deptinfo

The Anchorage Fire Department consists of five Divisions. Follow the links to learn about each Divsion's contribution to the AFD mission.

A Brief History
The Anchorage Fire Department was formed in 1915. It grew as a combination paid/volunteer organization to 50 personnel by 1951 when the first ambulance service began. In 1967, the first unification of services occurred when seven volunteer departments combined into the fully paid Greater Anchorage Area Borough Fire Department. 1971 ushered in the beginnings of current area wide Mobile Intensive Care Paramedic coverage.

Governmental unification occurred in 1975 when the City of Anchorage and the Greater Anchorage Borough unified to become the Municipality of Anchorage. An accelerated growth period, brought on by the construction of the Trans-Alaska pipeline, propelled the Fire Department from a combined Unification strength of 180 personnel to a current level of approximately 391. The Department currently staffs twelve fire stations. There are seven Basic Life Support, five Advanced Life Support engine companies, four truck companies, three aerials, a heavy rescue company and four tankers that serve as front line suppression and Emergency Medical Service (EMS) response units. Seven Mobile Intensive Care Units, Fire and EMS Battalion Chiefs complete the 24-hour unit staffing. An additional rescue company and a variety of specialized units, including dive, foam, hazmat, mountain and water rescue are also available through cross-manning.

The Department maintains a number of specialty teams that include well equipped dive/rescue and hazardous materials teams. In addition to suppression duties, each engine company serves as a non-transport Basic Life Support (BLS) unit equipped with a semi-automatic defibrillator to enhance response to cardiac emergencies. The engine companies assist the Department's 66 Firefighter/Paramedics who provide Advanced Life Support (ALS) care and transport in conjunction with Firefighter/Emergency Medical Technicians (EMT's). A central 911 dispatch system serves the entire Municipality and coordinates police, fire and EMS response to all areas of the Municipality.