District of Columbia Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department

The District of Columbia Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department (also known as DC FEMS, FEMS, DCFD, DC Fire, or DC Fire & EMS), established July 1, 1804,^[3] provides fire protection and emergency medical service for the District of Columbia, in 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.^[4]

District of Columbia Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department

Operational area
Country	United States
Federal district	District of Columbia
Agency overview^[1]
Established	July 1, 1804; 219 years ago (1804-07-01)
Annual calls	~212,459 (2019)
Employees	2,153 (2019)
Annual budget	$258,502,000 (2019)
Staffing	Career
Fire chief	John A. Donnelly Sr.
Mayor of Washington, DC responsible	Muriel Bowser
EMS level	Advanced Life Support (ALS) and Basic Life Support (BLS)
IAFF	36
Facilities and equipment^[2]
Battalions	8
Stations	34
Engines	33
Tillers	15
Platforms	1
Rescues	3
Ambulances	39
HAZMAT	2
USAR	1
Airport crash	1
Wildland	1
Fireboats	4
Light and air	2
Website
Official website
IAFF website

History

 

A DCFD fire engine in December 2005.

 

DCFD Engine Company #23 (Foggy Bottom Firehouse)

 

DCFD Engine 7

On January 13, 1803, District of Columbia passed its first law about fire control, requiring the owner of each building in the district to provide at least one leather firefighting bucket per story or pay a $1 fine per missing bucket.^[5]

The first firefighting organizations in the district were private volunteer companies. To end the problems created by rivalries between these companies, District of Columbia approved in 1864 an act to consolidate them and organize a paid fire department.^[5] Seven years passed before it was implemented on September 23, 1871, creating the all-professional District of Columbia Fire Department (DCFD) with a combination of paid and volunteer staff.^[3] 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 companies, four ladder companies, and two chemical companies.^[3]

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.^[6]

In the 1970s and 1980s, the department was rife with racial tension, as the nearly all-white department became much more racially integrated and African Americans sought upper-level supervisory and management positions.^[7]

2010s budget and maintenance problems

Main article: History of the District of Columbia Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department

In January 2010, The Washington Examiner reported that, in a major management failure, the agency failed to budget for seniority pay in its fiscal 2010 budget, causing a $2 million shortfall.^[8] After a hiring freeze left 130 positions unfilled, the department was projected to spend $15.4 million in fiscal 2010 (2.5 times the budgeted amount).^[8] More than 75 percent of the agency's budget goes to salaries and fringe benefits.^[8]

Problems with vehicle maintenance also worsened after 2010. The department lost track of the location of reserve vehicles, and sometimes listed fire engines as available for duty when they had been stripped for parts and sent to the junkyard. In 2012, the agency hired a consultant at a cost of $182,000 to create an accurate database of vehicle status and location. Both the D.C. Council and the District of Columbia's inspector general have strongly criticized the department's record. The District of Columbia Firefighters Association, Local 36, and the International Association of Firefighters (IAFF) have argued that the problem lies with poor management, while DCFEMS has said the problems either cannot be accounted for or are the result of rank-and-file incompetence or neglect.^[9]

In July 2013, more than 60 DCFEMS ambulances were out of commission due to maintenance issues, and the department was forced to hire a private ambulance service to provide staffing at a Major League Baseball game. On August 8, 2013, a DCFEMS ambulance ran out of fuel while part of President Barack Obama's motorcade, and ended up stranded on the South Lawn of the White House (EMS personnel said they reported a broken fuel gauge months ago, while DCFEMS said workers failed to fill the vehicle with gasoline.) On August 13, 2013, two DCFEMS ambulances caught fire—one while delivering a patient to MedStar Washington Hospital Center, the other while responding to an emergency call at an apartment building on Benning Road SE (another ambulance was dispatched to take the patient to the hospital.)^[9]

In June 2015, Jullette M. Saussy was named the medical director of DC Fire and EMS.^[10] On January 29, 2016, she announced her resignation from that position in a letter to Mayor Muriel Bowser. In her letter, she called the department's culture "highly toxic to the delivery of any semblance of quality pre-hospital medical care."^[11]

Stations and apparatus

 

Engine 10 and Truck 13's quarters in Trinidad.

 

Engine 20 and Truck 12's quarters in Tenleytown

 

Firehouse 13 in L'Enfant Plaza

As of June 2015^[update], these are the DCFD's stations and equipment.^[2][12]

Firehouse Number	Neighborhood	Engine Company	Truck Company	Rescue Squad Company	Ambulance or Medic Unit	Specialized Unit	Command Unit	Battalion
1	West End	Engine 1	Truck 2		Ambulance 1 Medic 1	Twin Agent Unit 2		6	^[13]
2	Chinatown	Engine 2		Rescue Squad 1	Medic 2	Field Command Unit Mobile Command Unit Rescue Squad 1 Support Unit	Battalion Chief 6 EMS 6	6	^[14]
3	Judiciary Square	Engine 3			Ambulance 3 Medic 3	Water Supply Engine 52		6	^[15]
4	Pleasant Plains	Engine 4			Ambulance 4	Air Unit 1 Customer Service Unit 4 Mass Decon	EMS 7 Safety Officer Special Operations Battalion Chief	4	^[16]
5	Georgetown	Engine 5			Medic 5	Canteen Unit 1 Rehab Unit		5	^[17]
6	Shaw	Engine 6	Truck 4		Ambulance 6			1	^[18]
7	Navy Yard	Engine 7			Medic 7	Brush Unit 1		2	^[19]
8	Lincoln Park	Engine 8			Ambulance 8 Medic 8	Air Unit 2 Customer Service Unit 2 Mass Decon	Battalion Chief 2 EMS 2	2	^[20]
9	U Street	Engine 9	Truck 9		Ambulance 9			4	^[21]
10	Trinidad	Engine 10	Truck 13		Medic 10			1	^[22]
11	Columbia Heights	Engine 11	Truck 6		Ambulance 11	Water Supply Engine 54	Battalion Chief 4 EMS 4	4	^[23]
12	Edgewood	Engine 12			Ambulance 12	Customer Service Unit 1 Gator 1 Hazmat Unit 1 Hazmat Unit 2	Battalion Chief 1 EMS 1	1	^[24]
13	L'Enfant Plaza	Engine 13	Truck 10		Ambulance 13	Foam Unit 1 Foam Unit 2 Foam Unit Trailer Twin Agent Unit 1		6	^[25]
14	Fort Totten	Engine 14			Ambulance 14 Medic 14			1	^[26]
15	Anacostia	Engine 15		Rescue Squad 3	Ambulance 15	Cave-In Unit Cave-In Support Unit Customer Service Unit 3 Rescue Squad 3 Support Unit	Battalion Chief 3 EMS 3	3	^[27]
16	Franklin Park	Engine 16	Tower 3		Ambulance 16		Deputy Fire Chief of Operations EMS 8	6	^[28]
17	Brookland	Engine 17			Medic 17			1	^[29]
18	Capitol Hill	Engine 18	Truck 7		Ambulance 18			2	^[30]
19	Randle Highlands	Engine 19			Ambulance 19 Ambulance 19B Medic 19			3	^[31]
20	Tenleytown	Engine 20	Truck 12		Ambulance 20		Battalion Chief 5 EMS 5	5	^[32]
21	Adams Morgan	Engine 21			Medic 21	Water Supply Engine 55		5	^[33]
22	Brightwood	Engine 22	Truck 11		Ambulance 22			4	^[34]
23	Foggy Bottom	Engine 23			Ambulance 23			6	^[35]
24	Petworth	Engine 24		Rescue Squad 2	Medic 24	Confined Space Unit Mass Casualty Unit 1 Mass Casualty Support Unit 1 Mass Casualty Support Unit 2 Medical Ambulance Bus 1 Medical Ambulance Bus 2 Rescue Squad 2 Support Unit Tunnel Rescue Unit Heavy Wrecker	Arson Investigation officer	4	^[36]
25	Congress Heights	Engine 25			Medic 25	Mass Decon		3	^[37]
26	Brentwood	Engine 26	Truck 15		Ambulance 26			1	^[38]
27	Deanwood	Engine 27			Ambulance 27 Medic 27			2	^[39]
28	Cleveland Park	Engine 28	Truck 14		Ambulance 28			5	^[40]
29	Palisades	Engine 29	Truck 5		Ambulance 29	Gator 2		5	^[41]
30	Capitol View	Engine 30	Truck 17		Ambulance 30 Ambulance 30B Medic 30			2	^[42]
31	Chevy Chase	Engine 31			Medic 31			5	^[43]
32	Garfield Heights	Engine 32	Truck 16		Ambulance 32			3	^[44]
33	Highlands	Engine 33	Truck 8		Ambulance 33 Medic 33	Mass Casualty Unit 2 Medical Ambulance Bus 3		3	^[45]
	Southwest Waterfront					Fire Boat 1 Fire Boat 2 Fire Boat 3 Fire Boat 4 Fire Boat Support Unit		6	^[46]
	Academy	Engine 34 Engine 35 Engine 36 Engine 37	Truck 34 Truck 35

See also

•  United States portal

• Government of the District of Columbia
• Fireboat John H. Glenn Jr.
• Benjamin C. Grenup Monument built to honor the first D.C. firefighter killed in action

References

1. "FY 2014 Proposed Budget and Financial Plan - Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department" (PDF). Office of the Chief Financial Officer. Chief Financial Officer. Retrieved 26 March 2015.
2. "Apparatus". District of Columbia Fire Department. Retrieved 26 March 2015.
3. "FEMS History". About FEMS. DC FEMS. p. 2. Retrieved 2009-09-09.^{[permanent dead link]}
4. "About FEMS". DC FEMS. Retrieved 2009-09-09.^{[permanent dead link]}
5. . About FEMS. DC FEMS. p. 1. Archived from the original on 2009-10-09. Retrieved 2009-09-09.
6. . About FEMS. DC FEMS. p. 3. Archived from the original on 2009-10-09. Retrieved 2009-09-09.
7. Hsu, Spencer S. "Black D.C. Firefighters File Lawsuit." Washington Post. October 16, 2010.
8. Neibauer, Michael. "D.C. Fire Running Millions Over Budget."^{[permanent dead link]} The Washington Examiner. January 21, 2010.
9. Hermann, Peter. "Two D.C. Ambulances Catch Fire While On Call." Washington Post. August 13, 2013. Accessed 2013-08-13.
10. "Audit finds D.C. fire officials failed to implement overhauls after 2006 death".
11. "Jullette Saussy Resignation Letter". Retrieved 2016-02-09.
12. "Fire and EMS Locations". DC Fire & EMS. Retrieved 15 June 2015.
13. "Engine House 1". DC Fire and EMS Department. Retrieved 14 June 2015.
14. "Engine House 2". DC Fire and EMS Department. Retrieved 14 June 2015.
15. "Engine House 3". DC Fire and EMS Department. Retrieved 14 June 2015.
16. "Engine House 4". DC Fire and EMS Department. Retrieved 14 June 2015.
17. "Engine House 5". DC Fire and EMS Department. Retrieved 14 June 2015.
18. "Engine House 6". DC Fire and EMS Department. Retrieved 14 June 2015.
19. "Engine House 7". DC Fire and EMS Department. Retrieved 14 June 2015.
20. "Engine House 8". DC Fire and EMS Department. Retrieved 14 June 2015.
21. "Engine House 9". DC Fire and EMS Department. Retrieved 14 June 2015.
22. "Engine House 10". DC Fire and EMS Department. Retrieved 14 June 2015.
23. "Engine House 11". DC Fire and EMS Department. Retrieved 14 June 2015.
24. "Engine House 12". DC Fire and EMS Department. Retrieved 14 June 2015.
25. "Engine House 13". DC Fire and EMS Department. Retrieved 14 June 2015.
26. "Engine House 14". DC Fire and EMS Department. Retrieved 14 June 2015.
27. "Engine House 15". DC Fire and EMS Department. Retrieved 14 June 2015.
28. "Engine House 16". DC Fire and EMS Department. Retrieved 14 June 2015.
29. "Engine House 17". DC Fire and EMS Department. Retrieved 14 June 2015.
30. "Engine House 18". DC Fire and EMS Department. Retrieved 14 June 2015.
31. "Engine House 19". DC Fire and EMS Department. Retrieved 14 June 2015.
32. "Engine House 20". DC Fire and EMS Department. Retrieved 14 June 2015.
33. "Engine House 21". DC Fire and EMS Department. Retrieved 14 June 2015.
34. "Engine House 22". DC Fire and EMS Department. Retrieved 14 June 2015.
35. "Engine House 23". DC Fire and EMS Department. Retrieved 14 June 2015.
36. "Engine House 24". DC Fire and EMS Department. Retrieved 14 June 2015.
37. "Engine House 25". DC Fire and EMS Department. Retrieved 14 June 2015.
38. "Engine House 26". DC Fire and EMS Department. Retrieved 14 June 2015.
39. "Engine House 27". DC Fire and EMS Department. Retrieved 14 June 2015.
40. "Engine House 28". DC Fire and EMS Department. Retrieved 14 June 2015.
41. "Engine House 29". DC Fire and EMS Department. Retrieved 14 June 2015.
42. "Engine House 30". DC Fire and EMS Department. Retrieved 14 June 2015.
43. "Engine House 31". DC Fire and EMS Department. Retrieved 14 June 2015.
44. "Engine House 32". DC Fire and EMS Department. Retrieved 14 June 2015.
45. "Engine House 33". DC Fire and EMS Department. Retrieved 14 June 2015.
46. "Fire Boat". DC Fire and EMS Department. Retrieved 14 June 2015.

External links

 

Wikimedia Commons has media related to District of Columbia Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department.

• Official website
• Flickr Group
• at the Wayback Machine (archived December 8, 2003)