Houston Fire Department

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jump to: navigation, search
Houston Fire Department
HFDlogo.jpg
Motto: Courage, Commitment, & Compassion
Established 1838
Strength 4,000+
Stations 90
Engines 86
Trucks 37
Squads 19
Fire chief Phil Boriskie
City of Houston Fire Department Logistical Center & Maintenance Depot

City of Houston Fire Department (HFD) is the agency that provides fire protection and emergency medical services for the city of Houston, Texas, United States, the fourth largest city in the United States. HFD is responsible for preserving life and property for a population over 2 million in an area totaling 617 square miles.[1]

Contents

[edit] Background

[edit] City of Houston Emergency Medical Service

The Houston Fire Department handles all emergency medical services within the City of Houston and all members of the department are trained in EMS procedures. The firefighters rotate between the fire fighting apparatus and the EMS units from day to day in accordance with the cross training that they receive. There are two levels of EMS certification that the Houston Fire Department recognizes; EMT-Basic and EMT-Paramedic. There are no EMS providers for the Houston Fire Department that are not also firefighters.[2] All of HFD EMS ambulances are Type I, "Frazer Bilt", ambulances.

Due to the large coverage area, HFD EMS operates on a tiered response system, which means that certain levels of EMS are dispatched when they are determined to be needed. While there are some MICU ambulances in the HFD EMS fleet, most are BLS equipped. Typically, a BLS ambulance will be dispatched to a medical call. When the unit arrives on scene and determines that ALS is required, a paramedic squad will be dispatched to their location to assist. HFD EMS strives to have an ambulance or first responder (which usually consists of an engine company), on scene within four minutes, with ALS support within eight minutes if needed. [3]

[edit] History

HFD Firefighters' Memorial in northern Houston
Main article: History of Houston Fire Department

The fourth largest fire department in the United States,[4] the Houston Fire Department was established in 1838 with one station, Protection Company No. 1. and it grew to a volunteer fire department status with three stations by 1859.[5] After having provided volunteer firefighting services for 57 years, the City of Houston Fire Department began paying its firefighters in 1895.

In 2002, the Insurance Services Office, which rates the capability of a fire department with regards to the maintenance of its fire apparatus, availability of water, training of personnel, etc., rated HFD 1/10, which is the highest rating a fire department can achieve.[6]

Houston Fire Department also became the world's largest accredited fire department by the Commission on Fire Accreditation International in 2003.[7]

As of 2008, 60 Houston firefighters have been killed in the line of duty. The most recent being Captain James Harlow and probationary firefighter Damion Hobbs in April of 2009.[8]

[edit] Fire Stations

All Houston Fire Department stations officially have numbers.[9] Some stations also adopt unofficial names and place the names on the front of the station's fire trucks based on what neighborhoods the majority of their "still alarm" territories cover.

  • 1: (Closed, 2001)
  • 2: Woodway
  • 3: River Oaks
    Fire Station 3
  • 4: Inwood
  • 5: Old Spring Branch
  • 6: Sixth Ward
  • 7: Midtown
    Fire Station 7
  • 8: Downtown
    Fire Station 8
  • 9: North Side
  • 10: Bellaire
  • 11: T. C. Jester
  • 12: Moody Park
  • 13: Oak Forest
  • 14: (Closed, 1987)
  • 15: Heights
  • 16: Montrose
    Fire Station 16
  • 17: Second Ward
  • 18: East End
    Fire Station 18
  • 19: Fifth Ward
  • 20: Magnolia Park
  • 21: South Main
  • 22: Haz-Mat
  • 23: Lawndale
  • 24: Under Construction
  • 25: Third Ward
    Fire Station 25
  • 26: Dixie Drive
  • 27: Denver Harbor
  • 28: Galleria (Uptown)
    Fire Station 28 at 3000 Chimney Rock
  • 29: Old Galveston Road
  • 30: Lindale Park
  • 31: North Shepherd
  • 32: Glenwood Forest
  • 33: Medical Center
    Fire Station 33
  • 34: Laura Koppe
  • 35: South Park
  • 36: Hobby Airport
  • 37: Braes Heights
    Fire Station 37 in Braeswood Place
  • 38: West Side
  • 39: Kashmere Gardens
  • 40: Old Spanish Trail
  • 41: Pleasantville
  • 42: Ship Channel
  • 43: Unknown (East Side - 7330 N. Wayside)
  • 44: Greens Bayou
  • 45: North McCarty
  • 46: South Union
  • 47: Almeda Plaza
  • 48: Westbury
    Fire Station 48
  • 49: Unknown (West Side – 1212 Gessner)
  • 50: Langwood
  • 51: Sharpstown
  • 52: Almeda Mall
  • 53: Unknown (10343 Hartsook)
  • 54: Bush Intercontinental Airport – ARFF
  • 55: Sunny Side
    Fire Station 55
  • 56: East Little York
  • 57: Memorial
  • 58: Near North Side
  • 59: South Post Oak
  • 60: Piney Point
  • 61: South Hobby (Southeast Side)
  • 62: Timbergrove
  • 63: Will Clayton Parkway
  • 64: Greens Road
  • 65: Lake Houston
  • 66: Fairbanks (Unconfirmed)
  • 67: Acres Homes
  • 68: Braeburn Glen [1]
  • 69: Westchase
    Fire Station 69
  • 70: Beamer Road
  • 71: Clearlake
  • 72: Clearlake
  • 73: Keegans Glen
  • 74: Greenspoint
  • 75: Dairy Ashford
  • 76: Alief Community
  • 77: Spring Shadows
  • 78: West Memorial
  • 80: Blue Ridge
  • 81: Hobby Airport - ARFF
  • 82: Fondren Southwest
  • 83: Royal Oaks
  • 84: (Proposed, at 10859 Ella Blvd.)
  • 85: (Closed)
  • 86: Unknown (Westside – 14300 Briar Forest)
  • 90: Park Ten
  • 92: Bush Intercontinental Airport - ARFF
  • 93: Ellington Field
  • 94: Clear Lake
  • 95: (Proposed,at El Dorado Blvd. and Clear Lake Blvd. Land has been purchased.)
  • 96: Willowbrook
  • 99: Bush Intercontinental Airport - ARFF
  • 101: Kingwood
  • 102: Kingwood
  • 103: Kingwood
  • 104: Kingwood
  • 105: Summerwood

Proposed stations

  • 84: 10859 Ella Boulevard @ Beltway 8) - Establishment estimated within 3-4 years from 2008.
  • 95: El Dorado Boulevard and Clear Lake Boulevard - Land has been purchased. Establishment estimated within 3-4 years from 2008.

Closed stations

  • 1: Downtown (Closed in 2001)
  • 14: The Heights (Closed in 1987)
  • 85: Lake Houston (Closed in 1987)

[edit] See also

Flag of Houston, Texas.png Houston portal
Large bonfire.jpg Fire portal


[edit] References

  1. ^ HFD Coverage Area
  2. ^ HFD EMS
  3. ^ HFD tiered response and fleet
  4. ^ HFD department size
  5. ^ HFD volunteer status
  6. ^ HFD ISO rating
  7. ^ CFA accreditation
  8. ^ HFD Memorial
  9. ^ City of Houston Fire Stations

[edit] External links

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Houston_Fire_Department"