The New York City Fire Department (FDNY) has a long and storied history, stretching back to 1648 when the first fire ordinance was adopted in the Dutch settlement of New Amsterdam. In 1865, the volunteer fire department was abolished by a state law that created the Metropolitan Fire District and the Metropolitan Fire Department (MFD). After the September 11, 2001 attacks, the Fire Department was rebuilt and continues to serve the people of New York. The FDNY is comprised of approximately 600 dedicated men and women, and is a full-service agency that deals with all types of risks.
The FDNY's hazardous materials (HazMat) company, Haz-Mat 1 (based in Queens), responds to major hazardous materials incidents throughout the city, building collapses, pollution-related incidents, terrorist-related disasters, serious emergencies, and a variety of other incidents where its services may be needed. Operationally and geographically, the department is organized into five municipal commands for each of the five boroughs of New York City. The companies in the FDNY squad are also comprised of specially trained firefighters from the New York Fire Department. In addition to responding to types of buildings that range from single-family homes with wooden frames to high-rise structures, there are many secluded bridges and tunnels, the New York City subway system, as well as large parks and wooded areas that can lead to wildfires. Currently, there are about 16,000 physical fire alarm boxes in New York City, and many additional special boxes for buildings and highways, as well as fictional boxes that are used for special response tasks. The New York City Fire Department also employed 2,800 emergency medical technicians, paramedics and supervisors assigned to the Department's Emergency Medical Command, and 1,200 civilian employees.
Haz-Tac Ambulance members are trained to reach the level of hazardous materials technician, allowing them to provide emergency medical care and decontamination in hazardous environments, in addition to their normal pre-hospital tasks. So how many hazardous materials calls does each station of each fire district in Suffolk County, New York receive annually? The answer depends on a variety of factors such as population density and geographic location. Generally speaking, however, it is safe to assume that each station will respond to at least a few dozen calls per year. This includes professional firefighters, volunteer firefighters and pay-per-call firefighters, as well as civilian firefighters. In order to ensure that all hazardous materials calls are responded to quickly and efficiently in Suffolk County, it is important for fire departments to have adequate staffing levels. This includes having enough personnel on hand to respond to any type of emergency situation.
Additionally, it is important for fire departments to have access to the latest technology and equipment so they can respond quickly and effectively. Finally, it is important for fire departments to have access to training so they can stay up-to-date on the latest safety protocols. By following these guidelines and ensuring that all fire stations in Suffolk County have adequate staffing levels and access to the latest technology and equipment, it is possible for them to respond quickly and effectively to any hazardous materials call they may receive.
