Philadelphia Fire Department

The Philadelphia Fire Department (PFD) is a city department created under the Home Rule Charter that provides fire suppression, emergency medical services (EMS), technical rescue, hazardous-materials response, fire investigation and airport fire protection. The city describes it as the largest fire department in Pennsylvania and notes that its EMS division is among the busiest in the country. ^[1] In much of Pennsylvania firefighting is carried out by volunteer companies; Philadelphia's department is a career force whose firefighters are city employees.

1 Leadership and structure

The Fire Commissioner is appointed by the Mayor. Jeffrey Thompson was appointed by Mayor Cherelle Parker in 2024; he followed Adam Thiel, who led the department from 2016 to 2024, and Craig Murphy, who served as acting commissioner in 2024. ^[2] The department reports through the Managing Director's Office. Its engines, ladders and ambulances are housed at 63 stations across the city, and its operations are organized into divisions and battalions.

2 Fire, EMS and special operations

PFD answers 911 calls for fires, medical emergencies, building collapses, water rescues and hazardous-materials incidents; the city describes specialized divisions that investigate fires, handle hazardous materials and help protect Philadelphia International Airport. Fire and EMS dispatch is separate from police dispatch. The Fire Marshal's Office investigates the origin and cause of fires and refers suspected arson to law enforcement. Residents can use the department's online services to get a copy of a fire report, ask about EMS reports and billing, report a possible fire code violation, request a smoke alarm installation, and find a fire station. The department works with the Department of Licenses and Inspections, which enforces the building and property codes, and with the Department of Public Health on emergency medical care. During large events and disasters the department works with the Office of Emergency Management.

3 Staffing, labor and budget

Firefighters and fire officers are represented by IAFF Local 22, which says it represents more than 4,500 current and retired members. Like police, firefighters may not strike under Pennsylvania's Act 111 and settle contract disputes by interest arbitration; see Public Sector Bargaining in Pennsylvania.^[5] The department's annual appropriation is set in the city budget; see Philadelphia City Budget Process.

4 Residents and fire safety

Residents call 911 for emergencies. The department installs smoke alarms in homes for residents on request through its community risk reduction programs, and recommends that tenants confirm that working smoke alarms are provided by their landlord as required by city law; tenants and renters should see Rental Licensing and Landlord-Tenant Law in Philadelphia and Safe and Healthy Homes Act for related housing-condition duties. Complaints about unsafe buildings go to L&I, not the PFD. Public fire-incident data may be available through Open Data and Transparency Tools.

5 History and public record

Philadelphia's firefighting began with volunteer companies, the earliest of which, the Union Fire Company, was established in 1736. An ordinance of December 29, 1870 created the city's first fully paid and municipally controlled fire department, which entered service on March 15, 1871. The department began to desegregate in February 1949, and the 1951 City Charter established the present Fire Department. ^[3]

On January 5, 2022, a fire in a Fairmount-neighborhood rowhouse converted into two apartments and operated by the Philadelphia Housing Authority killed twelve people, nine of them children. Investigators believed the fire began at a Christmas tree on the second floor, and a child who escaped told investigators he had been playing with a lighter. Then-Fire Commissioner Adam Thiel said that none of the six smoke alarms in the unit was operating when the fire started: five had had their batteries removed and one had been destroyed. ^[4]

See also: Office of Emergency Management, IAFF Local 22, Philadelphia Police Department, Department of Licenses and Inspections.

References

1. City of Philadelphia, Philadelphia Fire Department department page, phila.gov.
2. City of Philadelphia, Philadelphia Fire Department "Leadership," phila.gov; list of chief engineers and fire commissioners in the department's history, as summarized by Wikipedia.
3. Philadelphia Fire Department history (ordinance of December 29, 1870; service from March 15, 1871; 1949 desegregation; Charter of 1951), as summarized by Wikipedia.
4. Reporting on the January 5, 2022 Fairmount fire, including statements by Fire Commissioner Adam Thiel (January 2022), as summarized by Wikipedia, "2022 Philadelphia apartment fire."
5. Pennsylvania Act 111 of 1968 (police and firefighter collective bargaining), 43 P.S. section 217.1 et seq.