Prescott Fire Department

The Prescott Fire Department is the municipal fire department for the city of Prescott, Arizona. Additionally, the PFD provides aircraft rescue and firefighting for the Prescott Municipal Airport.[3] Founded in 1885, it is the oldest fire department in the state of Arizona.[1] With a coverage area of 41.5 square miles (107 km²) and serving a population of 39,843, the PFD consists of 92 career personnel, split among five fire stations.[1]

Prescott Fire Department

Operational area
Country	United States
State	Arizona
City	Prescott
Agency overview[1]
Established	1885
Annual calls	8737 (2012)
Employees	92
Staffing	Career
EMS level	ALS
IAFF	3066
Facilities and equipment[2]
Stations	5
Engines	7
Trucks	2
HAZMAT	1
Airport crash	1
Wildland	4 - Type 6
Website
Official website
IAFF website

History

Prior to 1884, Prescott had no water system for fire protection. Wells were sunk at the four corners of the courthouse plaza and double acting hand pumps were installed.[4] In 1884 the water system was installed and the Prescott Volunteer Fire Department was started with a single hose company using a two-wheeled cart hand drawn with 600 feet (180 m) of 2.5 inches (6.4 cm) hose. In 1954 the then four separate volunteer companies were merged into one and named Prescott Fire Department.[4]

Granite Mountain Hotshots

The Granite Mountain Hotshots were a group within the department whose mission was to fight wildfires. Founded in 2002 as a fuels mitigation crew, it transitioned to a handcrew (Type 2 I/A) in 2004, and ultimately to a hotshot crew in 2008.[5] The crew had their own fire station, station 7, where equipment, including two 10-person crew carriers, was housed.[6] The 2017 film Only the Brave was based on the Granite Mountain Hotshots and the Yarnell Fire.

Yarnell Fire fatalities

On June 30, 2013, 19 members of the 20-man group died fighting the Yarnell Hill Fire.[7][8] Only Brendan McDonough survived.[9] The firefighters had apparently deployed fire shelters, but not all of the bodies were found inside them.[10] According to the National Fire Protection Association, it was the greatest loss of life for firefighters in a wildfire since 1933, the deadliest wildfire of any kind since 1991, and the greatest loss of firefighters in the United States since the September 11 attacks.[11] Vice President Joe Biden attended the memorial and stated, "All men are created equal. But then, a few became firefighters."[12]

Stations and apparatus

Fire Station Number	Address	Engine Companies	Truck Companies	Wildland Units	Special units
71	333 White Spar Rd.	Engine 71, Engine 711	Truck 71	Patrol 71	Utility 71 & Battalion 1	[13]
72	1700 Iron Springs Rd.	Engine 72, Engine 722	Truck 72	Patrol 72		[14]
73	1980 Clubhouse Dr. Prescott Municipal Airport	Engine 73		Patrol 73	Foam 73	[3]
74	2747 Smoketree Ln.	Engine 74			Boat 74	[15]
75	315 Lee Blvd.	Engine 75		Patrol 75	Haz-Mat Unit	[16]

References

1. "About the Prescott Fire Department". Prescott Fire Department. Retrieved 2 February 2015.
2. "Annual Report" (PDF). Prescott Fire Department. Retrieved 2 February 2015.
3. "Station 73". Prescott Fire Department. Retrieved 2 February 2015.
4. Connell, Robert. "History of the Prescott Fire Department". Prescott Fire Department. Retrieved 2 February 2015.
5. "Granite Mountain Hotshots". Prescott Fire Department. Retrieved 1 July 2013.
6. "Station 77". Prescott Fire Department. Retrieved 2 February 2015.
7. "Multiple firefighter fatalities on the Yarnell Fire in Arizona". wildfiretoday.com. Retrieved 1 July 2013.
8. "19 firefighters working Yarnell Hill Fire confirmed dead". FOX 10. June 30, 2013. Archived from the original on July 1, 2013. Retrieved June 30, 2013.
9. "Yarnell Hill Fire: Wildfire grows to more than 2,000 acres, 19 firefighters killed". ABC15. June 30, 2013. Archived from the original on July 2, 2013. Retrieved June 30, 2013.
10. Harris, Craig (July 1, 2013). "Deadly Yarnell Hill Fire: Crews expect fire to be erratic". The Arizona Republic. Retrieved July 1, 2013.
11. Castellano, Anthony (July 1, 2013). "19 Firefighters Killed in Arizona Wildfire". Yahoo!. Retrieved July 1, 2012.
12. "Members Of Elite Firefighting Unit Memorialized In Arizona". NPR. Retrieved 2016-03-08.
13. "Station 71". Prescott Fire Department. Retrieved 2 February 2015.
14. "Station 72". Prescott Fire Department. Retrieved 2 February 2015.
15. "Station 74". Prescott Fire Department. Retrieved 2 February 2015.
16. "Station 75". Prescott Fire Department. Retrieved 2 February 2015.