Atlanta Fire Department
| Atlanta Fire Rescue Department (AFRD) | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Operational area | |
| Country | United States |
| State |
.svg.png){kind=small} Georgia (U.S. state) |
| City | Atlanta |
| Agency overview | |
| Established | 1882 |
| Annual calls | 96,890(2012)[1] |
| Employees | 1,000[1] |
| Staffing | Career |
| Fire chief | Interim Fire Chief Joel Baker |
| EMS level | ALS & BLS |
| IAFF | local 134 |
| Facilities and equipment | |
| Divisions | 1 |
| Battalions | 7 |
| Stations | 34 |
| Engines | 34 |
| Trucks | 17 |
| Squads | 2 |
| Ambulances | 4 |
| USAR | 2 |
| Airport crash | 10 |
| Rescue boats | 4 |
The Atlanta Fire Rescue Department (AFRD) provides fire protection and first responder emergency medical services to the city of Atlanta, Georgia, United States. The Atlanta Fire Rescue Department was founded in 1882 and protects an area of approximately 132 square miles.[1] In 2012, the department responded to 96,890 emergency calls.[1]
History
The history of the Atlanta Fire Rescue Department dates back to February 2, 1848, when the Atlanta City Council formed a committee to investigate a fire problem in the brand new town. Only a week later, residents were ordered to have fire buckets in their homes. It would take three more years and several serious fires before the Georgia Legislature would approve a bill authorizing the formation of Atlanta Fire Company No. 1, which went in service on March 25, 1851. In 1852 fire cisterns were constructed in several areas downtown, during which the State Legislature again provided assistance to the fire service by requiring buildings to have a short ladder and two fire buckets.
Citizens, obtaining city and state charters, formed four separate fire companies. By early 1860, the City Council requested that the four companies combine and form one fire department. On January 20, 1860, all four companies were placed under one command structure.
The War between the States, and the eventual burning of Atlanta in 1864, devastated the small volunteer fire department. Union forces seized and/or destroyed all fire apparatus in the city. Atlanta remained an all volunteer department until July 1, 1882, when the six remaining volunteer stations were dissolved and the Atlanta Fire Department began with three “paid” fire stations.
Atlanta Firefighters have battled several major conflagrations over the years, and have fought several multi-fatality fires including the Winecoff Hotel and the Baptist Towers. These tragic events led to significant changes in fire safety codes, both within the city and nationally, in an effort to prevent a reoccurrence. Many of these changes not only affected fire safety in the United States, but throughout the world.
The fire service in Atlanta, from the days of volunteers to the professional paid department, has a rich history in saving lives and protecting property. From those meager beginnings the Atlanta Fire Department, and now the Atlanta Fire Rescue Department, has grown to what it is today.[2][3]
Decommissioned Fire Stations Still Stanging:
- 4, located at 125 Ellis St., now the First Congregational Church
- 6, located at Boulevard and Auburn Av.,(1894–1991) is now the bookstore of the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historic Site, and a museum exhibit on desegregation in the AFD, both operated by the National Park Service.
- 7, located at Whitehall and Oak St., is currently closed due to the 2009 recession.
- 11, located at 30 North Ave., now the Engine 11 Firehouse Tavern
- 13, located at Flat Shoals Ave. and Metropolitan Ave., for sale
- 16, located at Marietta St. and McLendon St., for sale
- 17, located at 1384 Gordon St.
- 28, located at 2040 Main St. NW
- 32, located at 135 Johnson Ferry Rd., now Sandy Springs Fire Station 2
Organization
The Atlanta Fire Rescue Department is divided into four divisions: Chief of Staff; Office of Support Services; Field Operations; Airport Operations. The Chief of Staff Division is commanded by Deputy Chief Wilmond Meadows. The Office of Support Services Division is commanded by Deputy Chief Michael Simmons. The Field Operations Division is commanded by Deputy Chief Randall B. Slaughter. The Airport Operations Division is commanded by Deputy Chief Joel G. Baker and is responsible for providing fire and emergency medical services to the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.
Operations
The Atlanta Fire Rescue Department currently operates out of 34 Fire Stations, located throughout the city of Atlanta, organized into 7 Battalions, including an Airport Battalion commanding 4 Fire Stations that serve the Hartsfield-Jackson Airport.[4]
Staffing: Atlanta Firefighters work 24 hours on (7am until 7am the next morning) and 48 hours off continously.
- BLS Engine Companys consists of a Driver, Officer, and (2) EMT-A/Firefighters.
- ALS Engines Companys consists of a Driver, Officer and (2) Paramedic/Firefighters.
- Truck Companys consists of a Driver (2 Drivers for tiller trucks), Officer, and (2) firefighters.
- Battlions consists of a Driver and a Battalion Chief.
- Squads consist of a Driver, Officer and (4) Hazmat-Tech/Rescue-Tech/Firefighters.
- QIC units consist of an EMT-A Driver and a Medic.
- EMS Supervisor units consist of a Medic Supervisor.
- ARFF Strikers consist of a Driver and a Officer.
- ARFF Medic Ambulances consist of (2) Medics.
Fire Station Locations and Apparatus
Below is a list of all of the fire station locations in the city of Atlanta according to Battalion.[5][6]
(*) ALS Unit.
| Engine Company | Truck Company | Special Unit | Chief | Battalion | Address |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine 1* | Truck 1 | Decon. Unit 1, Air Unit 7, Air Shuttle Unit | Division 1 | 3 | 71 Elliott St. S.W. |
| Engine 2* | Truck 2 | Decon. Unit 2, Air Bag Unit 2 | 1 | 1568 Jonesboro Rd. S.E. | |
| Engine 3 | Mobile Command Unit | 6 | 721 Phipps Blvd. | ||
| Engine 5* | G.S.A.R. Unit 61 | Battalion 4 | 4 | 2825 Campbellton Rd. S.W. | |
| Engine 6 | Squad 4, Q.I.C. Unit 6*, T.S.U. 1 | 5 | 309 Edgewood Ave. S.E. | ||
| Engine 8 | Battalion 2 | 2 | 1711 Marietta Blvd. N.W. | ||
| Engine 9* | 2 | 3501 Martin Luther King Jr. Dr. S.W. | |||
| Engine 10 | Truck 10 | Antique Light Truck | Battalion 5 | 5 | 447 Boulevard S.E. |
| Engine 11 | Truck 11 | Mini-Pumper 11, A.T.V. 11, Swift Water Unit | 3 | 165 16th St. N.W. | |
| Engine 12 | Truck 12 | 5 | 1288 Dekalb Ave. N.E. | ||
| Engine 13* | 5 | 431 Flat Shoals Ave. S.E. | |||
| Engine 14 | Truck 14 | 1 | 1203 Lee St. S.W. | ||
| Engine 15* | Truck 15 | Battalion 3 | 3 | 170 10th St. N.E. | |
| Engine 16* | Truck 16 | Q.I.C. Unit 16* | 2 | 1048 Joseph E. Boone Blvd. | |
| Engine 17* | EMS 2*, Q.I.C. Unit 17* | 4 | 1489 Ralph David Abernathy Blvd. | ||
| Engine 18 | 5 | 2007 Oakview Rd. S.E. | |||
| Engine 19 | 3 | 1063 N. Highland Ave. N.E. | |||
| Engine 20 | 1 | 590 Manford Rd. S.W. | |||
| Engine 21* | Truck 21 | Air Bag Unit 21, G.S.A.R. Unit 6 | Battalion 6 | 6 | 3201 Roswell Rd. N.E. |
| Engine 22 | 2 | 817 Hollywood Rd. N.W. | |||
| Engine 23* | EMS 1*, Mini-Pumper 23 | 3 | 1545 Howell Mill Rd. N.W. | ||
| Engine 24 (ARFF) | Truck 47 | ARFF 1, ARFF 2, Squad 24, Mini-Pumper 51 | 7 | 3300 N. Inner Loop Cir., Airport | |
| Engine 25 | Truck 25 | 4 | 2349 Benjamin E. Mays Dr. S.W. | ||
| Engine 26* | Truck 26 | 6 | 2970 Howell Mill Rd. N.W. | ||
| Engine 27 | Hose Tender 27 | 6 | 4260 Northside Dr. N.W. | ||
| Engine 28 | Foam 28, Reserve Foam Unit | 2 | 1931 Hollywood Rd. N.W. | ||
| Engine 29 | Truck 29 | 6 | 2167 Monroe Dr. N.E. | ||
| Engine 30* | Battalion 1 | 1 | 10 Cleveland Ave. S.W. | ||
| Engine 31 | Truck 31 | 4 | 2406 Fairburn Rd. S.W. | ||
| Engine 32 (ARFF) | Med. Unit 1, ARFF, ARFF | 7 | 8500 N. Terminal Rd., Airport | ||
| Engine 33 (ARFF) | Truck 43 (ARFF Quint) | ARFF 5, ARFF 6, EMS 3* | 7 | 1401 S. Loop Rd., Airport | |
| Engine 34 | Mobile Ambulance Bus 1 | 1 | 3671 Southside Industrial Pkwy. | ||
| Engine 35 (ARFF) | Med. Unit 2, ARFF 7, ARFF 8, ARFF Reserve | Battalion 7 | 7 | 2150 Central Cargo Cir., Airport | |
| Engine 38* | Truck 38 | 2 | 2911 Donald Lee Hollowell Pkwy. N.W. | ||
| Engine 40 (ARFF) | Truck 41 (ARFF Quint) | Med 3, ARFF 3, ARFF 4, Squad 47, Stair Unit 48 | 7 | 4600 ASR Rd., Airport |
Famous/notable fires
- Sherman's March to the Sea (Atlanta Campaign of American Civil War, 1864)
- Kimball House (hotel, 1883)
- Markham House (hotel, 1896)
- Great Atlanta fire of 1917 (several city blocks)
- Winecoff Hotel 1946 (119 people killed, deadliest hotel fire in U.S. history) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winecoff_Hotel
- Loew's Grand (historic theatre premiered Gone With the Wind in 1939 [which depicted 1864 burning of Atlanta], burned 1978)
- Peachtree 25th (high-rise, 1989)
- Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium Fire (Home of Atlanta Braves 1993)
- Fulton Bag and Cotton Mills (loft conversion, 1999, firefighter rescued crane operator via helicopter)
Other disasters include the 2008 Atlanta tornado, which ripped thorough downtown Atlanta and the Bluffton University bus accident.
Fire chiefs
The fire chief of Atlanta is the top official within the Atlanta Fire Department. Firefighters moved from volunteer to professional in the 19th century in Atlanta, and the current chief oversees a force of 1000 with a budget of $56 million. Some of the previous fire chiefs have been:
As of 6 January 2015.
| Name | From | To |
|---|---|---|
| Thomas Haney (unpaid) |
Jan 1868 | Dec 1868 |
| Matthew Ryan (first paid chief) |
July 1882 | July 1885 |
| W. R. Joyner | July 1885 | Jan 1906 |
| William B. Cummings | Jan 1906 | Jan 1915 |
| William B. Cody Firefighter from 1878 until his death |
Jan 1915 | Jan 1929 |
| John Terrell Only chief to die in line of duty |
Jan 1929 | Jan 1933 |
| Otho J. Parker | Jan 1933 | Jan 1939 |
| Charles Crawford Styron | Jan 1939 | Jan 1959 |
| William H. Hamer | ? | Jan 1988 |
| Tom Perrin | Jan 1988 | Jan 1990 |
| David M. Chamberlin | Jan 1990 | Jan 1995 |
| Winston Minor | Jan 1995 | 2003 |
| Kenneth Allen As Interim |
2003 | 2003 |
| Dennis L. Rubin left to be fire chief of Washington DC |
2003 | Jan 2007 |
| Kelvin J. Cochran hired from Shreveport, Louisiana |
Jan 2007 | August 2009 |
| Joel G. Baker Named Interim Chief |
August 2009 | May 2010 |
| Kelvin J. Cochran Returned |
May 2010 | Jan 2015 |
| Joel Baker Named Interim Chief |
Jan 2015 | Present |
Fire station information
Fire Station # 16 was redecorated in 2008 on the HGTV show Deserving Design, hosted by Atlanta native Vern Yip. Several canopy beds with curtains for quiet sleep and privacy were installed, and Christmas decorations were added. The fire company was selected because of their involvement in the community, especially around Christmas.
Certain neighborhoods of South Atlanta such as Guilford Forest bordering the unincorporated areas of Fulton County, receive fire services from Fulton County Fire and Rescue. The City pays the county around 250,000 dollars annually for the service.
Fire Station # 19 (built 1924) is Atlanta's oldest operating fire station, located at 1063 N. Highland Ave. in Virginia-Highland Portions of the city
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 http://www.atlantaga.gov/index.aspx?page=187
- ↑ "City of Atlanta, GA : Fire". Atlantaga.gov. Retrieved 2012-06-24.
- ↑ http://www.atlantaga.gov/index.aspx?page=1012
- ↑ "City of Atlanta, GA : Field Operations". Atlantaga.gov. 2012-05-23. Retrieved 2012-06-24.
- ↑ "City of Atlanta, GA : Fire Station & NPU Locations". Atlantaga.gov. Retrieved 2012-06-24.
- ↑ "Fire Station and NPU Locations". Retrieved 2012-06-24.
Neighborhoods of South Atlanta: http://www.citysouthfultonnow.org/#!why-incorporate-/c3zd