42 replies to this topic

[erfd]

 

He's asking for non American station depts lol

Showing how much departments vary worldwide and by locality and showing how European influence has come over to some areas in the US.

 

[martijntjuh]

A station here in the Netherlands (Kampen (for an area of aprox. 50.000 people or 11.39 km²), it has 10 bays and a washing bay.(volunteer)

2 Engines

1 high rise unit

1 Rescue truck

1 tanker

3 p/m (person / material) vehicles

1 older hose truck for the junior firefighters

 

behind some of the vehicles:

1 boat

1 powder trailer

1 foam trailer

1 pump trailer

1 material trailer

 

The second station we have in the next town ( IJsselmuiden ) has 3 bays.(volunteer)

1 hose truck

1 engine

1 P/M van

it's hard say what is standard over here as many stations are different however there is always an Engine

 

Link to original page with all the vehicles as well:

http://www.112kampen...atie/brandweer/

[rgalante]

My local fire department (Seixal FD) is the 5th biggest in Portugal and the 2nd Best in the country. They're a full professional FD since 2008 and have 3 stations. 

Central Fire Station - 

 

1st Section. located in Corroios (where i live, in the picture you can see Ambulance 05, Light Pumper 02 and Wildland Pumper 03)

 

 

2nd Section, located in Amora City (Here, problalby its where they have 75% of their calls) - In the back of This station, they have a Training Facility, used by all Fire Departments in Setubal District. Also, Its here in this station, where they most of their ambulances operating. (In the picture you can see Intensive Care ambulance on the left, but nowadays is a normal rescue ambulance with other painting, ambulance 04, that no longer operates, Light Pumper 02 and Bat Chief 03.

 

Seixal Municipality has almost 190,000 people, being the 8th biggest in Portugal. 

In terms of vehicles they have 9 ambulances (being on of them an INEM Ambulance operated by the FD), 3 Wildland Engines, 1 Light Pumper (especialized in urban intervention and rescue operations), 1 Rural Pumper ( Its an All round Pumper, because its basicaly a normal Engine but 4x4, featuring Rescue Material), 3 Urban Pumpers (2 of them also with Rescue Material, and the Urban Pumper 03, its in my opinion, one of the most Pumpers i ever saw, is my favourite unit), 1 Rescue Squad, 4 Tankers, 1 Special Pumper (for Wildland Fires), 1 Aerial Ladder, 1 Bat Chief Vehicle, 3 boats and a lot of Support vehicles.

 

I have pictures of all units if you guys want xD

[Fred03]

So would I be correct in saying (in Portugal at least) that in urban areas fire protection is based out one or two large central stations as opposed to small stations spread out across the city?

[met police999]

It's how it is in most European countries just one big station to cover a large area with the occasional one to three bay station

[rgalante]

The problem is that in Portugal.. that is rare xD.

 

Only RSB Lisbon, Seixal FD  ( Which are the 2 best FD'S in Portugal) and a few Fire Department's across the country have one central station and then small ones around their service area.

 

Is one of the major problems in Portuguese Fire Protection (we have alot of issues, mainly in rural areas..)

[Ghost Graphic Designs]

Here in Lisbon we have a fully professional fire department that's the oldest in Portugal, known as R.S.B. Lisboa. Known for being the best FD in Portugal, for their highly trained firefighters and for record response times (in our contry).

 

They have 5 different battalions (companies, actually) that are spread around the city. Each one of those battalions has two fire stations (a bigger station [known as Battalion HQ] and a smaller station) and all of them have atleast 1 urban pumper, 1 light pumper (with command functions, because it transports the watch manager of the station), 1 aerial ladder and one support vehicle (that's used for lockouts and to patrol). 

 

Because of the city's diversity, each battalion has vehicles according to their needs:

• Battalion 1 is the oldest in the city and it's the HQ of the whole FD, so it has lots of administrative and command vehicles (apart from the other "base" vehicles).
• Battalion 2 operates in a suburban area, so it has a brush truck in the HQ.
• Battalion 3 has the greatest operacional area, so the HQ has a water tanker and the station has two ambulances (operated by the FD) and an extra engine.
• Battalion 4 operates in an older area of the city, but they don't have any extra vehicles. Only the HQ of this battalion has two INEM (national EMS) ambulances based on their station, that are operated by the INEM itself).
• Battalion 5 is known as the Special Operations Battalion. The HQ has about 2 extra fire engines, 1 foam tender, 2 water tenders, 1 tanker, 1 HAZMAT truck, 1 USAR truck and some special vehicles like tow trucks, excavators and a flatbed van. The station houses regular units and 1 or 2 INEM ambulances that use the station as a base for their vehicles.
• Airport Division that's basically on the airport itself and doesn't make part of battalion. More like a different branch.

We also have about 7 volunteer fire departments that serve as logistical support to RSB (in big fires they supply water to the fire engines and work as a backup) and mostly respond to medical emergencies.

 

BAT 1 HQ:

BAT 1 Station:

BAT 2 HQ:

BAT 2 Station:

BAT 3 HQ:

BAT 3 Station:

BAT 4 HQ:

BAT 4 Station:

SOB HQ:

SOB Station:

 

BTW: the newest RSB pumper is in my signature. It's the one from BAT 3 HQ. BAT 1 and SOB also got the same vehicle.

[BrentMIC]

In scotland we have it more similar to the states with multiple fire stations spread out across a city, with no more than two Rescue Pumps and one special unit in any given station.

[patrickm28]

In my local "town" (pop. of 7,102 year round, 320,000-345,000 on summer weekends), there are 5 fire stations:

 

* = Station Staffed Year Round

** = Station Staffed In The Summer Season

*** = Station Never Staffed (Staffed By Volunteers (Or Career In The Case Of Fireboat 1) When Necessary).

 

---

Station 1 (Headquarters)*

---

Engine 1

Engine 1-1

Tower 1

Heavy Rescue 1

Paramedic 1

Paramedic 1-1

Gator 1

Gator 2

Water Rescue 1

Boat 2

Utility 714

Utility 728

& A Rescue Training Trailer

 

---

Boat Dock***

---

Fireboat 1

---

 

Station 2**

---

Engine 2

Paramedic 2

Paramedic 2-1

 

---

Station 3*

---

Engine 3

Tower 3

Paramedic 3

Paramedic 3-1

---

Station 4*

---

Engine 4

Paramedic 4

Paramedic 4-1

---

 

Station 5***

---

Engine 5

Engine/ Tanker 5

Tower 5

Heavy Rescue 5

Tanker 5

Paramedic 5

Brush 5

Canteen 725

Boat 5

Utility 710

Utility 728

& A Trailer With Extra Foam

& An Antique Engine

& A Fire Prevention Trailer

& 2 Special Operations Trailers

 

The Medevac Comes From The Nearest Available State Police Agency.

 

Ambulances are often moved from station to station as units become unavailable. 

 

The hospital is located in a neighboring town, so units have to fight traffic when returning into town.

 

Mutual Aid is provided by neigboring companies. 

 

The Duty Captain patrols in a suburban, and act similarly to how a battalion would in a larger city.

[MCERT1]

Here's the quick run down on my whole county (just to show some variation). We have 15 volunteer and 2 paid (forestry) fire stations for 982 sq mi, and a population of about 32,500.

County Seat -Volunteer                                                 Large Town- Volunteer                             Small Town/Rural-Volunteer                         Small Town Volunteer

7/8 hydrant area (serves about 13,000)               1/2 hydrant area (serves about 2,300)           1/4 hydrant area  (serves around 800)       1/2 hydrant area (serves about 600)  

4 Engines                                                                         2 Engines (1 reserve)                                          2 Engines                                                          2 Engines    

1 Tower                                                                            1 Engine/Tanker                                                     1 Tanker                                                             1 Tanker    

1 Rescue                                                                         1 Tower                                                                    1 Rescue                                                            1 Brush Unit

1 Hazmat (with 2 support trailers)                               1 Brush                                                                    1 Brush                                                               1 Ambulance

1 Brush                                                                             1 Utility                                                                     1 ATV

1 Boat                                                                               1 Dive Trailer                                                           1 Boat

1 Dive unit                                                                         1 Ambulance                                                          1 Dive Unit

1 Utility                                                                             *1 staffed county ALS ambulance*                       1 Ambulance

*2 staffed county ALS Ambulances*        

 

Small Town/Rural- Volunteer                                   Rural w/ villages-Volunteer                                   Village/ Rural- Volunteer                     Rural- Volunteer

1/4 hydrant area (serves about 2,000)             No hydrants (serves around 300)                               No hydrants (serves about 1,000)             No hydrants (serves about 200) 

1 Engine                                                                       1 Engine                                                                          1 Engine                                                         1 Engine  

1 Engine/Tanker                                                          1 Rescue/Engine                                                          2 Tankers                                                       1 Tanker

1 Tanker                                                                        1 Tanker                                                                         2 Brush Units                                                  1 Brush unit 

1 Rescue ( not in service yet)                                    1 Brush Unit (getting a 2nd again)                                   1 ATV   

1 Brush Unit                                                                  1 Utility                                                                            1 Boat

                                                                                        1 Boat                                                                              1 Ambulance

                                                                                         1 EMS chase unit

                                                                                        *1 staffed county ALS ambulance*

 

Rural- Volunteer                                                  Small Village-Volunteer                                                   Island Village-Volunteer                   Village /Rural-Volunteer

No hydrants (serves about 600)                 No hydrants (serves about 600)                                   No hydrants (serves about 430)                    No hydrants  (serves about 500)

1 Engine                                                                       1 Engine                                                                              1 Engine                                              1 Rescue/Engine

1 Engine/Tanker                                                         1 Rescue/Engine                                                               1 ATV                                                       1 Ladder

1 Tanker                                                                       1 Tanker                                                                              1 Brush                                                 1 Tanker

1 Utility                                                                          1 Nurse Tanker (carries 6000 gallons)                        1 Utility                                                            1 Brush

1 Brush Unit                                                                1 Brush Unit                                                                                                                                          1 ATV

1 Boat                                                                           1 ATV                                                                                                                                             1 Boat

1 ATV                                                                             2 Boats                                                                                                                                        *1 county staffed ALS*

1 Ambulance

 

Rural w/Major Highway-Volunteer                  Island Village-Volunteer         Small Island- Volunteer               USFWS Fire Service                       State Forestry

No hydrants (serves about 2,700)               No hydrants (serves about 260)        No hydrants (serves about 75)         Protects Wildlife Refuge                Responds as needed

1 Rescue/Engine                                              1 Rescue/Engine                           1 Engine/Tanker                                      3 Type III engines                             1 Type II Engine

2 Engines                                                         1 Tanker                                        1 Tanker                                                 1 Tanker                                             1 Bulldozer

1 Tanker                                                           1 Brush Unit                                  1 Brush Unit                                              3 Large All-Terrain Units                 1 Marshmaster

1 Nurse Tanker                                                      1 ATV                                        1 EMS responder car                              1 Bulldozer w/ transport

1 Brush Unit                                                            1 Boat

[Ghost Graphic Designs]

I thought this topic was only about non-north american fire departments...

[MCERT1]

I thought this topic was only about non-american fire departments...

 It has kind of devolved into more of conversation about how different departments are everywhere, there's just no standard department make up in any country. People get very accustomed to how things are where they live, and accept them as  sort of standard. Having lived in a few different locations it's just amazing how different they get.

[BrentMIC]

Correct me if I'm wrong but do some American departments run with three members on a unit?
Over here the minimum for the first arriving is 5 and the second 4, and if they are under that staffing level whether they are volunteer or career they aren't allowed to respond

[novius]

There is a combination department in my area that staffs two units with 3 and supplements with part paid. Because there are 6 total members arriving on scene, they still satisfy the 2 in 2 out. Should the units be at separate calls, they are supposed to only do exterior attack until others arrive.
The major city (11 engines, 5 ladders) has a couple engines staffed with 2 and 3. It's all about meeting the requirements for dispatch to on scene time.

[BrentMIC]

That'd never in a million years be allowed over here...

[novius]

I think it's a cheap way to bend the rules, but no one goes in without proper support. My department for example will have 4-5 engines, a ladder and a heavy rescue each with 4-6 firefighters as our structure fire assignment. Add in various officers who arrive POV, and mutual aid depending on the duration and severity of the call, and a lawn can almost feel crowded.

[Fred03]

Correct me if I'm wrong but do some American departments run with three members on a unit?
Over here the minimum for the first arriving is 5 and the second 4, and if they are under that staffing level whether they are volunteer or career they aren't allowed to respond

In my volly department we roll with whoever shows up, last vehicle fire only 2 people responded and one took the pumper and one POV. Of course it was a motorcycle fire so the guy with the pumper idled it up and sprayed down what was left of the cycle while the other checked the driver, I fear for what would have happened if it had been a bigger incident though but that's the peril of a volunteer department.

[BrentMIC]

We have 15 guys at the scene of a house fire with people trapped or ten FF's when there's not so it's a very diffrent system, but we generally have more protocols such as BA entry control etc

[Woutske]

Here in Almere, Holland; we have three stations. I don't know all the facts but as stated on the website (https://www.brandwee.../posten-almere/) we have 130 km2 of area, 195.000 inhabitants and a total of 146 firemen (90 volunteer). Average amount of dispatches per year is 1793.

 

[EmergencyFan97]

Here at my fire department, we have a single station.  We're a rural department consisting of mostly farmland and houses, plus we have a single asphalt plant in the district.  Our station has seven bays.  We have the following units:

 

Engine 13-1 (1970s engine, second-due to structure fires, first-due to vehicle fires)

Engine 13-2 (2012-ish engine, first-due to structure fires and brush fires)

Tanker 3

Tanker 4

Squad 13 (early 2000s GMC pickup with a skid unit mounted in the bed.  4 airpacks in cab.)

Truck 13 (1980s minipumper/brush truck.  Few hundred feet of hose, some minor tools.  Last-out to any call unless we can't fit 13-1 or 13-2 down the driveway, then this vehicle becomes first-in)

 

We have zero capabilities other than firefighting.  No first responder, no type of rescue, no extrication capabilities.