Palm Beach County Fire Rescue was created on October 1, 1984, when the Palm Beach County Board of County Commissioners passed a resolution consolidating the existing fire districts in Palm Beach County. Prior to 1984 the following fire districts were in existence, covering mostly unincorporated Palm Beach County:
Named after the department's first Fire Chief, the Palm Beach County Fire Rescue Administration and Training complex is a 40-acre complex that houses Fire-Rescue's Administrative offices, training areas, and an apparatus and support building. Chief Brice retired in 2009 after 56 years in the fire service, coming to Palm Beach from the Miami Fire Department. The complex includes multiple classrooms & conference rooms, a 6 story training tower, a 2 1/2 story Class A burn building, an emergency vehicle driving course, an extrication training area, Urban Search & Rescue props, a 10-acre lake for drafting training, and a field of various full-scale liquefied petroleum gas props.
Structure
The department is made up of 8 battalions which contain anywhere from 3 to 9 fire stations:
Battalion 1: 7 stations: serving the north county area.
Battalion 2: 9 stations: serving the western county area.
Each Battalion is managed by a District Chief, who oversees all 3 shifts in his/her respective Battalion. At the shift level, each Battalion is supervised by a Battalion Chief and an EMS Captain.
Operations
Overview
The department is responsible for, providing services to almost 900,000 residents throughout the county. Along with the unincorporated areas of the county, PBCFR provides services for Belle Glade, Cloud Lake, Glen Ridge, Haverhill, Juno Beach, Jupiter, Lake Clarke Shores, Lake Park, Lake Worth, Lantana, Manalapan, Pahokee, Palm Springs, Royal Palm Beach, South Bay, South Palm Beach and Wellington. All line personnel are either dual-certified Firefighter/EMT’s or Firefighter/Paramedics. All Engine Companies, Truck Companies, Ladder Companies, and Rescue Companies are Advanced Life Support units, which means that they are staffed daily with Paramedics. The department’s daily minimum staffing is 295 Firefighters. Apparatus Types:
Engine Companies:Pumpers that carry 750-1,000 gallons of water
Ladder Companies:ConventionalQuints that carry approximately 500 gallons of water
Truck Companies:Platform Quints that carry approximately 500 gallons of water
Dragon:ARFF Pumpers that carry foam and 3,000 gallons of water
Medical Services
Palm Beach County Fire Rescue remains at the forefront of providing exceptional EMS care by using the latest equipment, techniques, and interventions to achieve the best possible outcomes for those served. Palm Beach County Fire Rescue is frequently recognized both nationally and internationally for its medical and trauma emergency services, and is continuously developing programs and protocols to provide the most advanced EMS care available. Palm Beach County Fire Rescue is among the top in the nation at cardiac arrest resuscitation, having a rate of resuscitation almost double the Florida state average, and has achieved the American Heart Association Mission Lifeline Gold Plus award.
All Ladder and Truck companies are Quints that incorporate ladder capabilities along with pumper functions. These aerials carry Rope Rescue equipment, a large complement of saws, vehicle stabilization equipment, air lift bags, and assorted pneumatic and electrical tools that are not carried by Engine companies. All personnel assigned full-time to aerial stations are certified at a minimum in Rope Rescue operations and Aerial operations. Personnel assigned full-time to station 57 and station 73 are also certified Rescue Divers. Aside from Special Operations, these are the only 2 stations in the department with regional Dive Rescue teams.
Airport Operations
The PBCFR is responsible for providing aircraft rescue and firefighting for the Palm Beach International Airport, one the 50 busiest airports in the United States. The station which is located near the center of the airport grounds, is home to 13 pieces of specialized fire fighting equipment. These apparatus include:
An air stair which allows for assistance in deplaning in an emergency.
Five Airport crash tenders that go by the call sign Dragon.
The Palm Beach County Fire Rescue partners with the Palm Beach County Health Care District to operate the Trauma Hawk Aero-Medical Program. The Trauma Hawk program, established in November 1990, replaced the use of Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office helicopters to medevac critically injured patients to area hospitals. At the Trauma Hawk Station, located at the south west corner of Palm Beach International Airport, the department has two Sikorsky S-76C helos. The air ambulances are identically equipped and can carry two patients each and up to four medical attendants if needed. Each helicopter is staffed with a pilot, a registered nurse and a paramedic. The nurses and paramedics are Palm Beach County Fire Rescue employees while the pilots are Health Care District employees.
Support Services
Training & Safety Division
The Training & Safety Division is responsible for the training and education new Recruit Firefighters, existing Firefighters, and support personnel. Areas of training include:
Recruit Academy: All newly-hired firefighters attend a recruit academy, consisting of fire and EMS training, before working in the field.
Company Officer Training: Officer Development Academies provide new Lieutenants, Captains, and Chief Officers with essential job knowledge and skills to effectively operate in their new supervisory positions.
Driver Operator Training: Driver Candidate School provides the basic fundamental knowledge and skills to operate pumping apparatus. Additional training classes to operate specialized apparatus are also offered.
EMS Training: Annual EMT & Paramedic training covers basic and advanced medical skills and Regional Protocol reviews.
Fire Training: Annual firefighter training includes Live-Burn, Search, Safety & Survival, Fire Suppression, Forcible Entry, and Ventilation training.
Specialty Training: Specialty units receive continuing training in Hazardous Materials, Dive Rescue, and Technical Rescue / USAR.
Dispatch
In the 1980’s, Palm Beach County became the second in the nation to implement enhanced 911 phone system, which provided critical information regarding the location of the emergency. The dispatch center, known as the Alarm Office, processes all incoming calls and operates multiple radio channels. With a staff of over 40 communications personnel, trainers, and dispatch supervisors, a Fire Operations Officer is assigned to the Alarm Office at all times. The purpose of the FOO is to provide technical assistance to dispatch during multi-company operations and department staffing. The department also provides dispatch services for 13 municipalities: Atlantis, Delray Beach, Greenacres, Gulf Stream, Highland Beach, Jupiter Inlet Colony, Mangonia Park, North Palm Beach, Palm Beach Gardens, Palm Beach Shores, Riviera Beach, Tequesta and West Palm Beach.
Investigations Unit
Working under the Office of the Fire Marshal, the fire/arson investigators are responsible for investigating the cause & origin of fire/explosion scenes, preserving scenes, and collecting evidence. The Investigations Unit responds to all areas that are serviced by the Palm Beach County Fire Rescue, in addition to, those areas serviced by the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office. The investigators are sworn law enforcement officers, which gives them the ability to make arrests, carry firearms, and present cases State Attorney's office for prosecution of any bomb/fire/arson crimes. Investigators are also members of the Palm Beach County Bomb/Arson Task Force and are all professionally qualified to provide expert witness testimony in both criminal and civil cases.
