Philadelphia Fire Department

Philadelphia Fire Department
Operational area
CountryUnited States
StatePennsylvania
CityPhiladelphia
Agency overview[1]
EstablishedMarch 15, 1871 (1871-03-15)
Annual calls437,329 (2013)
Employees2700
StaffingCareer
CommissionerJeffrey Thompson, Commissioner
Mayor of PhiladelphiaCherelle Parker
Managing DirectorAdam Thiel
EMS levelALS & BLS
IAFF22
MottoMotto: Dedication and Service
Facilities and equipment
Divisions3 Divisions
Battalions13 Battalions
Stations63 Fire Stations
Engines58 Engine Companies
Trucks24 Truck Companies
Platforms5 Tower Ladder Trucks
Squads2 Squad Companies
Rescues1 Heavy Rescue Unit
Ambulances60 Ambulance Units
HAZMAT2 Hazardous Materials Units
USAR1 Urban Search And Rescue Unit
Airport crash10 Crash Trucks
Wildland2 Wildfire Engines
Fireboats3 Fireboats
Website
Official website
IAFF website

The Philadelphia Fire Department provides fire protection and emergency medical services (EMS) to the city of Philadelphia. The PFD's official mission is to protect public safety by quick and professional response to emergencies and through the promotion of sound emergency prevention measures. This mandate encompasses all traditional firefighting functions, including fire suppression, with 58 Engine companies and 29 Ladder companies as well as specialty and support units deployed throughout the city; specialized firefighting units for Philadelphia International Airport and the Port of Philadelphia; investigations conducted by the Fire Marshal's Office to determine the origins of fires and to develop preventive strategies; prevention programs to educate the public in order to increase overall fire safety; and support services such as: research and planning, management of the Fire Communications Center within the City's 911 system, and operation of the Fire Academy.

The delivery of emergency medical services now generates more than seventy percent of the department's total calls for services. Furthermore, the department's Regional Emergency Medical Services Office is responsible for regulating all public and private ambulance services within the city. Lastly, the department enforces all state and federal hazardous materials (HAZMAT) regulations within the city, and coordinates the response to such incidents. The IAFF local is 22.[2]

The PFD is the largest fire department in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and also has the busiest Emergency Medical Services division in the United States with a single ambulance, Medic 2, responding to 8,788 calls in 2013 and Medic 8 responded to 9,011 calls in 2018.

  1. ^ "Total Station Runs" (PDF). Philadelphia Fire Department. Retrieved 12 March 2015.
  2. ^ "Fire Department". www.phila.gov. Retrieved 2016-10-31.