45 R451 |
| 4 | 46 | 7550 Jog Rd Boynton Beach, FL 33463 |
E46 R46 |
| 4 | 47 | 7950 Enterprise Ctr Cir Boynton Beach, FL 33437 |
R47 Q47 |
| 4 | 48 | 8560 Hypoluxo Rd Lake Worth, FL 33467 |
E48 T48 B48 |
| 4 | 52 | 4661 Pheasant Way Boca Raton, FL 33431 |
E52 R52 |
| 5 | 51 | 10050 Oriole Country Rd Boca Raton, FL 33433 |
E51 R51 |
| 5 | 53 | 19950 Lyons Rd Boca Raton, FL 33434 |
E53 R53 |
| 5 | 54 | 18501 State Rd 7 Boca Raton, FL 33498 |
E54 R54 B54 |
| 5 | 55 | 6787 Palmetto Circle N Boca Raton, FL 33433 |
E55 R55 R55B |
| 5 | 56 | 6250 SW 18th St Boca Raton, FL 33433 |
R56 |
| 5 | 57 | 9030 Vista Del Lago Boca Raton, FL 33428 |
Q57 R57 BC5 DC5 EMS5 |
| 5 | 58 | 12245 Glades Rd Boca Raton, FL 33428 |
E58 |
| 7 | 72 | 171 N Lake Ave Pahokee, FL 33476 |
E72 T72 R72 B72 |
| 7 | 73 | 525 SW 2nd St Belle Glade, FL 33430 |
E73 E73B RA73 EMS7 |
| 7 | 74 | 335 SW 2nd St South Bay, FL 33493 |
E74 BC7 DC7 |
| 9 | 29 | 10055 Belvedere Rd Royal Palm Beach, FL 33411 |
Q29 R29 |
| 9 | 30 | 9610 Stribling (Pierson) Rd Wellington, FL 33414 |
E30 R30 |
| 9 | 32 | 4022 Charleston St Lake Worth, FL 33461 |
E32 R32 B32 |
| 9 | 34 | 231 Benoist Farms Rd West Palm Beach, FL 33411 |
E34 R34 TC34 SO34 B34 BC9 DC9 |
(E= Engine, R= Rescue, B= Brush, T= Tanker, Q= Quint, LA= Light+Air,
SO= Special Operations (HazMat+Heavy Rescue), TC= Tactical (Heavy Rescue),
DC= District Chief, BC= Battalion Chief, EMS= Paramedic Supervisor, AC= Airport Captain,
D= Dragon (ARFF Crash Truck), RP= Rescue Pumper, F= Foam,
TH= TraumaHawk (Aero-Medical helicopter), RA= Rescue Airboat)
Some of the firehouses have nicknames that describe the life or types of calls run at that firehouse.
Station 23, the busiest station in the department, is known as "The Rock" because it is often a difficult place to work due to the call volume, and new members get sent there to do their "rookie" time;
Station 33 is known as "The Fire Factory" due to its notoriously high number of fires;
Station 36 is known as the "House of Pain" because of the high volume of calls including structure fires, shootings and stabbings;
Station 41 is known as "The Night Train" because they are often up all night running medical calls;
Station 55 is known as "The Fun House" because of the number of calls they run, and things can sometimes get crazy there;
Station 31 is known as "The Guardians of the Corridor", protecting the Lake Worth Corridor, and run a high volume of fire and trauma related calls as well.
The minimum staffing is as follows:
Open assignments are bid twice a year and are chosen by seniority. If a person already holds an assignment, they cannot be "bumped" out of it unless the station is being disbanded or as a disciplinary action.
Battalion Chiefs work Monday-Friday (except on holidays). All ranks District Chief and below work a 24-hours on, 48-hours off schedule. Each officer and firefighter is assigned to a shift, of which there are three: A, B, and C. There is only one shift on at a time. Tours are for 24 hours and run from 0730 to 0730 the next morning. Employees of the same rank and assignment may "swap" tours with one another, if approved by their respective approving supervisor.
Every three weeks each firefighter gets a "Kelly Day"[11], also called a "work week adjustment". This is a day off to bring the work week down to the negotiated number of hours. For instance, if a firefighter works 24-hours on and 48-hours off without a Kelly Day, that firefighter would be working a 56-hour work week. PBCFR has a negotiated 48-hour work week, so each firefighter is given 24-hours off every three weeks to compensate for the time difference. The Kelly Day always falls on the same day of the week for the individual firefighter, and is bid once a year based on seniority (the more senior people get the more desirable days).
When a person dials 9-1-1 in Palm Beach County, it goes to the local Public Safety Answering Point, which is usually the local Sheriff Office or police agency. If the call is of a fire or medical nature, and is in PBCFR's jurisdiction (or one of the agencies that is dispatched by PBCFR), it is transferred to the PBCFR Communications Center located in the Palm Beach County Emergency Operations Center in West Palm Beach, Florida. A calltaker will ascertain the location and nature of the emergency, enter it into the Computer Aided Dispatch system, and give the caller medical instructions if needed. Meanwhile, another dispatcher, who received the call via the CAD system, verifies that the closest unit(s) are available for the call.
In July, 2006, the PBCFR Communications Center switched over to a new CAD system, made by Intergraph as well as a new Enhanced 9-1-1 telephone system, made by Positron Public Safety Systems.
Once the unit response is verified, the call is sent to a printer in the fire station and a computerized voice announces the call both in the firehouse and on the radio, alerting the crews to the call. The calls are also sent to the crews via an alpha-numeric paging system and in some units to their Mobile Data Terminal (laptop computer in their vehicle). In July, 2006, this computerized voice dispatch system, which is made by Locution Systems, Inc. was put into service. This system notifies the units via a computerized voice over the dispatch channel as well as their fire station directly via the computer network. This system cuts down the time it takes to dispatch a unit to a call, especially if there are other calls holding. The old two-tone paging system is still in place as a backup in the event the computerized system fails.
An Alarm Level is a representation of how many units are assigned to an incident, and indirectly, the seriousness of the incident. All incidents are initially dispatched at an alarm level of "1". Working fires that require more resources than the first due units can provide are upgraded to a second alarm, which send more units to the scene.[12] Subsequent alarms dispatch more units to the scene. The amount of units being dispatched is dependent on the type of call.
Example:
| Alarm Level | Units for Type: 11R (Residential Structure Fire) | Units for Type: 400 (Motor Vehicle Accident) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 (first alarm) | 3 Engines, 2 Rescue, 1 Quint, 1 District Chief, 1 District Captain | 1 Engine, 1 Rescue |
| 2 (second alarm - these units are sent after the first alarm units are dispatched, if needed) | 1 Engine, 1 Rescue, 1 Special Operations unit, 1 District Chief, 1 Battalion Chief, 1 District Captain[13] | 1 Engine, 1 Rescue, 1 District Chief, 1 District Captain |
| 3 (third alarm) | 1 Engine, 1 Rescue, Division Chief of Operations[14] | n/a |
Palm Beach County Fire-Rescue follows the National Incident Management System (NIMS) format for all radio communications. All communications are done in "Plain English" with certain standard terminology specific to the department used as well. Only two "signals" are in use: "Signal 4", which is a motor vehicle accident, and "Signal 7", which is a deceased person. These are holdovers from the "signals" used by the police agencies statewide.[15]
In 2004 the County Commission approved a resolution allowing for funding for the Fire-Rescue Communications Center to come out of the General Fund instead of the Fire-Rescue budget. This change meant that now any city that wanted to be dispatched by Fire-Rescue could do so without having to negotiate a price and a contract, since all taxpayers were paying for it anyway. The concept behind this was to create a "Regionalized Dispatch Center" where the closest unit could be dispatched to a call, regardless of municipal boundaries. This was initially met with opposition from a few cities, citing that this construed "Double Taxation", as they were already providing dispatch services to their own departments yet their citizens were being taxed for the Countywide system. Recently, more and more cities are coming into the new system.
Municipal Fire Departments currently participating in the Countywide Dispatch System
Many of the "Gated Communities" in the areas that Fire-Rescue services have their own private security patrols. In a handful of these communities, the patrol officers also act as first responders for medical calls. Some of these communities have even gone the extra step of hiring "Security Medics", who are security patrol officers certified as paramedics with Advanced Life Support equipment, capable of initiating life saving measures before the Fire-Rescue paramedics arrive. The security companies, at their request, are provided with alpha-numeric pagers which alert them of a call in their community. The call is sent to the pager from the Fire-Rescue Computer Aided Dispatch system and gives them the location and nature of the call.
(Facts obtained from the FY 2010 Fact Sheet)
Number of Calls (PBCFR) (FY 2009):
Average Response Time: 6 minutes 36 seconds
| Title | Badge | Collar and Badge Insignia | Helmet Color | Helmet Shield Color |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chief of Department | Gold | 5 crossed bugles, gold background | White | Gold Leaf |
| Deputy Chief | Gold | 4 crossed bugles, gold background | White | Gold Leaf |
| Division Chief | Gold | 4 crossed bugles, blue background | White | Gold Leaf |
| Battalion Chief | Gold | 3 crossed bugles, gold background | White | Gold Leaf |
| District Chief | Gold | 3 crossed bugles, blue background | White | White |
| District Captain | Gold | 2 crossed bugles, blue background | Black with Red Tetrahedrons and White reflective bars | White |
| Captain (both Station Captains and "Specialty" Captains (ARFF, Special Ops)) | Gold | 2 vertical parallel bugles, blue background | Black with Red Tetrahedrons ("Specialty" Captains also have White reflective bars) | White |
| Lieutenant | Gold | 1 vertical bugle, blue background | Black with Red Tetrahedrons and Blue reflective bars | White |
| Driver/Operator | Silver with driver emblem | No collar insignia | Black with Yellow Tetrahedrons | Black |
| Firefighter |
Silver with "firefighter scramble" | No collar insignia | Black with Yellow Tetrahedrons | Black |
| Explorer | Silver with "Explorer 'E'" | No collar insignia | Yellow | Black |
The Volunteer Division is used primarily as a reserve division. They are not paged as first-in units, nor are volunteers used for daily staffing. Combat Volunteers have the opportunity to ride at any of the county stations. The Volunteers are called for major fires for rehab and suppression. They operate out of Station 42 in Delray Beach and Station 68 in Lake Park.[26]
The Explorers post of PBCFR is a program for teens ages 15–20, or 14 and in the 9th grade. Mandatory meetings are held twice a month at the Palm Beach County Fire-Rescue "Herman W. Brice Training Center" for active Explorers. Once a candidate is voted in as a member of the post, they will be able to train for firematics competitions, learn emergency patient assessment skills, and ride along with the crews. Before an Explorer can participate in the "Ride Along" program, he or she must obtain "BLS Healthcare Provider", train on basic firefighting skills, and be familiar with the location of equipment on the vehicles. The post takes new members twice a year and currently has 100 active members.
The post follows a chain of command like Palm Beach County Fire-Rescue. There are 2 battalions, with 4 companies in each. There are 11 Exploring Officers in the post: 1 District Chief, 2 Captains and 8 Lieutenants. The officers in the post lead the bi-weekly meetings; this includes the specific trainings/lectures for the evening, testing, etc. The officers ensure that the Explorers are following the guidelines specified in the department and post SOG’s (Standard Operating Guidelines). To become an officer, a candidate must have completed a designated amount of ride time, and must be a member in good sanding within the post. Post members that meet the prerequisites for Lieutenant or Captain may request an officer’s position in January, and be voted in to the position by the post. The District Chief position is appointed by the post's Advisors (employees of PBCFR that oversee the post) to a person who is in good standing of the post, shows the leadership qualities necessary, and is responsible.
Once an Explorer has taken and passed one written and two "on-site" knowledge tests of a department engine and rescue unit, they can go to their local fire station and ask if one of the career Firefighters would be willing to sponsor them in the ride along program. The sponsor is responsible for the Explorer when they are at the station and on calls. An Explorer can go to the fire station when their sponsor is on shift. An Explorer may only ride along from 1600 and 2100 hours, except on weekends and when school is not in session. When an Explorer is on shift, they can participate in numerous activities at the station, as well as at emergency scenes. Explorers cannot put themselves into danger while in the field. For example: if there is a HAZMAT situation, an Explorer must stay in the “Cold Zone” (area with no hazard). When at a structure fire, an Explorer cannot go into the building until the fire is extinguished, and may go through with firefighters and "explore" the damages. They can help outside with moving and connecting hoses, preparing hydrants, and mostly being a "runner." Explorers may assist paramedics when on medical calls to the level of training to which they have obtained.
A second Explorer Post is in the planning stages for The Glades.
The majority of emergency calls to which Palm Beach County Fire-Rescue responds are medical in nature. This is largely due to the large elderly population they service as well as the decrease of fire-related calls over the past few decades.
From its inception in 1984 to today, Palm Beach County Fire-Rescue has been able to maintain at least one Advanced Life Support unit in every station, whether it is a Rescue or an Engine. Initially, Palm Beach County Fire-Rescue only provided non-transport ALS (fly-cars) utilizing modified ambulances and "squad" type utility trucks. A private ambulance service provided BLS assistance and transported the patient. If the call was a call that met ALS criteria, the Fire-Rescue paramedic would take the ALS gear and climb into the back of the ambulance along with the EMT from the ambulance service. The other Fire-Rescue paramedic would then follow the ambulance to the hospital. This setup was very similar to the one depicted in the 1970s TV show Emergency!.
At the time of consolidation in 1984, Basic Life Support and transport was done by several local ambulance services in Palm Beach County.
Ambulance Services in Palm Beach County in 1984
Today, there are only two private ambulance providers left in Palm Beach County: American Medical Response and Medics Ambulance Service. In November, 2007, Palm Beach County Fire-Rescue started a pilot program to transport all BLS patients in certain areas (see "BLS Transport" below).
In 1996 the County Commission enacted an ordinance allowing Fire-Rescue to transport their own ALS patients to the hospital. The county is divided up into zones and in some of these zones PBCFR now transports both ALS and BLS Basic Life Support patients. In other zones BLS patients are turned over to a private ambulance service for transport to a hospital.
The Traumahawk is an air ambulance used for ALS Transport of trauma, cardiac, and stroke patients meeting certain pre-determined criteria. It is owned and operated by the Palm Beach County Health District, and staffed by Registered Nurses and Paramedics from Palm Beach County Fire-Rescue. Since it is owned and operated by the Health Care District, it is available to any public safety agency requiring trauma, cardiac, or stroke transport via air in Palm Beach County. The on scene Paramedics will decide whether or not a Traumahawk is necessary in a situation basic on certain pre-determined criteria.
On average, a Traumahawk is dispatched between 1 and 5 times a day for traumatic injuries, including those from vehicle accidents to sports injuries. In the western communities it is also used extensively for cardiac and stroke patients since the distance to the closest cardiac and stroke treatment centers is over an hour by ground.
In November, 2007, Fire-Rescue started a pilot program to begin transporting all patients, regardless of whether they are ALS or BLS for "Zone 1", which is the area bordered by Martin County to the north, 20-Mile Bend to the west, split down the middle by the Florida's Turnpike. The area between the Turnpike west to 20-Mile Bend is bordered on the south by Lantana Road in suburban Lantana and Lake Worth. The area between the Turnpike and the Atlantic Ocean (or the eastern border of our jurisdiction where it does not reach the ocean) is bordered on the south by 45th Street in suburban West Palm Beach.[33].
The following schedule was followed for the project:
When a request for a medical problem is received by Fire-Rescue, the closest Rescue truck is dispatched. If the closest Rescue is not available, an ALS Engine or ALS Quint is dispatched. The crew on the ALS Engine carries full Advanced Life Support gear and can initiate the appropriate care until another Rescue unit arrives to transport the patient. If the patient does not require Advanced Life Support, a BLS ambulance can be requested from American Medical Response or Medics Ambulance Service, depending on the location of the incident, to transport the patient in those areas where Fire-Rescue does not provide BLS transport.
When Fire-Rescue consolidated, the different fire districts also consolidated their dispatch into one central office. The Palm Beach County EMS Dispatch (also known as "MedCom", who was responsible for dispatching the private ambulance services) expanded their facility on Belvedere Road in West Palm Beach and started handling dispatch functions for the newly created department. This facility was renamed the "Alarm Office". Initially, a firefighter-paramedic would be stationed at the "Alarm Office" to give pre-arrival instructions to callers that needed them. With the introduction of Emergency Medical Dispatch certifications, Fire-Rescue purchased a license to use the "Medical Priority"[36] system and certified all of their dispatchers as "Emergency Medical Dispatchers", a certification given after a 16 hour class is given on using their system. The system utilized a "flip-file" where the dispatcher would go to certain marked cards in the file based on the answers given by the caller to some standardized questions. Instructions would be given to the caller directly from the card. Around 2000, Fire-Rescue dispatch moved from the "Medical Priority" system to the APCO EMD Program. Fire-Rescue is still currently using the APCO system. Response determinants[37] are not used in the current system.