Buffalo Fire Department
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| Buffalo Fire Department |
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| Motto: So Others May Live | |
| Established | 07/01/1880 |
| Staffing | Career |
| Strength | 766 |
| Stations | 19 |
| Engines | 19 |
| Trucks | 9 |
| Rescues | 1 |
| EMS Level | CFR |
| Commissioner | Michael Lombardo |
The Buffalo Fire Department is the fire and rescue service for the City of Buffalo, New York. The department was created in 1872 to replace unpaid volunteer hook and ladder companies that had served Buffalo since 1826.
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[edit] History
The department began as a paid department on July 1, 1880. The Buffalo Fire Department had its origins from the old Buffalo volunteer fire companies with names like Pioneer, Neptune, Fillmore, Clinton, Rescue, and Citizen's. The Buffalo Fire Department at one time consisted of 38 engine companies, 16 ladder companies, two snorkel companies, one heavy rescue companies, ten squad companies, three fireboats, two hose tenders companies, seven battalion chiefs, and two division chiefs.In 1978, the squad comapnies were disbanded with the Engine companies taking over EMS responses, and Heavy Rescue Squad 3 was renumbered Rescue Co.1. Rescue Co. 2 was established with the closing of Engine 9. The Fire Department also had the Buffalo Fire Auxiliary Corps which operated 4 pumpers and were under the direction of Civil Defense. They were an all-volunteer unit which has since been disbanded. Buffalo Fire also included the Buffalo Airport crash fire rescue unit, designated Engine 7.
Today, the Buffalo Fire Department operates out of 19 firehouses. The oldest active house is Engine 19's quarters which are 120 years old, and the newest quarters were opened in early 2006 and is the home of Engine 33.
Buffalo Fire currently operates 19 engines, nine ladders, one heavy rescue, one hazardous materials unit ( manned by Engine Co. 3), one fireboat, four battalion chiefs, and one division chief. The Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority operates the Buffalo Airport fire units now.
[edit] Operations
The Buffalo Fire Department responds to over 60,000 calls a year. General call types include fire, EMS, and hazardous materials incidents. There has seen much restructuring with the department during the past few decades with the population in the city dwindling from a high of 600,000 in the 1950's to less than 292,000 in 2006. Since 1994 alone, the Fire Department has lost six engine companies, four ladder companies, and one heavy rescue company. As of 2006, no more closings are expected for the near future. Through all the turmoil, they have still lived up to their motto "Ut Vivant Alii" ("So others may live").
[edit] BFD Units
| Station | Location | Engine | Special Service | Other |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HQ | Court St. and Staats St. | - | Repair Shop, Communications, Mobile Air Trucks | EMS LT (F-20) |
| 1 | 132 Ellicott St. | Engine 1 | Ladder 2 | CBRNE Truck & Trailer(Haz-Mat) |
| 2 | Elmwood Ave. and Virginia St. | Engine 2 | - | Division Chief B-56 |
| 3 | 609 Broadway St. @ Monroe Ave. | Engine 3 | HazMat 1 | 3rd Battalion Chief B-43 |
| 4 | Abbott Rd. and Hollywood Ave. | Engine 4 | - | - |
| 19 | 209 Forest Ave. | Engine 19 | - | - |
| 20 | Foot of Ohio St. | Fireboat 20 | Arson Investigation | Fire Marshals |
| 21 | Jefferson Ave. and Kingsley Ave. | Engine 21 | Ladder 6 / Rescue 1 | - |
| 22 | 1528 Broadway St. | Engine 22 | - | - |
| 23 | Bailey Ave. and Collingwood Ave. | Engine 23 | - | - |
| 25 | Seneca St. at Southside Parkway | Engine 25 | Ladder 10 | 6th Battalion Chief B-46 |
| 26 | 703 Tonawanda St. | Engine 26 | - | - |
| 28 | 1174 East Lovejoy St. | Engine 28 | - | - |
| 31 | Bailey Ave. and Doat St. | Engine 31 | Ladder 14 | - |
| 32 | 700 Seneca St.@ Swan St. | Engine 32 | Ladder 5 | - |
| 33 | 1720 Fillmore Ave. | Engine 33 | ATF Special Response Unit | - |
| 34 | 2839 Main St. | Engine 34 | Ladder 7 | - |
| 35 | Clinton St. and Bailey Ave. | Engine 35 | Ladder 15 | - |
| 36 | 860 Hertel Ave. | Engine 36 | Ladder 13 | CBRNE Truck & Trailer (Haz-Mat) |
| 37 | Rhode Island St. and Chenango St. | Engine 37 | Ladder 4 | 4th Battalion Chief B-44 |
| 38 | Linden Ave. and Colvin Ave. | Engine 38 | - | 7th Battalion Chief B-47 |
[edit] Disbanded Units
As the population and fiscal resources of Buffalo decreased, the need for fire service or the ability to fund them disappeared. As a result, these companies were closed.
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[edit] Other Buffalo Fire Department Units
- Buffalo Fire Arson Investigation Bureau (Radio Call Sign: F-10, F-11)
- Buffalo Fire Marshals (Radio Call Sign: F-12)
- Mobile Air Unit (Radio Call Signs: F-6, F-7, F-8)
- Communications Division Trucks (Radio Call Signs: F-86, F-87)
- Salvation Army Disaster Truck (Radio Call Sign: F-76)
- Repair Shop Trucks (Tow Truck F-2, F-85,F-83)
- Hose Truck (F-63)
- Commissioner (Radio Call Sign: C-1)
- Deputy Commissioner/Administration (Radio Call Sign: B-51)
- Deputy Commissioner/Operations (Radio Call Sign: B-52)
- Deputy Commissioner/EMS (Radio Call Sign: B-53)
- Division Chief (Radio Call Sign: B-56)
- 3rd Battalion Chief (Radio Call Sign: B-43)
- 4th Battalion Chief (Radio Call Sign: B-44)
- 6th Battalion Chief (Radio Call Sign: B-46)
- 7th Battalion Chief (Radio Call Sign: B-47)
- Department Safety Officer (Radio Call Sign: B-41)
- HazMat Captain (Radio Call Sign: F-16)
- Training Bureau (Radio Call Signs:B-42, F-21, F-22)
- Superintendent of Apparatus (Radio Call Sign: F-48)
- Department Chaplain (Radio Call Sign: F-72,F74,F75)
Buffalo Fire Department Radio Frequencies:
Fire Channel 1 (Dispatch) WNMF-545 - 424.225
Fire Channel 2 (Fire Ground) - 424.350
Fire Channel 3 (Haz-Mat) - 423.900
