Upper Darby Fire Department
The Upper Darby Fire Department (UDFD) provides fire protection services to the Township of Upper Darby, Pennsylvania.
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Operational area | |
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Country | ![]() |
State | ![]() |
City | Upper Darby |
Agency overview | |
Established | March 12, 1908 |
Annual calls | 5,000 |
Employees | 150 |
Staffing | Career and Volunteer |
Fire chief | Derrick Sawyer |
IAFF | 2493 |
Facilities and equipment | |
Divisions | 5 |
Stations | 5 |
Engines | 6 |
Trucks | 2 |
Platforms | 1 |
Quints | 1 |
Squads | 1 |
Rescues | 2 |
Light and air | 1 |
Website | |
Official website | |
IAFF website |
About the Upper Darby Fire Department
The Upper Darby Fire Department has the responsibility of providing fire suppression and rescue services to a population which numbers approximately 81,821 residents within the approximately seven point six two (7.62) square mile Township of Upper Darby.
The Department consists of five stations within the township: the Garrettford Drexel Hill Fire Company, established on March 12, 1908, the Highland Park Fire Company established November 29, 1911, the Upper Darby Fire Company established in 1916, the Cardington-Stonehurst Fire Company established on January 16, 1916, and the Primos Secane Westbrook Park Fire Company established in 1955. Each of the five stations make up the five operations districts of the township.
The Fire Department is a combination department, staffed by both a professional career staff and volunteer staff. Each of the five stations is staffed by volunteers, while only four stations are staffed by career members. Highland Park, Upper Darby, Cardington-Stonehurst and Primos-Secane-Westbrook Park all are staffed by both career and volunteer firefighters while Garrettford-Drexel Hill is the only station in the township to be staffed by volunteers only.
Divisions
The Upper Darby Fire Department consists of five divisions, Operations, Fire Prevention, Training and Administration, and the Fire Investigations Division.
Operations: The Operations Division is responsible for the fire suppression and rescue operations of the Fire Department, encompassing the five fire houses of the department. The Operations Division also consists of the Fire Department's Technical Rescue Unit, Hazardous Materials Operations, as well as the Fire Marshal's Office.
Fire Prevention: The Fire Prevention Division is responsible for all fire prevention activities throughout the township. The Unit oversees all fire safety activities throughout all the schools in Upper Darby, as well as offering several programs designed to promote fire safety. These programs include free smoke detectors for the elderly/disabled, intervention for kids who are prone to setting fires, and deployment of the Fire Safety Trailer at community events.
Training and Administration: The Training and Administration Division is responsible for the training of the department's firefighters, as well as anything of administrative jurisdiction. The Division consists of a Director of Training and Administration as well as a Department Secretary.
Community Affairs: The Community Affairs Division is responsible for all community relations aspects within the fire department. The division works in conjunction with the Fire Prevention Division for many of the different functions. Among these functions include the Fire Prevention Parade and the National Night Out. In addition, each station's volunteers as well as the IAFF are responsible for their own social media.
Fire Investigation Division: The Fire Investigation Division is responsible for investigating the origin and cause of all fires within Upper Darby Township and/or any community requesting the assistance from the qualified fire investigators employed by the Upper Darby Township Fire Department. The fire investigation division works closely with the Upper Darby Police Department Detectives Unit if a crime is suspected during an origin and cause investigation.
Ranks Structure
Title | Insignia |
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Department Chief | ![]() |
Chief of Operations | ![]() |
Deputy Chief of Department | ![]() |
District Chief | ![]() |
Deputy District Chief | |
Captain | ![]() |
Lieutenant | ![]() |
Firefighter | No insignia |
Probationary Firefighter | No Insignia |
Facilities and Equipment
Station # | Station Name | Location | District | Apparatus |
---|---|---|---|---|
20 | Garrettford-Drexel Hill | 323 Edmonds Ave
Drexel Hill, PA 19026 |
1 | E20, E20-1, R20, L20 |
26 | Highland Park | 24 Park Ave
Upper Darby, PA 19082 |
2 | SD26, E26, R26, HR26 |
36 | Cardington-Stonehurst | 350 Harrison Ave
Upper Darby, PA 19082 |
4 | E36, MSU36, SQ 36 |
37 | Upper Darby | 7241 West Chester Pike
Upper Darby, PA 19082 |
3 | T37, 37-8 |
74 | Primos-Secane-Westbrook Park | 1005 Secane Ave
Secane, PA 19018 |
5 | E74, TW74, Q74 |
Apparatus Glossary:
E - Engine
L - Ladder
SQ - Squrt
SD - Squad
R - Rescue
Q - Quint
T - Truck
TW - Tower
MSU - Mask Service Unit
-8 - Utility Vehicle
Social Media
The Upper Darby Fire Department operates various social media accounts on various platforms, such as Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
Drexel Hill Fire Company @DrexelHillFC20 - Twitter @GDHVFC - Facebook
Primos-Secane-Westbrook Park Fire Company @PSWFireCo - Twitter @UDFDJoeyVizz - Sta. 74 Public Relations Officer
UDPFFA @UDPFFA - Facebook @UDFDLocal2493 - Twitter