This is a re-posting of a Legeros Blog Archives posting from February 5, 2012, that’s no longer available on the old site, due to technical problems.

Big changes today in the Capital City, effective 0800 hours. Here’s take one of a summary of the rescue reconfiguration, the new battalion, the unit renumbering, and more. We’ll correct this posting as needed. 

Overview

• Two rescue engines (as squads) placed in service.
• Five-person heavy rescue placed in service.
• Fifth battalion added.
• Unit renumbering for department support vehicles.
• Response changes, including two ladders on all structure fires.

Heavy Rescue and Squads

Five-person heavy rescue placed in service.

• Rescue 1 at Station 21.
• Operating 2007 Pierce rescue unit.
• Expanded seating for six people.
• Some equipment added, such as hand tools for three more members. Unit was previously staffed with two people.

Two rescue engines placed in service, named Squads.

• Squad 14, replacing Engine 14.
• Squad 15, replacing Engine 15.
• Operating 2004 American LaFrance pumpers.
• Equipped with technical rescue equipment.
  • Including full compliment of extrication equipment (cutters, spreaders, three rams), rescue jacks, power tools (drills, reciprocating saws, grinders), torch, K12 and vent saws (for truck work), rope rescue equipment and hardware, water rescue equipment, inflatable boat, stokes basket, plus engine company equipment.
  • Here’s a walkaround photo tour of Squad 15.

Each squad also staffing a support vehicle:

• Squad 15 – Tractor-drawn transfer truck, parked at the station, equipped with additional trench rescue equipment.
• Squad 14 – Second 2007 Pierce rescue, housed at the station. It will carry additional equipment, and will also serve as a reserve unit for Rescue 1.
• Support vehicles will respond with the squads, for technical rescue calls.

Response changes:

• Single-family dwelling structure fires – R1 or S14 or S15 (city divided into thirds).
• Multi-family and commercial structure fires – R1 + one squad.
• Working fires, for above categories – R1 (if not on original dispatch) + one squad.

• High-rise structure fires – R1.

• MVA with pin – R1 + one squad.
• MVA overturned with injuries (but no pin) – One squad.
• Two tiers of technical rescue responses:
  • MVA bus/train, water rescue, etc. – R1 + one squad.
  • Confined space, high-level, etc. – R1 + both squads

Notes on squads:

• Squad will replace rescue on high-rise fire dispatch, if rescue not available.
• Squads will act as engines (unless directed otherwise), when dispatched as first or second engine company for structure fire.
• Squads will act as engines, regardless of dispatch order, when dispatched on high-rise structure fire.

More notes:

• Ladder 3 is a technical rescue company, special trained and with special equipment. They’ll also respond on technical rescue calls.
• USAR 801 at Station 25 is a swift-water rescue unit, with a boat trailer and two boats.
• Ladder companies are also equipped with extrication equipment.

History

• Reconfiguration replaces three two-person rescue units.
• Third rescue placed in service in 2001, when city had 24 stations.
• Second rescue placed in service in 1974, when city had 14 stations.
• Rescue squad added in 1953, when city had six stations.

Fifth Battalion, Rescue Chief, Haz-Mat Chief

Fifth battalion created.

• Battalion 5 placed in service at Station 9.
• Operating 2005 Ford Excursion.
• See map showing battalions and their stations.
  • Battalion 1 – 15, 19, 22, 25, 27, 28.
  • Battalion 2 – 3, 7, 10, 12, 21, 26.
  • Battalion 3 – 1, 2, 5, 8, 14, 20.
  • Battalion 4 – 17, 18, 23, 24, 29 (future).
  • Battalion 5 – 4, 6, 9, 11, 16.

Rescue and Haz-Mat Battalion Chiefs placed in service.

• Rescue Chief is Battalion 5.
• Haz-Mat Chief is Battalion 3.
• Each will dispatched to all incident types involving their specialty within the city limits.

History:

• Fourth battalion added in 2004. City had 26 stations.
• Third battalion added in 1977. City had 14 stations.
• Two battalions (called districts) created in 1971. City had ten stations.

More Response Changes

See this FDmaps blog posting for a longer (but not complete) list of responses.

• Platoon Fire Marshal (Car 420) removed from working fire dispatch.
• Platoon Fire Marshal (Car 420) added to multi-family, commercial, and high-rise fire dispatch.
• Second Battalion Chief added to working fire assignment for single-family dwellings.
• Two Battalion Chiefs now dispatched for multi-family and commercial structures.
• Two ladders now dispatched for all structure fires. This change adds a second ladder to single-family dwelling fire dispatch.
• Rescue removed from elevator rescue. Now engine and ladder.

Unit Renumbering

• Extensive renumbering of support vehicle radio call signs. Notable changes include
  • Car 10 > Car 20 (Division Chief)
  • Car 20 > Car 401 (Fire Investigator)
  • Car 21 > Car 402 (Fire Investigator)
  • Car 40 > Car 420 (Platoon Deputy Fire Marshal)
• Some of the other numbering:
  • Car 72 > Car 51 (Emergency Services Manager, Task Force 8 leader)
  • Car 71 > Car 55 (Haz-Mat Coordinator)
• Numbering scheme:
  • Office of the Fire Chief – 1, 10s, 100s
  • Operations – 2, 20s, 200s
  • Services – 3, 30s, 300s
  • Office of the Fire Marshal – 4, 40s, 400s
  • Training – 5, 50s, 500s

Other Changes

• Air 1 relocated to Station 5 on January 29.

Unit Renumbering Chart

Current Function	Make & Model	Current Number	New Number
Administration (Car 1, Car 10s, Car 100s)
Fire Chief	2007 Jeep Laredo	Car 1	Car 1
Fire Tech Systems Mgr.	2006 Dodge Caravan	Car 12	Car 12
Safety Officer	2007 Ford Crown Victoria	Car 14	Car 14
Finance Officer	2010 Ford Escape	Car 201	Car 15
Planning Officer	Ford Ranger	none	Car 16
Fire Systems Programmer	2008 Ford Ranger	Car 194	Car 120
Fire Systems Programmer	2011 Ford Ranger		Car 121
Operations (Car 2, Car 20s, Car 200s)
Asst. Chief Operations	2012 Chevrolet Tahoe	Car 2	Car 2
Division Chief	2009 Chevrolet Tahoe	Car 10	Car 20
Battalions (unchanged)
Services (Car 3, Car 30s, Car 300s)
Asst. Chief Services	2012 Chevrolet Tahoe	Car 3	Car 3
Facility Manager	2007 Ford F-150	Car 11	Car 31
Garage Supervisor	2007 Chevrolet Silverado	Car 47	Car 32
Shop 1 (mobile service vehicle)	2000 Freightliner FL60	Shop SVC	Car 320
On-Call Mechanic	n/a	n/a	Car 321
Delivery Van 1	1999 Dodge van	Car 42	Car 310
Box Truck 1	2007 Isuzu NPR	Car 49	Car 311
Reserve Car 1	2001 Ford Excursion	RSV Car 52	Car 312
Expansion slot
Expansion slot
Expansion slot
Expansion slot
Office of the Fire Marshal (Car 4, Car 40s, Car 400s)
Fire Marshal	2006 Ford Expedition	Car 4	Car 4
Deputy		unassigned	Car 40
Investigator 1	2008 Ford F-350	Car 20	Car 401
Investigator 2	2000 Ford Excursion	Car 21	Car 402
OFM Training Officer		unassigned	Car 403
Public Fire Educator	2008 Ford Escape	Car 199	Car 404
Asst. Fire Marshal	2001 Ford F-150	Car 191	Car 41
Deputy Fire Marshal	2002 Ford F-150	Car 192	Car 410
Deputy Fire Marshal	1995 Chevy Impala (shared)	Car 197	Car 411
Deputy Fire Marshal	1995 Chevy Impala (shared)		Car 412
Deputy Fire Marshal	1995 Chevy Impala (shared)		Car 413
Deputy Fire Marshal	2005 Chevrolet Colorado	Car 193	Car 414
Deputy Fire Marshal	2009 Ford Escape	Car 196	Car 415
Deputy Fire Marshal	2007 Ford Ranger	Car 209	Car 416
Asst. Fire Marshal	2002 Chevrolet Impala	Car 97	Car 42
Platoon Deputy FM	2010 Ford Escape	Car 40	Car 420
Deputy Fire Marshal	2001 Chevrolet Impala	Car 90	Car 421
Deputy Fire Marshal	2008 Ford Ranger	Car 206	Car 422
Deputy Fire Marshal	2008 Ford Ranger	Car 203	Car 423
Deputy Fire Marshal	2011 Ford Escape	Car 99	Car 424
Deputy Fire Marshal	Crown Vic		Car 425
Asst. Fire Marshal	2001 Ford Crown Victoria	Car 92	Car 43
Deputy Fire Marshal	2011 Ford Escape		Car 430
Deputy Fire Marshal	2008 Ford Ranger		Car 431
Asst. Fire Marshal	2004 Chevrolet Impala	Car 98	Car 44
Deputy Fire Marshal	2004 Chevrolet Colorado	Car 207	Car 440
Deputy Fire Marshal	2011 Ford Escape		Car 441
Deputy Fire Marshal	2007 Ford Ranger	Car 208	Car 442
Deputy Fire Marshal	2002 Chevrolet Impala	Car 94	Car 443
Deputy Fire Marshal	2002 Chevrolet Impala	Car 195	Car 444
Deputy Fire Marshal	2012 Ford Escape		Car 445
Assistant Fire Marshal		unassigned/future	Car 45
Reserve	2000 Chevrolet Impala	RSV 93
Reserve	2001 Chevrolet Impala	RSV 95
Reserve	2004 Chevrolet Silverado pick-up	n/a
Reserve	1998 Dodge Dakota	n/a
Training (Car 5, Car 50s, Car 500s)
Asst. Chief Training	2012 Chevrolet Tahoe	Car 5	Car 5
Emergency Services Mgr.	2009 Ford F-250	Car 72	Car 51
EMS Coordinator	2005 Ford Explorer	Car 73	Car 52
Academy Coordinator	2002 Dodge Ram 2500	Car 74	Car 53
Career Development Officer	2010 Ford F-250	Car 75	Car 54
Haz-Mat Coordinator	2007 Ford F-350	Car 71	Car 55
Asst. EMS Coordinator	2002 Dodge Ram 1500	Car 41	Car 520
EMS Part-Time Coordinator		unassigned	Car 521
Delivery Van	1994 Dodge Van	Car 78	n/a