Located in Phoenix, Arizona, the Phoenix Fire Department provides fire protection and emergency medical services. The Department responds to over 186,594 calls for service during the year. It also provides fire prevention and industrial exposure services. The Department is comprised of over 1,600 professional firefighters who cover an area of over 517 square miles. The Department offers a number of special programs. One program provides training for firefighters who are dealing with behavioral health issues. Phoenix Fire Foundation, an official charity arm of the Phoenix Fire Department, is in fact a non-profit charitable arm.
Phoenix firefighters have been providing emergency services for over a ten year. 88% of all calls are for emergency services. This is significantly higher than the 72% average national rate. The Phoenix Fire Department says that the Department responds to calls in an average of 9 minutes. This rate is almost double that of the national average. Since 2014, the Phoenix Fire Department has responded more than 190,000. The Phoenix Fire Department responded 46% more to 241,000 calls in 2014 than the previous year.
Phoenix Fire Department's response times have increased from five minutes to nine minutes over the past ten years. The Department has also introduced many innovations such as purchasing inhalators and resuscitators. It also made the switch to a mandatory overtime program.
The community assistance unit of the Phoenix Fire Department provides 24 hour crisis intervention and victim assistance services. It supports special programs that help firefighters with occupational health issues. A mobile command center is also available to the Phoenix Fire Department for emergency operations. Phoenix Fire Department also has a model labor management program. The Phoenix Fire Department has a commitment to improve the Department for the benefit future generations.
Phoenix Fire Department also has A, B, or C shifts. Since January, these shifts have been in place. There are also ten separate fire battalions each with three chiefs of Battalion. Each fire battalion is assigned one of three shifts. There are also two squad tenders, and two foam cutters. Phoenix Fire Department also has a ventilation unit as well as a special event unit. The Phoenix Fire Department also owns a mobile aircraft staircase. The Phoenix Fire Department is part of 17 Intergovernmental Agreements. The revenue from these fire departments goes back into Phoenix's general fund.
Phoenix Fire Department is the largest in the United States, with more than 280 firefighters working 24 hours a week. The Phoenix Fire Department provides emergency medical services, fire protection, code enforcement, rescue and aviation rescue. It also provides community education. Its response time has been widely recognized and it has received many awards including the Fire Department of the Year Award. It is also the only fire department in the state with an air management system.