Tampa Fire Department

The Tampa Fire Department (TFD) or Tampa Fire Rescue is the agency that provides fire protection, prevention, and suppression, and emergency medical services within the city of Tampa, Florida, U.S.A.. Headed by the city's Fire Chief, the fire department is also responsible for the handling of and response to hazardous materials, aircraft rescue, and marine firefighting. A division of the department headed by the Fire Marshal is responsible for fire investigations, as well as review and enforcement of fire and building safety codes.^[9] TFD is a public agency that is administered by the city of Tampa as an official department of its municipal government.^[10]

History

Tampa's first organized volunteer fire department was founded in 1884 with a force of only seven to serve the city. On May 10, 1895, the Tampa City Council passed a resolution authorizing the city's first professional, paid fire department. With A. J. Harris presiding as Fire Chief, there were 22 firefighters in five stations at an annual budget of $18,000. On the same day, hand operated pumpers, fire hydrants, and steam engines were introduced for pumping water to firefighter's hoses.

The annexations of Drew Park, Sulphur Springs, Palma Ceia, and Ballast Point in 1954 doubled the size of the department, thus four stations were acquired and most volunteer fire fighters were hired.^[11] Paramedic-manned station wagons were introduced in July 1973.^[11]

Tampa Fire-Rescue operates on 24 hour staffing, in which firefighters are on duty for 24 hours (7am to 7am) and are off duty for 48 hours. As such, there are three on duty shifts, dubbed either A, B, or C. Of the active 21 fire stations, a majority house both a rescue unit (ALS ambulance) and an engine company (many are ALS equipped). Five of the stations house a truck company (aerial ladder truck or tiller truck) in addition to the engine. In addition to these standard vehicles, several stations contain auxiliary units such as a heavy rescue unit, boats, brush trucks, vent trucks, and hazardous incident units. The city requires that all firefighters hold at the minimum an EMT and a Florida Firefighter Compliance certificate. In addition, within two years of employment, all firefighters are required to undergo paramedic certification. This is largely due in part to the significant number of EMS related alarms the department responds to.^[12] Station #2 provides fire protection to Tampa International Airport exclusively with a staffing of highly trained firefighters and paramedics. This station houses a fleet of Oshkosh Aircraft Rescue Firefighting (ARFF) trucks, which are able to douse aircraft emergencies with water and foam retardant. Station #2's ARFF6 unit is specifically designed to transport paramedics to the terminals and other locations on the airport campus whenever a traveler is injured or in a medical crisis. Because ARFF6 must be on the airport campus constantly, it does not have means to transport patients to nearby hospitals.^[13]

Fire Stations

TFD firefighting operations are based out of the city's 21 local fire stations. These are listed below by station number, followed by each station's address and the neighborhoods in which they primarily serve.^[5][14]

1. 808 East Zack Street. - Serves Uptown and Downtown Tampa, the Channel District, Harbour Island, and the southern end of Tampa Heights.
2. 5405 West Spruce Street. - Serves Tampa International Airport.
3. 103 South Newport Avenue. - Serves the greater Hyde Park area, West Riverfront, Courier City-Oscawana, the University of Tampa, and surrounding areas.
4. 2100 East 11^th Avenue. - Serves the greater Ybor City area.
5. 3900 North Central Avenue. - Serves Tampa Heights, Riverside Heights, Ridgewood Park, parts of V.M. Ybor, and the southern areas of greater Seminole Heights.
6. 311 South 22^nd Street. - Serves Palmetto Beach and the Port of Tampa.
7. 6129 North Nebraska Avenue. - Serves the northern areas of greater Seminole Heights.
8. 2015 North Manhattan Avenue. - Serves Westshore, Carver City-Lincoln Gardens, Rocky Point, and surrounding areas, plus the Howard Frankland Bridge and the Courtney Campbell Causeway.
9. 2525 West Chestnut Street. - Serves Macfarlane Park-Northeast Macfarlane, Old West Tampa, and Bowman Heights, and surrounding areas.
10. 3108 North 34^th Street. - Serves East Tampa, Highland Pines, Northview Hills, East Ybor, and surrounding areas.
11. 710 East Fairbanks Street. - Serves Sulphur Springs, Lowry Park, Forest Hills, North Tampa, and surrounding areas.
12. 3073 West Hillsborough Avenue. - Serves Drew Park, Wellswood, Riverbend, and surrounding areas.
13. 2713 East Annie Street. - Serves Terrace Park, Temple Crest, North Tampa, University Square, as well as Busch Gardens and U.S.F..
14. 1325 South Church Avenue. - Serves Palma Ceia, Virginia Park, Golf View, Swann Estates, Beach Park, Sunset Park, Culbreath Heights, and surrounding areas.
15. 4919 South Himes Avenue. - Serves Gandy-Sun Bay South, Ballast Point, Bayside West, Fair Oaks – Manhattan Manor, Bel Mar Shores, and Bayshore Beautiful, and surrounding areas.
16. 5126 East 10^th Avenue. - Serves Florence Villa, Grant Park, and the Gary and Uceta Yard areas.
17. 601 East Davis Boulevard. - Serves Davis Islands and marine areas.
18. 5706 North 30^th Street. - Serves East Tampa, Live Oaks Square, Woodland Terrace, Rivergrove, the Northeast Community, and surrounding areas.
19. 4916 West Ingraham Lane. - Serves Port Tampa City, Gandy-Sun Bay South, Interbay, and marine areas.
20. 16200 Bruce B. Downs Boulevard. - Serves the greater Tampa Palms area, portions of West Meadows, and other southern sections of New Tampa, and Interstate 275 and Interstate 75 mutual aid.
21. 18902 Green Pine Lane. - Serves the greater Hunters Green area, Cory Lake Isles, portions of West Meadows, and other northern sections of New Tampa.

References

External links

• Tampa Fire Department History Page
• Tampa Fire Dept. History at New Millennium Fire Sprinklers, Inc.
• Tampa Fire Department Home Page