Vancouver Fire and Rescue Services (V.F.R.S.) was founded in 1886 and today serves the city of Vancouver

Vancouver

Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...

, British Columbia

British Columbia

British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...

 providing both fire and emergency medical services. In 2007, the V.F.R.S. responded to over 43,000 emergency calls.

History

The Vancouver Fire Department was established in 1886 and with sixteen days of its existence the City of Vancouver burned to the ground. By 1911 the department was one of the region's best and by 1917 it was completely motorized (no more horse drawn equipment).

Since 1893, 48 Vancouver firefighters have died in the line of duty.

Fire Halls

There are 20 Firehalls located throughout the city:

• Firehall 1 - Strathcona
• Firehall 2 - Downtown Eastside
• Firehall 3 - Mount Pleasant
• Firehall 4 - Fairview
• Firehall 5 - Killarney
• Firehall 6 - West End
• Firehall 7 - City Center
• Firehall 8 - Yaletown
• Firehall 9 - Grandview-Woodland
• Firehall 10 - University Endownment Lands
• Firehall 12 - Kitsilano
• Firehall 13 - Riley Park/Kensington-Cedar Cottage
• Firehall 14 - Hastings-Sunrise
  Hastings-Sunrise
  Hastings-Sunrise is a neighbourhood located in the northeastern corner of the city of Vancouver, British Columbia.The name "Hastings" is a common and historical one in Vancouver for roads, businesses and even a townsite. It is commonly thought to have been derived from the Battle of Hastings from...
  
  
• Firehall 15 - Renfrew-Collingwood
• Firehall 17 - Victoria-Fraserview
• Firehall 18 - Arbutusridge-Shaughnessy-Kerrisdale
  Kerrisdale
  Kerrisdale is a neighbourhood in the city of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.Kerrisdale is a neighbourhood featuring a mix of newer houses and older bungalows as well as various low and mid-rise rental and condo apartment buildings in its northern section. The neighbourhood is an ethnic mix of...
  
  
• Firehall 19 - West Point Grey
  West Point Grey
  West Point Grey is a neighbourhood on the western side of the city of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. It is bordered by 16th Avenue to the south, Alma Street to the east, English Bay to the north, and Blanca Street to the west...
  
  
• Firehall 20 - Victoria/Kensington-Cedar Cottage
• Firehall 21 - Kerrisdale/Dunbar-Southlands
• Firehall 22 - Oakridge-Marpole
  Marpole
  Marpole is a mostly residential neighbourhood of 22,400 located on the southern edge of the city of Vancouver, British Columbia, immediately northeast of Vancouver International Airport. It is approximately bordered by Angus Drive to the west, 57th Avenue to the north, Main Street to the east and...
  
  

Apparatus

• Simon-Duplex Engine
• Simon-Duplex Ladder 30m
• GMC Wagon
• Sparatan Ladder 23m
• Freightliner Rescue
• Simon-Duplex LTI Ladder 30m
• International Hazmat Tender
• Ford Hazmat Tender
• Freightliner Rescue
• Pierce-Smeal 32m ladder
• Ford-Superior Rescue
• And-Freightliner Engine
• Spartan 30m ladder
• GMC High Angle
• Ford-Superior F550 Rescue
• Freightliner Rescue
• Hub-MAck Engine
• Simon-Duplex Ladder 32m
• Ford Life Support
• Grummand Command
• Spartan 23m
• Spartan Duplex engine
• Chevy 4X4
• Freightliner Hose Tender
• Freightliner Crane Truck
• International Engine
• Superior Engine
• Freightliner spare rescue
• Premfab Rescue
• International Engine
• Prefab Ladder/Quint
• International Training Reserve

Ranks

• Chief and General Manager
• Deputy Chief
• Assistant General Manager
• Assistant Chief
• Lieutenant
• Captain
• Firefighter

Fire Boats

VFRS has 2 aluminum fire boats, Fire Boat 1 and Fire Boat 5. They were designed by naval engineering firm Robert Allan Ltd.

Robert Allan Ltd.

Robert Allan Ltd. is Canada's oldest privately owned consulting Naval Architectural firm, established in Vancouver, British Columbia in 1930. Their experience includes designs for hundreds of vessels of almost all types, from small fishing boats to ocean-going ferries, however the firm is best...

. They are two of five shared boats by municipalities within the Port of Vancouver

Port of Vancouver

The Port of Vancouver was the name of the largest port in Canada, the largest in the Pacific Northwest, and the largest port on the West Coast of North America by metric tons of total cargo, with 76.5 million metric tons...

 area (Port Moody (1) and North Vancouver (2)).

The Vancouver FD had several boats:

• J.H. Carlisle 1928-1971
• Vancouver Fireboat No. 2 - built by Yarrowess in 1951 and sold to SFFD in 1990; now SFFD Fire Boat 2 (Guardian)
  Guardian (fireboat)
  Guardian is a fireboat owned by San Francisco Fire Department and operated in the San Francisco Bay since 1990 in reserve status. Guardian was a gift to the people of San Francisco by anonymous donors following the notable role of the fireboat Phoenix in helping to save the Marina District...
  
  

Crest

VFRS uses a standard logo displayed on uniforms and vehicles:

• Maltese cross
• fire hydrant
• EMS logo
• helemt,ladder, horn, hook and axe

External links

• Equipment
• VFRS