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The Emergency Response division (ERD)
requires the largest allocation of human and
budgetary resources within the Department. The
Officer responsible for the operation of this
division is an Assistant Fire Chief. Other
division staff positions include; Chief of
Special Operations, Chief of Emergency Medical
Services, Operations Officer, Safety Officer,
and Staff Officer.
With 545 uniformed officers and firefighters on
3 shifts, staffing fourteen (14) neighborhood
fire stations, ERD accounts for more than 80% of
the department’s budget. A Battalion Chief is in
charge of each Battalion (also called shift) for
24 hours a day. The Battalion Chief supervises
three District Chiefs that are assigned to the
three districts that make up the entire city.
District Chiefs supervise all stations within
their respective district.
ERD personnel staff 48 emergency response
vehicles. Shift personnel work 48-hour workweeks
consisting of a 24-hour shift every third day.
All ERD personnel are certified firefighters and
trained in Emergency Medical Services (EMS).
More than 370 of the 545 personnel in the
division are certified Paramedics.
This division handles the following types of emergencies:
- Emergency Medical Service
- Fire Suppression
- Hazardous Material Response
- Weapons of Mass Destruction Mitigation
- Technical Rescue
- Water Rescue
- Disaster Management
Currently the division has four specialized teams; the dive team, the hazardous materials team, the SWAT medic team and the technical rescue team.
Significant Accomplishments
- The Technical Rescue Team was formed, trained,
and placed into service this past year
- The Hazardous Materials Team became part of a
larger regional Metropolitan Medical Strike
Team, as well as a regional Counter-Terrorist
Response Team.
- Two (2) dive boats and eight (8) new
encapsulated suits (level-A protection for
hazardous materials) were added to the special
operations inventory.
- Ten (10) new FLIR thermal imaging cameras were
distributed, bringing the total to eighteen
(18).
The EMS section, in conjunction with the
Information Technology Department, developed a
systems approach to meet the compliance
requirements of the State’s new Aggregate
Reporting System.
Realizing the diverse cultures of the City of
Miami’s population, the EMS section identified a
need to translate the language on the portion of
the field reports intended for the patients.
This changed the reports from English - only to
also include Spanish and Creole. This is
intended to reduce confusion and improve
customer service for the community.
A partnership between the Department of
Fire-Rescue and the United States Army has
created an opportunity for U.S. Army Ranger
Medics to ride and train on our units. This
partnership should create a climate of respect
and mutual admiration between the Army and
Fire-Rescue personnel. |
