District of Columbia Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department
Encyclopedia
The District of Columbia Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department, (also known as DC FEMS, FEMS, DCFD, DC Fire, or Fire & EMS), established July 1, 1884, is the municipal fire department
and emergency medical service
agency for Washington, D.C.
, the capital of the United States
. An organ of the devolved district government
, Fire & EMS is responsible for providing fire suppression, ambulance service and hazardous materials containment for the federal district.
To resolve problems stemming from the rivalry between competing private volunteer companies, an act to organize a paid fire department was approved in 1864 and implemented on September 23, 1871, with a combination of paid and volunteer staff. This very first incarnation of the fire department had seven paid firefighters and thirteen call men to answer alarms, manning three engines and two ladders. By 1900, the DCFD had grown to 14 engine, 4 ladder and 2 chemical companies.
Rescuers and firefighters from the DCFD were major participants in the 1968 riots
following the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr.
Widespread civil unrest, looting
and arson
resulted in the mobilization of the entire force, along with 70 outside companies, to battle over 500 fires and perform 120 rescues during the four days of disorder.
's Nerve Center, which first aired in June 2011. The episode followed the Department's activities on October 30-31, 2010, including providing emergency medical services at the Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear and the 35th Marine Corps Marathon
.
Fire department
A fire department or fire brigade is a public or private organization that provides fire protection for a certain jurisdiction, which typically is a municipality, county, or fire protection district...
and emergency medical service
Emergency medical services
Emergency medical services are a type of emergency service dedicated to providing out-of-hospital acute medical care and/or transport to definitive care, to patients with illnesses and injuries which the patient, or the medical practitioner, believes constitutes a medical emergency...
agency for Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, the capital of the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. An organ of the devolved district government
District of Columbia home rule
District of Columbia home rule is a term to describe the various means by which residents of the District of Columbia are able to govern their local affairs...
, Fire & EMS is responsible for providing fire suppression, ambulance service and hazardous materials containment for the federal district.
History
On January 13, 1803, prior to the formation of a fire fighting company in the city, Washington's first law regarding fire control was passed; this law instructed that for every building in the city, the building's owner must provide leather buckets for use in fire suppression. Owners were required to provide as many buckets as there were stories to the building. The fine for failure to provide the required number of buckets was one dollar per missing bucket.To resolve problems stemming from the rivalry between competing private volunteer companies, an act to organize a paid fire department was approved in 1864 and implemented on September 23, 1871, with a combination of paid and volunteer staff. This very first incarnation of the fire department had seven paid firefighters and thirteen call men to answer alarms, manning three engines and two ladders. By 1900, the DCFD had grown to 14 engine, 4 ladder and 2 chemical companies.
Rescuers and firefighters from the DCFD were major participants in the 1968 riots
1968 Washington, D.C. riots
Five days of race riots erupted in Washington, D.C. following the April 4, 1968 assassination of Civil Rights Movement-leader Martin Luther King, Jr. Civil unrest affected at least 110 U.S...
following the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr.
Martin Luther King, Jr.
Martin Luther King, Jr. was an American clergyman, activist, and prominent leader in the African-American Civil Rights Movement. He is best known for being an iconic figure in the advancement of civil rights in the United States and around the world, using nonviolent methods following the...
Widespread civil unrest, looting
Looting
Looting —also referred to as sacking, plundering, despoiling, despoliation, and pillaging—is the indiscriminate taking of goods by force as part of a military or political victory, or during a catastrophe, such as during war, natural disaster, or rioting...
and arson
Arson
Arson is the crime of intentionally or maliciously setting fire to structures or wildland areas. It may be distinguished from other causes such as spontaneous combustion and natural wildfires...
resulted in the mobilization of the entire force, along with 70 outside companies, to battle over 500 fires and perform 120 rescues during the four days of disorder.
Budget problems
In January 2010, The Washington Examiner reported that, in a major management failure, the agency failed to budget for seniority pay in its fiscal 2010 budget, causing a $2 million shortfall. After a hiring freeze left 130 positions unfilled, the department was projected to spend $15.4 million in fiscal 2010 (2.5 times the budgeted amount). More than 75 percent of the agency's budget goes to salaries and fringe benefits.Nerve Center episode
The DC Fire & EMS Department was profiled in episode 5 of Discovery ChannelDiscovery Channel
Discovery Channel is an American satellite and cable specialty channel , founded by John Hendricks and distributed by Discovery Communications. It is a publicly traded company run by CEO David Zaslav...
's Nerve Center, which first aired in June 2011. The episode followed the Department's activities on October 30-31, 2010, including providing emergency medical services at the Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear and the 35th Marine Corps Marathon
Marine Corps Marathon
The Marine Corps Marathon is an annual marathon held in Arlington, Virginia and Washington, DC. The mission of the MCM is to promote physical fitness, generate community goodwill and showcase the organizational skills of the United States Marine Corps....
.
See also
- Government of the District of Columbia
- Fireboat John H. Glenn Jr.Fireboat John H. Glenn Jr.The John H. Glenn Jr. is a fireboat stationed on the Potomac and Anacostia rivers in Washington, D.C. Her bow was reinforced in 1984, and allows her to also serve as an icebreaker during the winter....
- Benjamin C. Grenup MonumentBenjamin C. Grenup MonumentBenjamin C. Grenup Monument is a public artwork by American artist Charles Rousseau, located at Glenwood Cemetery in Washington, D.C., United States. "Benjamin C. Grenup Monument" serves as the final resting place for firefighter Benjamin Grenup.-Description:...
Monument to the first DC Firefighter killed in action.