Boston Fire Department
Encyclopedia
The Boston Fire Department (BFD) provides fire protection services for Boston, Massachusetts
, USA
. In addition to fire protection, the Boston Fire department also provides basic emergency medical services and respond to a variety of emergencies such as, but not limited to, motor vehicle accidents, hazardous material spills, electrical hazards, floods, and construction accidents. The department serves approximately 617,000 people in a 47 square miles (121.7 km²) area of the city proper and additional mutual aid to 32 surrounding communities of the Greater Boston
Metro Area including Logan International Airport
. Headquarters is located at 115 Southampton Street, Roxbury. The Training Academy is located on Moon Island in Boston Harbor. The Boston Fire Department responds to approximately 65,000 emergency calls annually.
of the Kingdom of England
, the city banned thatched roofs and wooden chimneys. However, it wasn't until 1653 that the first engine was appropriated to provide pressure for water lines.
, and hired Thomas Atkins to be the first fire chief
. On February 1, 1711, the town appointed a group of Fire Wards, each responsible for the operation and maintenance of equipment assigned to a region of the city. The grandfather of Herman Melville
, Thomas Melvill
, served as a town fire ward from 1779 to 1825.
It wasn't until 1799 that the first leather fire hose was used, after being imported from England.
The department was the first in the world to utilize the telegraph to alert fire fighters of an emergency, installing the system in 1851. The first fire alarm was transmitted via the Fire Alarm Telegraph system on April 29, 1852.
The famous Boston fire of 1872
led to the appointment of a board of fire commissioners. The Boston Fire Department also provided assistance in the Great Chelsea Fire of 1908 and the Great Salem Fire of 1914
.
The department purchased its first steam fireboat
in 1873, and installed fire poles in the stations in 1881.
By 1960, the department operated 48 engines, 29 ladders, 1 rescue, and 2 fireboats. By the end of the decade, the standard 85 feet (25.9 m) ladder trucks were replaced by 100 feet (30.5 m) aerial ladders with tillers.
In the 1970s, the department experimented with lime-green colored apparatus, but reverted back to the traditional red in 1984, when the Department made the switch to E-One
fire apparatus.
In the early 1980s, an arson
ring caused over 600 fires, many reaching multiple-alarm status. The group was ultimately caught and convicted.
Also in the early 80's, the Department experienced a dramatic number of cutbacks due to budget cuts. The number of Engine Companies dropped from 43 to 33, the Fire Brigade was disbanded (only to be reopened in the mid-80's), the number of Ladder Companies went from 28 to 21, and one of the two Tower Companies was disbanded and reduced to a regular Ladder Company (bringing the total to 22 Ladder Companies). Rescue 2 was disbanded, but reorganized in 1986.
The Boston Fire Department uses a variety of apparatus
from a variety of manufacturers. As with other departments within the City of Boston, purchasing of fire apparatus and other equipment is conducted through a competitive bid process. Although the department has had a significant, long term relationship with E-One
and to a lesser degree Pierce
, the department has no official policy of purchasing from a specific manufacturer. All of Boston's frontline pumpers are equipped with a 1250 gallon per minute pump and a 500 or 750 gallon tank. Approximately a third of the pumpers are also equipped with foam capabilities. The engines currently in use are the Pierce Enforcer, E-One Cyclone II, and E-One Protector. Boston's frontline ladder companies consist of rear mount aerial ladders with lengths of 110' and 105', mid mounted towers of 95' and a rear mounted tower of 85'. The city has two heavy rescue companies. Rescue 1 runs a 2007 Pierce Quantum and Rescue 2 recently took delivery of a 2009 KME Predator. In the summer of 2010, the department will take delivery of three KME pumpers and two E-One ladders. Chief's vehicles consist of Chevrolet Tahoes at the District Chief level and Chevrolet Suburbans at Deputy Chief. The commissioner and chief of department are both assigned Ford Crown Victorias.
The department operates a total fire apparatus fleet of:
On January 11, 2009, only two days after the fatal accident, another apparatus malfunction occurred. Ladder 15 was en route to Boston Fire Headquarters to have maintenance work done when the turbo fuel injector malfunctioned, flooding the engine thus launching the truck into a parked vehicle. That day Ladder 15 was using a nineteen year old reserve apparatus out of the Boylston Street fire station. It's 2004 frontline piece was out for maintenance.
Both incidents raised questions about the safety of the fire department's apparatus. The Firefighters Union called upon the Massachusetts State Police Vehicle Inspection Unit to inspect all fire apparatus at the Boston Fire Department.
The following is a list of all active Fire Stations in Boston with a list of the companies, units, and chiefs assigned to them:
.
" of Boston began on November 9, 1872. The fire destroyed 776 buildings, killed 13 people, and caused $75,000,000 in property damage. The fire required mutual aid
companies from as far away as New Haven
, Connecticut
and Manchester, New Hampshire
.
is the deadliest nightclub fire in US history. At 10:15 PM on November 28, 1942 the fire began when a short in the electrical wiring ignited gas leaking from a faulty refrigeration unit. The fire eventually claimed 492 lives, and injured hundreds more. It was the second deadliest single-building fire in the US. Only the Iroquois Theater fire
in Chicago in 1903 killed more people (602).
. The building collapsed, resulting in the death of 5 firefighters: Lieutenant John J. McCorkle (Engine 24), Lieutenant John J. Geswell (Ladder 26), Firefighter Robert J. Clougherty (Engine 3), Firefighter Francis L. Murphy (Engine 24) and Firefighter James B. Sheedy (Ladder 4); and a civilian photographer.
was received at Boston Fire Alarm for the Hotel Vendome
on Commonwealth Avenue at Dartmouth Street in the Back Bay
. It took nearly three hours to stop the 4-alarm blaze. During overhauling operations the southeast section of the building unexpectedly collapsed killing 9 Boston firefighters: Lieutenant Thomas J. Carroll (Engine 32), Lieutenant John E. Hanbury (Ladder 13), Firefighter Richard B. Magee (Engine 33), Firefighter Joseph F. Boucher (Engine 22), Firefighter Paul J. Murphy (Engine 32), Firefighter John E. Jameson (Engine 22), Firefighter Charles E. Dolan (Ladder 13), Firefighter Joseph P. Saniuk (Ladder 13) and Firefighter Thomas W. Beckwith (Engine 32); and injuring 8 more.
This fire was the worst tragedy in the history of the Boston Fire Department and one of the most deadly fires in the history of U.S. firefighting.
Shortly after crews entered and began their initial attack, a suspected partial roof collapse and explosion trapped several firefighters inside. Witnesses observed and reported that about that time, a large fireball exploded out from the front of the restaurant windows several feet into the street and air.
The RIT (Rapid Intervention Team) was activated to search for the trapped and missing firefighters. As many as a dozen firefighters were evacuated and transported to area hospitals with various injuries. Two firefighters, Firefighter Paul J. Cahill of Engine 30 and Firefighter Warren J. Payne of Ladder 25, succumbed to their injuries sustained as a result of the explosion and collapse.
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
, USA
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. In addition to fire protection, the Boston Fire department also provides basic emergency medical services and respond to a variety of emergencies such as, but not limited to, motor vehicle accidents, hazardous material spills, electrical hazards, floods, and construction accidents. The department serves approximately 617,000 people in a 47 square miles (121.7 km²) area of the city proper and additional mutual aid to 32 surrounding communities of the Greater Boston
Greater Boston
Greater Boston is the area of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts surrounding the city of Boston. Due to ambiguity in usage, the size of the area referred to can be anywhere between that of the metropolitan statistical area of Boston and that of the city's combined statistical area which includes...
Metro Area including Logan International Airport
Logan International Airport
General Edward Lawrence Logan International Airport is located in the East Boston neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts . It covers , has six runways, and employs an estimated 16,000 people. It is the 19th busiest airport in the United States.Boston serves as a focus city for JetBlue Airways...
. Headquarters is located at 115 Southampton Street, Roxbury. The Training Academy is located on Moon Island in Boston Harbor. The Boston Fire Department responds to approximately 65,000 emergency calls annually.
1631 - 1678
The Boston Fire Department traces its roots back to 1631, a year after the city was founded, when the first fire ordinance was adopted. In what then was the Massachusetts Bay ColonyMassachusetts Bay Colony
The Massachusetts Bay Colony was an English settlement on the east coast of North America in the 17th century, in New England, situated around the present-day cities of Salem and Boston. The territory administered by the colony included much of present-day central New England, including portions...
of the Kingdom of England
Kingdom of England
The Kingdom of England was, from 927 to 1707, a sovereign state to the northwest of continental Europe. At its height, the Kingdom of England spanned the southern two-thirds of the island of Great Britain and several smaller outlying islands; what today comprises the legal jurisdiction of England...
, the city banned thatched roofs and wooden chimneys. However, it wasn't until 1653 that the first engine was appropriated to provide pressure for water lines.
1678 - 1837
In 1678, the city founded a paid fire departmentFire department
A fire department or fire brigade is a public or private organization that provides fire protection for a certain jurisdiction, which typically is a municipality, county, or fire protection district...
, and hired Thomas Atkins to be the first fire chief
Fire chief
Fire Chief is a top executive rank or commanding officer in a fire department, either elected or appointed...
. On February 1, 1711, the town appointed a group of Fire Wards, each responsible for the operation and maintenance of equipment assigned to a region of the city. The grandfather of Herman Melville
Herman Melville
Herman Melville was an American novelist, short story writer, essayist, and poet. He is best known for his novel Moby-Dick and the posthumous novella Billy Budd....
, Thomas Melvill
Thomas Melvill (American patriot)
Thomas Melvill or Thomas Melville of Boston, Massachusetts, was a merchant, member of the Sons of Liberty, participant in the Boston Tea Party, a major in the American Revolution, a longtime fireman in the Boston Fire Department, state legislator, and paternal grandfather of writer Herman...
, served as a town fire ward from 1779 to 1825.
It wasn't until 1799 that the first leather fire hose was used, after being imported from England.
1837 - 1910
The department underwent its first reorganization in 1837 when the hand engine department reorganized, reducing the number of active engines to fourteen. By December 31, 1858, the department had 14 hand engines, 3 hook and ladder carriages, and 6 hydrant (hose) carriages. On November 1, 1859, Engine Co. 8 began service as the first steam engine in the department. The reorganization of 1859-60 replaced the department's 14 hand engines with 11 new steam engines, forming the departmental hierarchy still used today.The department was the first in the world to utilize the telegraph to alert fire fighters of an emergency, installing the system in 1851. The first fire alarm was transmitted via the Fire Alarm Telegraph system on April 29, 1852.
The famous Boston fire of 1872
Great Boston Fire of 1872
The Great Boston Fire of 1872 was Boston's largest urban fire, and still ranks as one of the most costly fire-related property losses in American history. The conflagration began at 7:20 p.m. on November 9, 1872, in the basement of a commercial warehouse at 83—87 Summer Street in Boston,...
led to the appointment of a board of fire commissioners. The Boston Fire Department also provided assistance in the Great Chelsea Fire of 1908 and the Great Salem Fire of 1914
Great Salem Fire of 1914
The Great Salem Fire of June 25, 1914, destroyed 1,376 buildings in Salem, Massachusetts.-Before the fire:Franklin H. Wentworth agitated for more fire protection. In an article in the Salem Evening News , he called "Salem in Danger of Destruction by Fire". He felt that the main fire danger was to...
.
The department purchased its first steam fireboat
Fireboat
A fireboat is a specialized watercraft and with pumps and nozzles designed for fighting shoreline and shipboard fires. The first fireboats, dating to the late 18th century, were tugboats, retrofitted with firefighting equipment....
in 1873, and installed fire poles in the stations in 1881.
1910 - present
On July 29, 1910, the department purchased its first motorized apparatus. From 1914 until 1923, horse drawn engines as well as steam and motorized engine companies were in use in Boston. Ladder 24 was the last company to replace its horses in 1923 when it became motorized. In 1925, the last fire horses were retired. It wasn't until 1926 that the last steam engine was converted to a motorized engine. The department first started using radio communication in 1925, installing radios in the fireboats, chiefs' cars, and rescue companies.By 1960, the department operated 48 engines, 29 ladders, 1 rescue, and 2 fireboats. By the end of the decade, the standard 85 feet (25.9 m) ladder trucks were replaced by 100 feet (30.5 m) aerial ladders with tillers.
In the 1970s, the department experimented with lime-green colored apparatus, but reverted back to the traditional red in 1984, when the Department made the switch to E-One
E-One
E-One or Emergency One Incorporated is an emergency services manufacturer and marketer based in Ocala, Florida.- History :Founded in 1974, E-One has a staff of roughly 900 in four plants in the United States. In 1993 E-One purchased Superior Emergency Equipment and in 2004 bought Saulsbury Fire...
fire apparatus.
In the early 1980s, an arson
Arson
Arson is the crime of intentionally or maliciously setting fire to structures or wildland areas. It may be distinguished from other causes such as spontaneous combustion and natural wildfires...
ring caused over 600 fires, many reaching multiple-alarm status. The group was ultimately caught and convicted.
Also in the early 80's, the Department experienced a dramatic number of cutbacks due to budget cuts. The number of Engine Companies dropped from 43 to 33, the Fire Brigade was disbanded (only to be reopened in the mid-80's), the number of Ladder Companies went from 28 to 21, and one of the two Tower Companies was disbanded and reduced to a regular Ladder Company (bringing the total to 22 Ladder Companies). Rescue 2 was disbanded, but reorganized in 1986.
Divisions
The Boston Fire Department consists of seven divisions:- Fire Suppression — The most visible members of the department, this division provides the fire protection and rescue services for the city of Boston. The services provided include fire fighting, medical evaluation, vehicle extrication, hazardous material response, confined space rescue, structural collapse rescue, trench collapse rescue, and more. The department operates engine companies, ladder companies, and rescue companies, each providing distinctly separate services at a fire or other emergency.
- Fire Prevention — This division is responsible for maintaining records, granting permits, conducting public education, and inspecting buildings.
- Training, Maintenance and Research — This division supervises the development of the fire fighters from probation to retirement. Also, the division conducts research to improve techniques and equipment, evaluating new tools before their implementation. The Emergency Medical Services and the Safety Operations Unit are also within this division.
- Special Projects — This division was created in January 1992 to monitor the safety of the Boston Harbor Project and the Central Artery/Tunnel Project. The activities of the division include plans review, permit issuance, and inspections. With the completion of the Boston Harbor Project, the division now only monitors the Central Artery/Tunnel Project.
- Office of Strategic Planning — This division was established in 1996 to replace the Special Services Division, providing the city with an Incident Command SystemIncident Command SystemThe Incident Command System is "a systematic tool used for the command, control, and coordination of emergency response" according to the United States Federal Highway Administration...
, Office of Emergency Management, and Local Emergency Planning Committee. - Information and Technology — This division maintains and improves technological appliances of the department, such as automated external defibrillatorAutomated external defibrillatorAn automated external defibrillator or AED is a portable electronic device that automatically diagnoses the potentially life threatening cardiac arrhythmias of ventricular fibrillation and ventricular tachycardia in a patient, and is able to treat them through defibrillation, the application of...
s (AED), computers, and communications devices. From 2003-06, the division installed mobile data terminalMobile data terminalA mobile data terminal is a computerized device used in public transit vehicles, taxicabs, courier vehicles, service trucks, commercial trucking fleets, military logistics, fishing fleets, warehouse inventory control, and emergency vehicles to communicate with a central dispatch office...
s (MDT) in all engine and ladder companies as well as command vehicles. - Personnel — This division includes the Administration Section, Selection Unit, Medical Office, Personnel Assignments of Officer’s Section, and the Employees Assistant Program. The division keeps the records of each fire fighter, communicates with other departments, unions, and agencies, and hears grievances, disciplinary hearings, and appeals.
Apparatus Profile
Fire apparatus
A fire apparatus, fire engine, fire truck, or fire appliance is a vehicle designed to assist in fighting fires by transporting firefighters to the scene and providing them with access to the fire, along with water or other equipment...
from a variety of manufacturers. As with other departments within the City of Boston, purchasing of fire apparatus and other equipment is conducted through a competitive bid process. Although the department has had a significant, long term relationship with E-One
E-One
E-One or Emergency One Incorporated is an emergency services manufacturer and marketer based in Ocala, Florida.- History :Founded in 1974, E-One has a staff of roughly 900 in four plants in the United States. In 1993 E-One purchased Superior Emergency Equipment and in 2004 bought Saulsbury Fire...
and to a lesser degree Pierce
Pierce Manufacturing
Pierce Manufacturing is an Appleton, Wisconsin based manufacturer of custom fire and rescue apparatus and a wholly owned subsidiary of Oshkosh Corporation. Pierce was acquired by Oshkosh in 1996. The company was originally founded in 1913 by Humphrey Pierce and his son Dudley as the Pierce Auto...
, the department has no official policy of purchasing from a specific manufacturer. All of Boston's frontline pumpers are equipped with a 1250 gallon per minute pump and a 500 or 750 gallon tank. Approximately a third of the pumpers are also equipped with foam capabilities. The engines currently in use are the Pierce Enforcer, E-One Cyclone II, and E-One Protector. Boston's frontline ladder companies consist of rear mount aerial ladders with lengths of 110' and 105', mid mounted towers of 95' and a rear mounted tower of 85'. The city has two heavy rescue companies. Rescue 1 runs a 2007 Pierce Quantum and Rescue 2 recently took delivery of a 2009 KME Predator. In the summer of 2010, the department will take delivery of three KME pumpers and two E-One ladders. Chief's vehicles consist of Chevrolet Tahoes at the District Chief level and Chevrolet Suburbans at Deputy Chief. The commissioner and chief of department are both assigned Ford Crown Victorias.
The department operates a total fire apparatus fleet of:
- 33 Engine Companies
- 19 Ladder Companies
- 3 Tower Ladder Companies
- 2 Rescue Companies
- 11 District Chief's Units
- 2 Division Chief's Units(C6 & C7)
- 3 Fireboats
- 2 Brush Fire Units
- 1 Haz-Mat. Unit(H3)
- 2 Decon. Units(H5 & H7)
- 1 Collapse Unit(H6)
- 1 Dive Unit(J20)
- 1 Technical Rescue Unit(H8)
- 1 Tunnel Rescue Unit(H4)
- 1 Special Lighting Unit(H2)
- 1 Air Supply Unit(W12)
- 1 Fireground Rehab. Unit(W25)
- 1 Special Operations Unit(T10)
- 1 Special Operations/Haz-Mat. Support Unit
- 1 Incident Command Unit(TCU)
- 1 Communications Unit
- 1 Safety Chief(H1)
- 1 Arson Unit
- 1 Fire Brigade comprising one Engine and one Ladder Truck on Long Island located in Boston Harbor
- Numerous other special, reserve, and support/staff units
Apparatus Safety
Questions have been raised about the safety of the apparatus on the Boston Fire Department. On January 9, 2009, Lieutenant Kevin Kelley, 52, was killed and 3 other firefighters were seriously injured when the apparatus they were riding on, Ladder 26, struck a building while returning to the station from a medical call. A braking malfunction has been cited as the culprit of the fatal accident. Ladder 26, accompanied by Engine 37, was stationed out of the Huntington Avenue fire station which has been said to be the busiest in Boston.On January 11, 2009, only two days after the fatal accident, another apparatus malfunction occurred. Ladder 15 was en route to Boston Fire Headquarters to have maintenance work done when the turbo fuel injector malfunctioned, flooding the engine thus launching the truck into a parked vehicle. That day Ladder 15 was using a nineteen year old reserve apparatus out of the Boylston Street fire station. It's 2004 frontline piece was out for maintenance.
Both incidents raised questions about the safety of the fire department's apparatus. The Firefighters Union called upon the Massachusetts State Police Vehicle Inspection Unit to inspect all fire apparatus at the Boston Fire Department.
Fire Station Locations and Apparatus
| Engine Company | Ladder Company | Rescue Company | Special Unit | Command Unit | Address | Neighborhood |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine 2 | Ladder 19 | 700 E. 4th St. | South Boston | |||
| Engine 3 | H2(Special Unit) | 618 Harrison Ave. | South End | |||
| Engine 4 | Ladder 24 | Car 3(District 3) | 200 Cambridge St. | West End/Beacon Hill | ||
| Engine 5 | Car 1(District 1) | 360 Saratoga St. | Day Square/East Boston | |||
| Engine 7 | Tower Ladder 17 | Car 4(District 4) | 200 Columbus Ave. | Back Bay/South End | ||
| Engine 8 | Ladder 1 | 392 Hanover St. | North End | |||
| Engine 9 | Ladder 2 | H5(Decon. Unit) | 239 Sumner St. | Maverick Square/East Boston | ||
| Engine 10 | Tower Ladder 3 | Rescue 1 | H4(Tunnel Rescue), H6(Collapse Unit), J20(Dive Rescue) | Division 1(C6-Deputy Chief) | 125 Purchase St. | Downtown/Financial District |
| Engine 14 | Ladder 4 | 174 Dudley St. | Roxbury | |||
| Engine 16 | Car 8(District 8) | 9 Gallivan Blvd. | Dorchester | |||
| Engine 17 | Ladder 7 | Car 7(District 7) | 7 Parish St. | Meeting House Hill/Dorchester | ||
| Engine 18 | Ladder 6 | 1884 Dorchester Ave. | Ashmont/Dorchester | |||
| Engine 20 | H1(Safety Officer) | 301 Neponset Ave. | Dorchester | |||
| Engine 21 | 641 Columbia Rd. | Upham's Corner/Dorchester | ||||
| Engine 22 | H3(Haz-Mat. Unit), W25(Rehab. Unit) | 700 Tremont St. | South End | |||
| Engine 24 | Ladder 23 | 36 Washington St. | Grove Hall/Dorchester | |||
| Engine 28 | Tower Ladder 10 | H8(Tech Rescue) | Division 2(C7-Deputy Chief) | 746 Centre St. | Jamaica Plain | |
| Engine 29 | Ladder 11 | Car 11(District 11) | 138 Chestnut Hill Ave. | Brighton Center/Brighton | ||
| Engine 30 | Ladder 25 | 1940 Centre St. | West Roxbury | |||
| Engine 32 | Ladder 9 | 525 Main St. | Charlestown | |||
| Engine 33 | Ladder 15 | 941 Boylston St. | Back Bay | |||
| Engine 37 | Ladder 26 | 560 Huntington Ave. | Mission Hill/Roxbury | |||
| Engine 39 | Ladder 18 | H7(Decon. Unit) | Car 6(District 6) | 272 D St. | South Boston | |
| Engine 41 | Ladder 14 | 460 Cambridge St. | Union Square/Allston | |||
| Engine 42 | Rescue 2 | Car 9(District 9) | 1870 Columbus Ave. | Egelston Square/Roxbury | ||
| Engine 48 | Ladder 28 | Brush Fire 1 | 60 Fairmont Ave. | Hyde Park | ||
| Engine 49 | 209 Neponset Valley Pkwy. | Readville | ||||
| Engine 50 | 34 Winthrop St. | Charlestown | ||||
| Engine 52 | Ladder 29 | 975 Blue Hill Ave. | Dorchester | |||
| Engine 53 | Ladder 16 | Safe House | Car 12(District 12) | 945 Canterbury St. | Roslindale | |
| Engine 54 | Ladder 31 | Long Island(Fire Brigade) | Boston Harbor | |||
| Engine 55 | Brush Fire 2 | 5115 Washington St. | West Roxbury | |||
| Engine 56 | Ladder 21 | 1 Ashley St. | East Boston | |||
| Fireboat "Firefighter", Fireboat "Norman Knight" | Burroughs Wharf | North End |
Structure Fire Response
- Activated Fire Alarm Assignment:
- 1 Engine
- 1 Ladder
- 1st/Box Alarm Assignment:
- 4 Engines(1 for R.I.T.)
- 2 Ladders
- 1 Rescue
- 1 District Chief
- Confirmed Fire/Full-Box Alarm Assignment:
- 1 Ladder(R.I.T.)
- 1 District Chief(R.I.T.)
- Rehab. Unit(W25)
- 2nd Alarm Assignment:
- 3 Engines
- 1 Ladder
- 2 District Chiefs
- 1 Division Chief(C6 or C7)
- Safety Chief(H1)
- Special Unit(H2)
- Air Supply Unit(W12)
- Field/Tac. Comm. Unit
- 1 Public Info. Officer(C22 or C23)
- 3rd Alarm Assignment:
- 2 Engines
- 1 Ladder
- 4th Alarm Assignment:
- 2 Engines
- 5th Alarm Assignment:
- 2 Engines
- 1 Ladder
- 6th Alarm Assignment:
- 2 Engines
- 7th Alarm Assignment:
- 2 Engines
- 1 Ladder
- 8th Alarm Assignment:
- 2 Engines
- 9th Alarm Assignment:
- 2 Engines
- High-Rise Fire Assignment:
- 4 Engines(1 for R.I.T.)
- 2 Ladders
- 1 Rescue
- 3 District Chiefs(1 for Evac./1 for Net.)
- 1 Division Chief(C6 or C7)
- Safety Chief(H1)
- Field/Tac. Comm. Unit
- MBTA Station/Tunnel Fire Assignment:
- 4 Engines(1 for R.I.T.)
- 2 Ladders
- 1 Rescue
- 1 District Chief
- 1 Division Chief(C6 or C7)
- Safety Chief(H1)
- Field/Tac. Comm. Unit
- Waterfront/Ship Fire Assignment:
- 4 Engines(1 for R.I.T.)
- 2 Ladders
- 1 Rescue
- 1 District Chief
- 1 Marine Unit(Fireboat)
- Brush/Outside Fire Assignment:
- 2 Engines
- 1 District Chief
- 1 Brush Unit
Motor Vehicle Accident(MVA)/Emergency Medical Services(EMS) Response
- MVA Assignment/Vehicle Fire:
- 1 Engine
- 1 Ladder
- MVA w/Rollover/Entrapment Assignment:
- 1 Engine
- 1 Ladder
- 1 Rescue
- 1 District Chief
- EMS Assignment:
- 1 Engine, 1 Ladder, or 1 Rescue
Haz-Mat. Incident Response
- Level 0 Assignment:
- 1 Engine
- 1 Ladder
- Level 1 Assignment:
- 1 District Chief
- Special Unit(H2)
- 1 Haz-Mat. Inspector(T12, T13, or T14)
- Level 2 Assignment:
- 1 Engines(Haz-Mat. Team)
- 1 Ladder(Haz-Mat. Team)
- Safety Chief(H1)
- Haz-Mat. Unit(H3)
- Rehab./Mass Casualty Unit(G25)
- Mobile Command Post
- 1 Boston Police Environmental Safety Group Unit(P1, P2, or P3)
- Level 3 Assignment:
- 2 Engines(Decon.)
- 1 Division Chief(C6 or C7)
- 1 Public Info. Officer(C22 or C23)
- Fire Investigation Unit(F.I.U.)(K4)
- Fire Department Photographer(K7)
Great Fire of 1760
The first "Great Fire" of Boston destroyed 349 buildings on March 20, 1760.Federal Street Fire
A large fire occurred at 133-139 Federal Street on May 2, 1858. The building was constructed of granite and wood, and occupied by an axe manufacturer and a bindery. Two Boston Firefighters were killed as a result of the fire, when a wall collapsed onto the roof of a nearby building on which they were performing their duties. The deceased firefighters were the first two persons interred at the Fireman's Lot at Forest Hills CemeteryForest Hills Cemetery
Forest Hills Cemetery is a historic cemetery, greenspace, arboretum and sculpture garden located in the Forest Hills section of the Jamaica Plain neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts. The cemetery was designed in 1848.-Overview:...
.
Great Fire of 1872
The second "Great FireGreat Boston Fire of 1872
The Great Boston Fire of 1872 was Boston's largest urban fire, and still ranks as one of the most costly fire-related property losses in American history. The conflagration began at 7:20 p.m. on November 9, 1872, in the basement of a commercial warehouse at 83—87 Summer Street in Boston,...
" of Boston began on November 9, 1872. The fire destroyed 776 buildings, killed 13 people, and caused $75,000,000 in property damage. The fire required mutual aid
Mutual aid (emergency services)
In emergency services, mutual aid is an agreement among emergency responders to lend assistance across jurisdictional boundaries. This may occur due to an emergency response that exceeds local resources, such as a disaster or a multiple-alarm fire. Mutual aid may be ad hoc, requested only when...
companies from as far away as New Haven
New Haven, Connecticut
New Haven is the second-largest city in Connecticut and the sixth-largest in New England. According to the 2010 Census, New Haven's population increased by 5.0% between 2000 and 2010, a rate higher than that of the State of Connecticut, and higher than that of the state's five largest cities, and...
, Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
and Manchester, New Hampshire
Manchester, New Hampshire
Manchester is the largest city in the U.S. state of New Hampshire, the tenth largest city in New England, and the largest city in northern New England, an area comprising the states of Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont. It is in Hillsborough County along the banks of the Merrimack River, which...
.
Cocoanut Grove Fire
The Cocoanut Grove fireCocoanut Grove fire
The Cocoanut Grove was Boston's premier nightclub during the post-Prohibition 1930s and 40s. On November 28, 1942, occurred the scene of what remains the deadliest nightclub fire, killing 492 people and injuring hundreds more...
is the deadliest nightclub fire in US history. At 10:15 PM on November 28, 1942 the fire began when a short in the electrical wiring ignited gas leaking from a faulty refrigeration unit. The fire eventually claimed 492 lives, and injured hundreds more. It was the second deadliest single-building fire in the US. Only the Iroquois Theater fire
Iroquois Theater Fire
The Iroquois Theatre fire occurred on December 30, 1903, in Chicago, Illinois. It is the deadliest theater fire and the deadliest single-building fire in United States history...
in Chicago in 1903 killed more people (602).
Bellflower Street Conflagaration
On May 22, 1964, the Bellflower Street Conflagration occurred and ultimately destroyed or damaged 35 multi-family dwellings. This conflagration would greatly tax the resources of the Boston Fire Department and the Greater Boston mutual-aid network before being brought under control. Although many firefighters and citizens were injured, no fatalities were recorded.Trumbull Street Fire
On the night of October 1, 1964, an abandoned 4-story factory caught fire in the South EndSouth End, Boston, Massachusetts
The South End is a neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts.-Geography:The South End lies south of the Back Bay, northwest of South Boston, northeast of Roxbury, north of Dorchester, and southwest of Bay Village...
. The building collapsed, resulting in the death of 5 firefighters: Lieutenant John J. McCorkle (Engine 24), Lieutenant John J. Geswell (Ladder 26), Firefighter Robert J. Clougherty (Engine 3), Firefighter Francis L. Murphy (Engine 24) and Firefighter James B. Sheedy (Ladder 4); and a civilian photographer.
Paramount Hotel Fire
A large natural gas explosion occurred on January 28, 1966 at 17 Boylston Street. Fifty-seven people were injured, and eleven died as a result of the explosion and fire.Vendome Hotel Fire
At 2:35 PM on Saturday, June 17, 1972, an alarm from Box 1571Fire alarm box
A fire alarm box is an outdoor device used for notifying a fire department of a fire. Early boxes used the telegraph system and were the main method of calling the fire department to a neighborhood in the days before people had telephones. When the box is triggered, a spring-loaded wheel spins and...
was received at Boston Fire Alarm for the Hotel Vendome
Hotel Vendome fire
thumb|right|400px|Hotel Vendome, Boston as it appeared circa 1880The Hotel Vendome fire was the worst firefighting tragedy in Boston history. Nine firefighters were killed when part of the building collapsed, June 17, 1972...
on Commonwealth Avenue at Dartmouth Street in the Back Bay
Back Bay, Boston, Massachusetts
Back Bay is an officially recognized neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts famous for its rows of Victorian brownstone homes, which are considered one of the best-preserved examples of 19th-century urban design in the United States, as well as numerous architecturally significant individual...
. It took nearly three hours to stop the 4-alarm blaze. During overhauling operations the southeast section of the building unexpectedly collapsed killing 9 Boston firefighters: Lieutenant Thomas J. Carroll (Engine 32), Lieutenant John E. Hanbury (Ladder 13), Firefighter Richard B. Magee (Engine 33), Firefighter Joseph F. Boucher (Engine 22), Firefighter Paul J. Murphy (Engine 32), Firefighter John E. Jameson (Engine 22), Firefighter Charles E. Dolan (Ladder 13), Firefighter Joseph P. Saniuk (Ladder 13) and Firefighter Thomas W. Beckwith (Engine 32); and injuring 8 more.
This fire was the worst tragedy in the history of the Boston Fire Department and one of the most deadly fires in the history of U.S. firefighting.
West Roxbury Fire
On the evening of August 29, 2007, firefighters responded to a report of a fire in the Tai-Ho Chinese restaurant in the West Roxbury neighborhood of Boston. It was reported that smoke was observed on arrival, and a second alarm was promptly transmitted out of concern for the adjoining businesses.Shortly after crews entered and began their initial attack, a suspected partial roof collapse and explosion trapped several firefighters inside. Witnesses observed and reported that about that time, a large fireball exploded out from the front of the restaurant windows several feet into the street and air.
The RIT (Rapid Intervention Team) was activated to search for the trapped and missing firefighters. As many as a dozen firefighters were evacuated and transported to area hospitals with various injuries. Two firefighters, Firefighter Paul J. Cahill of Engine 30 and Firefighter Warren J. Payne of Ladder 25, succumbed to their injuries sustained as a result of the explosion and collapse.