The Baltimore City Fire Department (BCFD) serves the city of Baltimore

Baltimore

Baltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore...

, Maryland

Maryland

Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...

 and responds to approximately 270,000 emergency calls annually.

History

Baltimore's early firefighting was performed by volunteers. The various companies engaged in serious rivalries, resulting in what a Baltimore mayor termed "irregularities". A municipal organization was established in 1859.

The Great Baltimore Fire

Great Baltimore Fire

The Great Baltimore Fire raged in Baltimore, Maryland, United States, on Sunday, February 7, and Monday, February 8, 1904. 1,231 firefighters were required to bring the blaze under control...

 in 1904 burned for thirty hours straight and decimated a major part of central Baltimore, including over 1,500 buildings. Mutual aid companies from as far away as Washington D.C., Philadelphia and New York City were called in to assist. The fire led to uniform national standards in fire fighting equipment and protocols. As with other large fires of the time, it was a predecessor to the stringent fire codes of today.

Current operations

The department consists of two major divisions: Planning and Administration and Emergency Operations. Planning and Administration is further organized into five subdivisions. Its service area covers 81 square miles, with a population of over 640,000.

As of 2010, the 1,800-member Department was headed by Jim Clack. Its current supporting infrastructure includes 37 Fire Stations, 32 Engine Companies, 18 Truck Companies, 4 Squad Engine Companies, 1 Rescue Company, 37 Medic Units, 1 Fireboat, 2 Fire Rescue boats and numerous other special, support, and reserve units in 6 Battalions.

Fire Station Locations and Apparatus

Engine Company	Truck Company	Medic Unit	Special Unit	Battalion	Address
Engine 2					800 Light St.
Engine 4	Truck 29				1201 E. Cold Spring Ln.
Engine 5	Truck 3	Medic 10			2120 Eastern Ave.
Engine 6	Truck 1	Medic 7, Medic 24	Safety 2, AirFLEX 2, Mobile Communications Unit, Fire Investigation Unit, Car 414, 415 & 416 (Canteen)	Battalion 2, Car 3 (Shift Commander)	1100 Hillen St.
Engine 8	Truck 10	Medic 15	Decon 1	Battalion 3	1503 W. LaFayette Ave.
Squad 11	Truck 20	Medic 20			5714 Eastern Ave.
Engine 13	Truck 16	Medic 4			405 McMechen St.
Engine 14		Medic 21			1908 Hollins St.
Engine 20	Truck 18	Medic 8			3130 W. North Ave.
Engine 21		Medic 19			3724 Roland Ave.
Engine 23		Medic 1, Medic 22, Medic 23,	Rescue 1, Haz-Mat 1, Haz-Mat 3, SRO Van, Collapse 1, SCUBA 1, AirFLEX 1, EMS 2	Battalion 6 (Special Operations Battalion)	15 S. Eutaw St.
Engine 26	Truck 6	Medic 5		Battalion Chief EMS	1001 E. Fort Ave.
Engine 27	Truck 26				4315 Mannasota Ave.
Engine 29		Medic 17			4312 Park Heights Ave.
Engine 30	Truck 8	Medic 12			3220 Frederick Ave.
Engine 31		Medic 3			3123 Greenmount Ave.
Engine 33	Truck 5	Medic 16	EMS 3		805 E. 25th St.
Engine 35	Truck 21	Medic 9	Foam Engine 35		430 Maude Ave.
Engine 36					2249 Edmonson Ave.
Squad 40	Truck 12	Medic 11		Battalion 5	3906 Liberty Heights Ave.
Engine 41				Battalion 1	520 S. Conkling St.
Engine 42		Medic 6		Battalion 4	4522 Harford Rd.
Engine 43		Medic 18			1100 Walters Ave.
Engine 44	Truck 25				2 Upland Rd.
Engine 45	Truck 27	Medic 14			2700 Glenn Ave.
Engine 46			EMS 4		5500 Reisterstown Rd.
Squad 47					2608 Washington Blvd.
Engine 50		Medic 2	EMS 5		1601 Broening Highway
Engine 51					645 N. Highland St.
Engine 52					3525 Woodbrook Ave.
Engine 53					608 Swann Ave.
Squad 54	Truck 30	Medic 13			5821 Belair Rd.
Engine 55	Truck 23				1229 Bush St.
Engine 56					6512 Harford Rd.
Engine 57					4427 Pennington Ave.
Engine 58					2425 Annapolis Rd.
	Truck 15				1223 N. Montford Ave.
			Fireboat 1 & Fire Rescue Boat 1		2609 Leahy St.

Structure/Building Fire

• Tactical Box Assignment:
  • 2 Engines/Squads
  • 1 Truck
• Task Force Alarm Assignment:
  • 3 Engines/Squads
  • 1 Truck
  • 1 Battalion Chief
• Box/1st Alarm Assignment(Normal SOP):
  • 5 Engines/Squads(1 for R.I.T.)
  • 2 Trucks
  • Rescue (in area near downtown)
  • 2 Battalion Chiefs
  • 1 Medic Unit
  • Fire Boat 1 & Fire Rescue Boat 1 (if box is 2 blocks or closer to the water)
• Working Fire Assignment:
  • 1 Engine/Squad
  • 1 Truck
  • 1 EMS district officer
  • 1 AirFLEX Unit
  • Safety Officer
  • Car 3
• 2nd Alarm Assignment:
  • 3 Engines/Squads
  • 1 Truck
  • 1 Battalion Chief
  • Battalion Chief EMS
  • 1 Medic Unit
• 3rd Alarm Assignment:
  • 4 Engines/Squads
  • 2 Trucks
  • 1 Battalion Chief
  • 1 Medic Unit
  • Mobile Command Unit
  • Water Tower 1
• 4th Alarm Assignment:
  • 4 Engines/Squads
  • 2 Trucks
  • 1 Battalion Chief
  • 1 Medic Unit
• 5th Alarm Assignment:
  • 4 Engines/Squads
  • 2 Trucks
  • 1 Battalion Chief
  • 1 Medic Unit

In popular culture

The movie Ladder 49

Ladder 49

Ladder 49 is a 2004 film about the heroics of a Baltimore fireman Jack Morrison, who is trapped inside a warehouse fire and his recollection of the events that got him to that point. The movie is a celebration of the firefighting profession and the life that comes with it...

was centered around the BCFD, about a fictional BCFD Truck Company and its crew.