Calgary Fire Department

The Calgary Fire Department (CFD) provides fire services for the city of Calgary, Alberta.

Calgary Fire Department
Agency overview
Established1885 (Calgary Hook, Ladder and Bucket Corps)
Annual calls~60,000
Employees1500 (all staff)
Fire chiefSteve Dongworth
Facilities and equipment
Stations40
Website
Calgary Fire Department

The department was created on 25 August 1885 as the Calgary Hook, Ladder and Bucket Corps.

As of June 2019, the department has 40 stations and employs over 1,500 personnel in both operational and support roles. Their headquarters is located at 4144 11th Street SE.

History

The department was created on 25 August 1885 as the Calgary Hook, Ladder and Bucket Corps and a chemical engine was ordered soon after. The first Captain was George Constantine. Prior to the formation of the Corps, wells had been dug throughout the town in 1884 at the recommendation of George Murdoch, Mayor of the Town of Calgary. In November of 1886, Calgary experienced a conflagration, which would become to be known as the Calgary Fire of 1886. After the fire there was much disorder in the town due to both George Murdoch and James Riley acting as Mayor. This resulted in a slow response to the fire which can be attributed to the absence of functioning local government. As neither George Murdoch or James Reilly was capable of effectively governing the town, the newly ordered chemical engine was held in the Canadian Pacific Railway storage yard due to lack of payment. Members of the department broke into the CPR storage yard on the day of the fire to retrieve the engine. Later that month a meeting was held which saw Steve Jarrett be elected as the first chief and Bob Ogburn as Assistant Chief [1] May of 1887 saw the opening of Calgary's first fire hall: which has been recommended at the meeting in November of 1886, and was approved by Town Council shortly after.[1]

In 1987, following a disagreement between Town Council and the current fire brigade, current Chief Frank Dick and his members resigned. They sold their furniture at the fire hall and donated the proceeded to the hospital. Following the resignation of the brigade, the Mayor and Council proceeded to appoint a high salaried chief and organize a brigade. The new brigade consisted of the Mayor and Council and would-be fire-fighters. When it came to a serious fire, they weren't well organized and in a short time the citizens of Calgary were calling for the reinstatement of the old brigade.[2]

The reinstatement occurred on July 23rd, 1889, when a meeting was held and a decision was agreed upon by the two bodies to have the regular brigade again take charge. The hall and appliances were accordingly turned over to the original brigade.[2]

In January of 1890 the brigade began to look to purchase band instruments. After reviving instruments, uniforms, music stands, ect. from a Mr. D. W. Marsh a band was organised. The band carried on with varied success under different leaders for a number of years.[3]

In June of 1897, a serious flood occurred and the department was called out to rescue residents on the water front. For their services the council gave the department C$75 .[4]

1901 saw the department hold its first church parade. New uniforms were purchased for the band at a cost of about C$500. During the visit of the Duke and Duchess of York during this year, the department acted as a special police. They had their hall elaborately decorated but the Duke and Duchess did not see it. [5]

Prior to 1909, it was a volunteer fire department. In 1909, 40 full-time firefighters were hired.[6] In 1910, it purchased its first motorized fire truck.[7]

Organization

Chief Officer

The Fire Service uses the term "Chief Officer" to describe individuals who are in a Chief role. These "Chief Officers" are responsible for overseeing management functions as well as supervising fire operations. In the Calgary Fire Department, the Chief Officers are:

  • Fire Chief – One Chief Officer oversees the entire Calgary Fire Department (CFD)
  • Deputy Chief/Manager – Five Chief Officers oversee the individual divisions of the CFD. These divisions are:
    • Fire Rescue Services (Deputy Chief)
    • Fire Rescue Services Support (Deputy Chief)
    • Risk Management (Deputy Chief)
    • Administration and Infrastructure (Deputy Chief)
    • Strategic Services (Manager)
  • Assistant Deputy Chief – There are 6-7 Assistant Deputy Chiefs. Numerous are tasked to Fire Rescue Services and the remainder are deployed to other divisions where needed.
  • Battalion Chief – Firefighters work on a four platoon (shift) system (A, B, C, & D). Each platoon is overseen by a Battalion Chief, so in total there are four Battalion Chiefs.
  • District Chief – The city is divided into five districts (East, West, North, South, & Central). Each platoon within a district is supervised by a District Chief, therefore there are 5 District Chiefs at any given time (one in each district) and 20 in total

Company officers

Company officers are in charge of each crew. Company officers include:

  • Fire Captain – each fire engine (pumper truck) is supervised by a fire captain on each platoon. As there is an engine in each fire hall, the captain is in charge of the fire hall as well.
  • Fire Lieutenant – every other fire apparatus is supervised by a lieutenant. These include: aerial trucks, rescue trucks, hazmat trucks, etc. Every hall has an engine, but only select halls have other apparatus, such as these.

Firefighters

Firefighters are the main work force of the fire department. They include:

  • Senior Firefighter – one on each Fire Engine (pumper truck)
  • Firefighter – drive the trucks and ride in the back
  • Probationary Firefighter – placed on Fire Engines as needed, ride in the back with the Senior Firefighter

Support Staff

The Fire Department also relies on numerous Support Staff to fill various roles. 255 local, uniformed, support staff members are firefighters who have moved into a different role within the Department. The Fire Marshal oversees the inspectors and investigators within the division of Risk Management. Each Support Section is also run by a Coordinator. These include:

  • Hazardous Materials Coordinator
  • Emergency Management Coordinator
  • Technical Teams Coordinator
  • Recruitment Coordinator
  • Fire Inspections Coordinator
  • Fire Investigation Coordinator
  • Wellness & Fitness Coordinator
  • Health and Safety Coordinator
  • Community Safety Coordinator
  • Training Coordinator
  • Medical Services Coordinator

Many Support Sections also have Staff Support Officers. These include:

  • Hazardous Materials Officers
  • Emergency Management Officers
  • Recruitment Officers
  • Wellness & Fitness Officers
  • Health and Safety Officers
  • Community Safety Officers
  • Fire Inspector II
  • Fire Inspector I
  • Technical Services Officers
  • Public Information Officers
  • Shift Investigator
  • Training Officers
  • Fire Investigator

The Fire Department also employs many other civilian staff in numerous roles.

Rank Insignia

Fire Suppression Staff
CHIEF OFFICERS COMPANY OFFICERS FIREFIGHTERS
Fire Chief Deputy Chief Assistant Deputy Chief Battalion Chief District Chief Fire Captain Fire Lieutenant Senior Firefighter Firefighter Probationary Firefighter
Rank Epaulettes
No Insignia No Insignia Blue Striped Epaulettes

Emergency Medical Technician or Paramedic

If a Firefighter, Company Officer, or Chief Officer is also qualified as an Primary Care Paramedic or Advanced Care Paramedic, they wear the Star of Life insignia on their fire helmet.

Support Staff
Fire Marshal Support Staff Coordinators Support Staff Officers Fire Inspector I
Rank Epaulettes
Division Name Embroidered Below Stripes (ex: Training, Community Safety, etc.)
Division Name Embroidered Below Stripes (ex: Training, Community Safety, etc.)
"Safety Codes Officer" Embroidered Below Stripe
Notes Head of the Fire Investigations and Inspections Health and Safety Coordinator / Fire Inspections Coordinator / Fire Investigations Coordinator / Hazardous Materials Coordinator / Emergency Management Coordinator / Technical Teams Coordinator / Community Services Coordinator / Wellness and Fitness Coordinator / Recruitment Coordinator / Technical Teams Coordinator / Medical Services Coordinator / Training Coordinator Training Officer / Health and Safety Officer / Hazardous Materials Officer / Emergency Management Officer / Public Information Officer / Community Safety Officer / Assistant to the Medical Director / Technical Services Officer / Fire Inspector II / Shift Investigator

Helmet Colors
Fire Suppression Staff Helmet Colour
Chief Officers
  • Fire Chief
  • Deputy Chief
  • Assistant Deputy Chief
  • Battalion Chief
  • District Chief
WHITE
Company Officers
  • Fire Captain
  • Fire Lieutenant
  • Acting Fire Lieutenant
RED
Firefighters
  • Senior Firefighter
  • Firefighter
  • Probationary Firefighter
YELLOW
Support Staff
Fire Marshal
WHITE
Support Staff Coordinators
  • Hazardous Materials Coordinator
  • Emergency Management Coordinator
  • Health and Safety Coordinator
  • Wellness & Fitness Coordinator
  • Recruitment Coordinator
BLUE
Training Officer
RED
Support Staff Officers
  • Health and Safety Officer
  • Hazardous Materials Officer
  • Medical Services Officer
  • Public Information Officer
  • Community Safety Officer
  • Fire Inspector I and II
BLUE
Fire Cadet
BLACK

Fire Stations and Apparatus
  • There are 40 fire stations in Calgary, operating 24 hours a day.[8]
  • Apparatus designations are denoted by the station number followed by the apparatus type.
  • Calgary International Airport Crash Rescue previously operated as CFD Station 13 until 1 June 2019, when the airport contracted firefighting services to Pro-Tec Fire Services of Canada.
No. Neighbourhood Engine(s) Aerial Rescue Miscellaneous Address Build Year
1Downtown1 Engine, 48 Engine1 Aerial450 1 Street S.E.1973
2Beltline2 Engine, 49 Engine2 High Rise Support,

2 Parkade Unit

 1010 10 Avenue S.W. 1971
4Vista Heights4 Engine4 Haz-Mat,

4 Air/Light,

East District Chief

 1991 18 Avenue N.E.2004
5South Calgary5 Engine

60 Engine

 Mobile Command Unit,

Investigator 1

 3129 14 Street S.W.2012
6Eau Claire6 Engine6 Aerial6 Aquatic Rescue 6 Boat Tow,

6 Jet Boat

 360 8 Street S.W.2010
7Mount Pleasant7 Engine7 Fire Rescue Paramedic2708 4 St NW 2017
8Rosscarrock8 Engine8 Aerial8 Rescue8 Bush Buggy1720 45 Street S.W.1980
9Ogden9 Engine 61 Engine 2515 78 Avenue S.E. 1981
10Briar Hill10 Engine10 Technical Rescue10 Technical Support1909 16 Avenue N.W.1998
11Windsor Park11 Engine11 Technical Rescue11 Technical Support5506 4 Street S.W.2014
12Marlborough12 Engine 46 Engine12 Rescue123 44 Street S.E.1974
14Haysboro14 Engine 47 Engine9840 Horton Road S.W.1989
15Bowness15 Engine6328 35 Avenue N.W.1964
16Highfield16 EngineCentral District Chief, Battalion Chief, Safety Chief, Haztech 1&3, Hazmat Support, Air Monitoring Vehicle, Pod Truck 1&2,

Flood pod, Hazmat pod (x2), CFD Community Outreach Car,

CFD Shuttle Transport, Mobile Fan, 16 Rat-Rail, 16 Panel, Misc. Vehicle

4124 11 Street S.E.2018
17Varsity17 Engine17 Aerial17 Haz-Mat, 17 Bush Buggy3740 32 Avenue N.W.1971
18Huntington Hills18 Engine 415 68 Avenue N.W. 1975
19Parkland19 Engine19 Aerial19 Haz-Mat, 19 Bush Buggy13807 Parkland Boulevard S.E.1975
20Lincoln Park20 Engine20 Fire Rescue Paramedic (FRP1 ATV inside)West District Chief2800 Peacekeepers Way S.W. 1978
21Silver Springs21 Engine21 Rescue209 Silvergrove Drive N.W.1978
22Temple22 Engine 50 Engine7199 Temple Drive N.E 1979
23Southview23 Engine23 Aerial (Mini Bronto)23 Bush Buggy2727 26 Avenue S.E.1982
24Cedarbrae24 Engine2607 106 Avenue S.W.1978
25Foothills25 Engine25 Aerial25 Tender (Yellow)4705 76 Avenue S.E.1982
26Midnapore26 Engine26 Rescue450 Midpark Way S.E.2002
27Stonegate27 Engine27 Rescue 110-11358 Barlow Trail N.E. 2017
28Edgemont28 Engine7925 Edgemont Boulevard N.W.1987
29Coach Hill29 Engine7027 Coach Hill Road S.W.1988
30McKenzie Town30 Engine30 Aerial 30 Boat Tow, 30 Jet Boat 6 McKenzie Towne Gate S.E. 1998
31Country Hills31 Engine31 Aerial (Mini Bronto) 31 Bush Buggy,

31 Generator

 11955 Country Village Link N.E.2005
32Saddle Ridge32 Engine32 Aerial800 Saddletowne Circle N.E.2010
33Signal Hill33 Engine3800 69 Street S.W. 2008
34Royal Vista34 Engine34 Aerial16 Royal Vista Way N.W. 2016
35Valley Ridge35 Engine 35 Tender,

35 Hazmat Recovery,

35 Boat Tow,

30 Jet Boat

 11280 Valley Ridge Boulevard N.W. 2009
36Hidden Valley36 Engine10071 Hidden Valley Drive N.W.2001
37Evergreen37 Engine2511 Eversyde Avenue S.W.2013
38Skyview Ranch38 Engine3 Skyview Springs Cove N.E.2009
39Douglas Glen39 Engine39 Rescue South District Chief, Investigator 2, K-9 unit4199 114 Ave S.E.2012
40Symons Valley40 EngineNorth District Chief, K-9 unit12920 Symons Valley Road N.W.2013
41Seton41 Engine3790 Seton Drive S.E.2013
42Tuscany42 Engine275 Tuscany Way N.W.2018
43 Walden 43 Engine 5 Walden Common SE not currently operational


References
  1. Fire Department., Calgary (Alta.) (1910). History of the Calgary Fire Department, 1910. Calgary, Alberta, Canada: Calgary Firemen's Benefit Association, 1910. p. 29.
  2. Fire Department, Calgary (Alta.). (1910). History of the Calgary Fire Department, 1910. Calgary, Alberta, Canada: Calgary Firemen's Benefit Association. pp. 29–31.
  3. Fire Department, Calgary (Alta.) (1910). History of the Calgary Fire Department, 1910. Calgary Firemen's Benefit Association. p. 31.
  4. Fire Department, Calgary (Alta.) (1910). History of the Calgary Fire Department, 1910. Calgary, Alberta, Canada: Calgary Firemen's Benefit Association. p. 35.
  5. Fire Department, Calgary (Alta.) (1910). History of the Calgary Fire Department, 1910. Calgary, Alberta, Canada: Calgary Firemen's Benefit Association. p. 39.
  6. Shiels, Bob (1974). Calgary : a not too solemn look at Calgary's first 100 years. Calgary: The Calgary Herald. p. 127. Archived from the original on 2015-09-24. Retrieved 2013-06-05.
  7. Wark, S. Arnold (1919). City of Calgary year book. Calgary. p. 27. Archived from the original on 2015-09-24. Retrieved 2013-06-08.
  8. Department, Calgary Fire (2015-04-28). "Calgary Fire Stations listing". www.calgary.ca. Retrieved 2017-07-10.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.