Charlotte Fire Department


The Charlotte Fire Department provides fire suppression, emergency medical services, technical rescue services, hazardous materials mitigation, disaster response, code enforcement, fire investigations, and public education for the city of Charlotte, North Carolina, United States. The department is responsible for an area of approximately with a day population of two million and a night population of 885,000.

History

The Charlotte Fire Department was officially formed in 1875, although fire services existed in the area for decades before that.
Charlotte Fire Department is notable for its role in the development of NFPA 704, the "fire diamond" found on chemicals which depicts in a simple and clear manner the flammability, health hazards and reactivity of the substance. A fire at the Charlotte Chemical Company in 1959 led to severe injuries to many of the firefighters. Upon arrival, the fire crew found a fire burning inside a vat that firefighters assumed to be burning kerosene. The crew tried to suppress the fire with water, which resulted in the vat exploding due to metallic sodium being stored in the kerosene. Thirteen firefighters were injured, several of whom had critical injuries while one lost both ears and most of his face from the incident. At the time, such vats were not labelled with the materials they contained, so firefighters did not have the necessary information to recognize that hazardous materials were present, which required a specific response. In this case, sodium was able to react with water to release hydrogen gas and large amounts of heat.
The Charlotte Fire Department developed training to respond to fires involving hazardous materials, ensured that protective clothing was available to those responding, and expanded the fire prevention inspection program. Fire Marshal J. F. Morris developed the diamond-shaped placard as a marking system to indicate when a building contained hazardous materials.

Stations and apparatus

this is the current list of stations and apparatus for the department:
NeighborhoodEngine CompanyLadder CompanyRescue CompanySpecial UnitBattalion Chief Unit
First WardEngine 1Ladder 1Field Comm 1 & 2, MCP 1, Vent 1, Division Chief Battalion Chief 1
South EndEngine 2Ladder 2
RamaEngine 3Tower 3
Fourth Ward Engine 4 Engine 11Ladder 4
Wesley HeightsEngine 5Brush 5
Myers ParkEngine 6
NoDaEngine 7
Plaza MidwoodEngine 8Rehab 1
Providence TownshipEngine 9Tanker 9
Camp GreeneEngine 10Rescue 10Dive 10Battalion Chief 3
Graham HeightsEngine 11 relocated to Station 4Rescue 11 relocated to Station 45Dive 11Battalion Chief 9
Madison ParkEngine 12
South HoskinsEngine 13Ladder 13Hazmat 13
CotswoldEngine 14
ShamrockEngine 15
South ParkEngine 16Ladder 16
Charlotte Douglas International Airport EastLadder 17Blazes 1, 2, 5, & 14Battalion Chief 8
Washington HeightsEngine 18Tower 18
LandsdowneEngine 19
StarmountEngine 20Ladder 20Battalion Chief 5
Paw CreekEngine 21Brush 21 & Foam 21
DeritaEngine 22Tanker 22
Hickory GroveEngine 23Ladder 23
Carmel VillageEngine 24Ladder 24
OakdaleEngine 25Foam 25Battalion Chief 6
AyrsleyEngine 26Tower 26
University CityEngine 27Tower 27Battalion Chief 2
NorthlakeEngine 28Ladder 28
Idlewild SouthEngine 29Brush 29
Whippoorwill LakeEngine 30Brush 30
Highland CreekEngine 31Ladder 31Brush 31
BallantyneEngine 32Ladder 32Hazmat 32
ShuffletownEngine 33Ladder 33Deluge 33, Tanker 33
NewellEngine 34Decon 34, Hazmat 34
Withrow DownsEngine 35Tanker 35
Mallard CreekEngine 36MOC 1
Steele CreekEngine 37 Engine 90Tanker 37
Withers CoveEngine 38Dive 38, Fire Boat 38
The ArboretumEngine 39Ladder 39Battalion Chief 7
WilgroveEngine 40Ladder 40Tanker 40
Charlotte Douglas International Airport WestBlazes 41, 42, & 47
EastlandEngine 42, Engine 65Battalion Chief 4
Clanton ParkEngine 43USAR 1
River District Engine 44 -
Hidden ValleyLadder 45
Beatties Ford Road / Miranda Road Engine 46
Charlotte Douglas International Airport Center Engine 47