Baltimore City Fire Department

Baltimore City Fire Department (BCFD)
"Pride Protecting People"
Operational area
Country  United States
State  Maryland
City Baltimore
Agency overview[1]
Established 1859 (Founded 1797)
Annual calls ~235,000
Employees 1,800
Annual budget $155,002,404 (2016)
Staffing Career
Fire chief Niles Ford
EMS level ALS & BLS
IAFF 734 (firefighters) 964 (officers)
Facilities and equipment[2]
Battalions 6
Stations 38
Engines 31
Trucks 17
Squads 3
Rescues 1
Ambulances 37
HAZMAT 3
Fireboats 2
Light and air 2
Website
Official website
IAFF website

The Baltimore City Fire Department (BCFD) provides fire protection and emergency medical services to the city of Baltimore, Maryland. Founded in 1797 and established in 1859, the Baltimore City Fire Department covers an area of 81 square miles (210 km2) of land and 11 square miles (28 km2) of water, with a resident population of over 640,000 and a daytime population of over 1,000,000.[1] The BCFD responds to approximately 235,000 emergency calls annually.

History

Baltimore's early firefighting was performed by volunteers. The various companies engaged in serious rivalries, resulting in what a Baltimore mayor termed "irregularities".[3] For example, gangs operating out of firehouses participated in the Know-Nothing Riot of 1856. A municipal organization was established in 1859.

The Great Baltimore Fire in 1904 burned for thirty hours straight and decimated a major part of central Baltimore, including over 1,500 buildings. Mutual aid companies from as far away as Washington D.C., Philadelphia and New York City were called in to assist. The fire led to uniform national standards in fire fighting equipment and protocols. As with other large fires of the time, it was a predecessor to the stringent fire codes of today.

Operations

The Baltimore City Fire Department responds from 31 fire stations located throughout the city. The BCFD operates 31 engine companies, 17 truck companies, 4 squad companies, 1 rescue company, 2 fireboats, 24 medic units, 11 critical alert medic units, 2 peak medic units, 2 medical assist cars (M.A.C.), as well as numerous other special, support, and reserve units. These companies are organized into 6 battalions, each under the command of a battalion chief. Each battalion chief reports to the on-duty shift commander.

Staffing

Each BCFD frontline engine company and each frontline truck company is staffed by an officer and 3 firefighters per shift. Each engine company is staffed by a lieutenant or captain, a pump operator (driver), and 2 firefighters each shift. Each truck company is staffed by a lieutenant or captain, an emergency vehicle driver (EVD) (two drivers if the truck operates a tractor-drawn apparatus), and a firefighter each shift. The captain of a BCFD company is in command of that company. In a fire station with more than one fire company, the senior captain of one of the two or more companies is the "house captain", in command of the fire station that the two or more companies share. Each BCFD medic unit is staffed by two paramedics per shift. Each battalion chief's unit is operated by a battalion chief and his/her aide/driver.

Response Profiles

All responses are dispatched to field units by the Fire Communications Bureau using pre-determined response profiles from the computer-aided dispatch system. Units can be special-called by any field unit once an incident is underway, however, the greater alarm system is typically used to request additional resources.

Apparatus Descriptions

The BCFD utilizes a variety of standardized and specialized apparatus to carry out its duties.

Stations and apparatus

Battalion Neighborhood Engine Truck EMS Command EMS Command Special
Northwood Engine 4 Truck 29 [4]
First Highlandtown Engine 41 Battalion Chief 1

[5]

First Canton Industrial Engine 50 Medic 2 EMS 5 [6]
First Fells Point Engine 5 Truck 3 Medic 10

Peak Unit 41

[7]
First Greektown Truck 20 Medic 20 [8]
First Belair-Edison Engine 27 Truck 26 [9]
First Butchers Hill Engine 51 [10]
Second Old TownEngine 6 Truck 1 Medic 7Battalion Chief 2, Shift Commander,

Battalion Chief EMS

 Mobile Communications Unit,
AirFLEX 2 		[11]
Second East Baltimore Midway Truck 5Medic 16 EMS 3 MAC 5 [12]
Second Federal HillEngine 2 [13]
Second Madison ParkEngine 13 Truck 16 Medic 4 [14]
Second Waverly Engine 31 Medic 3 [15]
Third Sandtown-Winchester Engine 8 Truck 10 Medic 15 Battalion Chief 3 Decon 1 [16]
Third Beechfield (Fort Hollins) Engine 14 [17]
Third Irvington Engine 30 Truck 8 Medic 12 [18]
Third EdmondsonEngine 36Critical Alert 63 [19]
Third Morrell Park Squad 47 [20]
Third Edmondson Village Engine 53 [21]
Third Pigtown Engine 55 Truck 23Critical Alert 43

Peak Unit 43

 [22]
Fourth LauravilleEngine 42 Medic 6

Critical Alert 44

 Battalion Chief 4 [23]
Fourth Hampden Engine 21 Medic 19 [24]
Fourth Chinquapin Engine 43 Medic 18

Critical Alert 64

 [25]
Fourth Roland Park Engine 44 Truck 25 [26]
Fourth Gardenville Squad 54 Truck 30 Medic 13 [27]
Fourth Hamilton Engine 56 [28]
Fifth Dorchester Squad 40 Truck 12 Medic 11Battalion Chief 5 [29]
Fifth Hilltop Engine 46 Truck 27 EMS 4
Fifth Walbrook Engine 20Truck 18 Medic 8

Critical Alert 65

 [17]
Fifth Park Heights Engine 29 Medic 17

Critical Alert 45

[30]
Fifth Mount Washington Engine 45 Medic 14 [31]
Fifth Mondawmin Engine 52 [32]
Sixth Downtown Engine 23 Medic 1, 22, & 23

Critical Alert 23 & 66

 Battalion Chief 6 EMS 6 AirFLEX 1, HazMat 1 & 3

Rescue 1

 [33]
Sixth Locust PointSquad 6 Truck 6 Medic 5

Critical Alert 66

EMS 2 SCUBA 1[34]
Sixth BrooklynEngine 35Truck 21Medic 9 [35]
Sixth Curtis Bay Engine 57 [36]
Sixth Westport Engine 58 [37]
Sixth Fort McHenry Fire Boat 1
Fire Rescue Boat 1 		[38]
Engine Company 2, 800 Light Street (Taken October 2015)

The movie Ladder 49 portrays the BCFD, with a fictional truck company (referred to as a ladder company in the film).[39] Additionally members of the BCFD served as advisors for the film.

Frequencies

This is a list of frequencies to program into a scanner or radio to listen to BCFD radio communication[40]

All Frequencies are in Mhz
Channel Frequency Use
1 154.310 Main
2 154.370 Fire ground 1
3 154.385 Fire ground 2
4 154.325 Fire ground 3
5 154.415 Citywide Dispatch
6 154.145 Ambulance Dispatch
7 153.830 Portable

Baltimore Riots of 2015

During the Baltimore riots that took place from April 27, 2015 to April 28, the Baltimore Fire Department was backed up with multiple calls and also battled against rioters. Many fire trucks were damaged by rioters where bottles and rocks were thrown at the fire trucks as they were responding to incidents. In one case there is also video footage of a rioter cutting a fire truck's fire hose in an effort to hinder their effectiveness. The Baltimore Fire Department responded to 144 vehicle fires and 15 structure fires during the course of the riots. Many surrounding areas such as the Howard County fire department, Anne Arundel County fire department and Prince George's County Fire Department sent crews to Baltimore to help the Baltimore Fire Department during the riots.[41]

References

  1. 1 2 "Message From The Chief". Baltimore City Fire Department. Retrieved 5 February 2015.
  2. ↑ "Fire / BCFD Leadership Team". Baltimore City Fire Department. Retrieved 24 January 2015.
  3. ↑ Clarence H. Forrest (1898). Official history of the fire department of the city of Baltimore: together with biographies and portraits of eminent citizens of Baltimore. Williams & Wilkins. pp. 56–57. Retrieved January 7, 2011.
  4. ↑ "Station of Engine 2". Retrieved 4 February 2015.
  5. ↑ "Station of Engine 41". BCFD IAFF. Retrieved 4 February 2015.
  6. ↑ "Station of Engine 50". BCFD IAFF. Retrieved 4 February 2015.
  7. ↑ "Station of Engine 5". BCFD IAFF. Retrieved 24 January 2015.
  8. ↑ "Station of Truck 20". BCFD IAFF. Retrieved 24 January 2015.
  9. ↑ "Station of Engine 27". BCFD IAFF. Retrieved 24 January 2015.
  10. ↑ "Station of Engine 51". BCFD IAFF. Retrieved 4 February 2015.
  11. ↑ "Station of Engine 6". BCFD IAFF. Retrieved 24 January 2015.
  12. ↑ "Station of Truck 5". BCFD IAFF. Retrieved 4 February 2015.
  13. ↑ "Station of Engine 2". Retrieved 4 February 2015.
  14. ↑ "Station of Engine 13". BCFD IAFF. Retrieved 24 January 2015.
  15. ↑ "Station of Engine 31". BCFD IAFF. Retrieved 4 February 2015.
  16. ↑ "Station of Engine 8". Retrieved 4 February 2015.
  17. 1 2 "Station of Engine 21". BCFD IAFF. Retrieved 4 February 2015.
  18. ↑ "Station of Engine 30". BCFD IAFF. Retrieved 4 February 2015.
  19. ↑ "Station of Engine 36". BCFD IAFF. Retrieved 4 February 2015.
  20. ↑ "Station of Squad 47". BCFD IAFF. Retrieved 4 February 2015.
  21. ↑ "Station of Engine 53". BCFD IAFF. Retrieved 4 February 2015.
  22. ↑ "Station of Engine 55". BCFD IAFF. Retrieved 4 February 2015.
  23. ↑ "Station of Engine 42". BCFD IAFF. Retrieved 4 February 2015.
  24. ↑ "Station of Engine 20". BCFD IAFF. Retrieved 4 February 2015.
  25. ↑ "Station of Engine 43". BCFD IAFF. Retrieved 4 February 2015.
  26. ↑ "Station of Engine 44". BCFD IAFF. Retrieved 4 February 2015.
  27. ↑ "Station of Squad 54". BCFD IAFF. Retrieved 4 February 2015.
  28. ↑ "Station of Engine 56". BCFD IAFF. Retrieved 4 February 2015.
  29. ↑ "Station of Squad 40". BCFD IAFF. Retrieved 4 February 2015.
  30. ↑ "Station of Engine 29". BCFD IAFF. Retrieved 4 February 2015.
  31. ↑ "Station of Engine 45". BCFD IAFF. Retrieved 4 February 2015.
  32. ↑ "Station of Engine 52". BCFD IAFF. Retrieved 4 February 2015.
  33. ↑ "Station of Engine 23". BCFD IAFF. Retrieved 4 February 2015.
  34. ↑ "Station of Engine 26". BCFD IAFF. Retrieved 24 January 2015.
  35. ↑ "Station of Engine 35". BCFD IAFF. Retrieved 4 February 2015.
  36. ↑ "Station of Engine 57". BCFD IAFF. Retrieved 4 February 2015.
  37. ↑ "Station of Engine 58". BCFD IAFF. Retrieved 4 February 2015.
  38. ↑ "Station of Fire Boats". BCFD IAFF. Retrieved 4 February 2015.
  39. ↑ "Baltimore Fire Lieutenant Shares Experience As 'Ladder 49' Technical Advisor". Firehouse. Retrieved 6 February 2015.
  40. ↑ "Baltimore City, Maryland (MD) Scanner Frequencies and Radio Frequency Reference". www.radioreference.com. Retrieved 2017-06-25.
  41. ↑ "Stretched thin, Baltimore Fire Department calls in backup". Retrieved 2015-04-29.

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