Here are a few tidbits about the operations of the Boston Fire Department (BFD). I am typing this up on July 3, 1998.
BFD has about 34 stations. 34 engines, 21 ladders, 2 heavy rescues, and 1 aerial tower company operate out of these stations. There is also 1 fire boat station. Companies usually respond with a crew of 1 officer and 3 or 4 firefighters.
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Response levels - alarm system activation 1E + 1L - motor vehicle accidents on limited access highways 2E + 2L - minor fire calls 2E + 1L - major fire calls 3E + 2L + 1R - 2nd alarms 3E + 2L - standby at Logan Airport 1E + 1L to North Zone Staging Area - crash at Logan Airport 3E + 2L + 1R + Tower to North Zone Staging Area - line boxes 1E (line boxes are fire boxes located near the municipal borders which receive a response from two fire departments)
Haz Mat calls come in four flavors - Level Zero gets 1E + 1L for a very minor spill - Level 1 thru 3 get additional hazmat units and the FD Chemist - see www.geocities.com/~emba for the details
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The BFD radio system operates as follows - Channel 1 483.1625 Primary Operations / Main Channel - Channel 2 483.1875 first fireground channel - Channel 3 483.2125 second fireground channel - Channel 4 483.2375 third fireground channel - (on mutual aid calls, Channel 3 is used in the repeater and direct mode) - several areas of the city have "inhouse repeaters" - such as (Ch2 - Prudential Bld / Hancock Bld / Parker House Hotel - Ch 1 - East Boston tunnels - Ch4 - Back Bay Railroad Station)
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Standard operating procedure is for all three engine companies on the first alarm to connect a Hydrant Assist Valve to a nearby hydrant and to lay themselves a 4" feeder/supply hose from the hydrant to the fire building - units responding on additional alarms will connect to the HAV in order to boost water flow to the first alarm engine companies.
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EMS Operations - many fire companies now carry automatic external defibrillators - ambulances from the City Health Department provide transport of patients - neither the police nor the ambulances can cancel fire units after they have been dispatched to a call.
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Paul Christian is taking over for Martin Pierce as Fire Chief April 2000. Other changes are afoot in the management structure - ?more adminstrators will be added at the top of the chain of command. No obvious or major changes in operations have occurred.
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Links - Elliot's Great Boston FD WebPage with Tons of Info - �Elliot's Boston FD WebPage�
Boston Fire Buff Website with searchable box list and daily fire log for Boston area - April 2000
You can also go to the Boston Area FDs file (located elsewhere on this website) for more info on the Boston FD.
Big Article in Boston Globe about Mgmt Study on BFD - January 2000
www.bostonfirelocal718.org - Boston FD Union website
24 Dec 2002 Boston Globe Article About BFD OT
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Update - June 25, 1999 - January 21, 2000 - 2 April 2000 - 02Nov00 - BFD union site - 23Dec02 - BFD OT
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