District of Columbia Fire Department
 |
|
| Operational area | |
|---|---|
| Country |
 United States
|
| City |
 Washington, D.C.
|
| Agency overview | |
| Established | September 24, 1804 |
| Annual calls | ~150,000 |
| Employees | 2,130 (2013) |
| Annual budget | $199,373,728 (2013) |
| Staffing | Career |
| Fire chief | Gregory M. Dean |
| EMS level | ALS and BLS |
| IAFF | 36 |
| Facilities and equipment | |
| Battalions | 6 |
| Stations | 33 |
| Engines | 33 |
| Tillers | 15 |
| Platforms | 1 |
| Rescues | 3 |
| HAZMAT | 2 |
| Wildland | 1 |
| Fireboats | 2 |
| Light and air | 1 |
| Website | |
| Official website | |
| IAFF website | |
The District of Columbia Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department, (also known as DC FEMS, FEMS, DCFD, DC Fire, or Fire & EMS), established July 1, 1884, provides fire protection and emergency medical service to the city of Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States. An organ of the devolved district government, Fire & EMS is responsible for providing fire suppression, ambulance service and hazardous materials containment for the federal district.
On January 13, 1803, Washington passed its first law about fire control, requiring the owner of each building in the city to provide at least one leather firefighting bucket per story or pay a $1 fine per missing bucket.
The first firefighting organizations in the city were private volunteer companies. To end the problems created by rivalries between these companies, Washington approved in 1864 an act to consolidate them and organize a paid fire department. Seven years passed before it was implemented on September 23, 1871, creating the all-professional District of Columbia Fire Department with a combination of paid and volunteer staff. The department had seven paid firefighters and 13 call men to answer alarms, manning three engines and two ladders.
By 1900, the DCFD had grown to 14 engine, four ladder, and two chemical companies.
In 1968, the entire DCFD was mobilized during the riots that followed the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. The four days of disorder saw widespread civil unrest, looting and arson, which ultimately required help with 70 outside companies to battle over 500 fires and perform 120 rescues.
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Wikipedia