Palm Beach County (FL) Fire-Rescue

History

Palm Beach County Fire-Rescue (PBCFR) was created on October 1, 1984, when the Palm Beach County Board of County Commissioners passed a resolution consolidating the existing fire districts in Palm Beach County.

Prior to 1984 the following fire districts were in existence, covering mostly unincorporated Palm Beach County:

• Jupiter-Tequesta
• Juno Beach
• Old Dixie
• Military Park (Westward Fire District, which covered the community of Westgate and Belvedere Homes, consolidated into Military Park prior to 1984.
• Southwest
• Trail Park
• Reservation (Tri-Community Fire District, which covered the Hypoluxo area, consolidated into Reservation prior to 1984.
• Del Trail
• Canal Point
• Palm Beach International Airport

These departments consolidated, under the leadership of Chief Herman Brice, into Palm Beach County Fire-Rescue (PBCFR). Most of the incorporated cities, unless they were under a contract with a fire district, retained their own departments.

The following departments merged into Palm Beach County Fire-Rescue between 1990 and 2011:

• Lantana Fire-Rescue, Incorporated 1921(October 1, 1997)
• Royal Palm Beach Fire-Rescue (March 13, 1999)
• Lake Park Fire Department (June 29, 2002).
• Belle Glade Fire Department (PBCFR began providing fire protection coverage in October 2006. EMS coverage began on January 7, 2008)
• Pahokee Fire Department (January 7, 2008)
• South Bay Fire Department (January 7, 2008)
• Lake Worth Fire-Rescue (October 1, 2009)
• Palm Springs Public Safety, Fire-Rescue Division(October 1, 2009)

Unit Staffing/Assignments

The minimum staffing is as follows:

• Engines and Quints (Advanced Life Support, also called ALS):
  • 1 Company Officer (Operational Captain)
  • 1 Driver Operator
  • 1 Firefighter (If the unit is an ALS Engine/Quint then 2 of the crew members must be paramedics.

• Rescues:
  • 1 Lieutenant
  • 1 Firefighter/Paramedic
  • 1 Firefighter/EMT (Certain trucks do not have the EMT position filled as of yet. On some units this is a trainee spot for Firefighter/Paramedics doing probationary ride time and being evaluated by a Proctor/Training Officer).

• Special Operations (Haz-Mat/Dive/High Angle Rescue):
  • 1 Haz-Mat Driver/Operator
  • 1 Firefighter/Haz-Mat Technician (All firefighters assigned at the two Special Operations stations are certified as Hazardous Materials Technicians).

• Tenders (formerly called Tankers):
  • 1 Driver/Operator

• ARFF Airport Crash Trucks (called Dragons):
  • 1 ARFF FF/Driver

• Brush trucks are not normally staffed except during Fire Warning periods or after hurricanes. The crew from the engine takes the truck if it is needed and they both operate together as a Task Force.