The Vancouver Fire Department provides fire protection and emergency medical services to the city ofVancouver and, by contract, Clark County Fire District 5, in Washington. The department's response area is with a population of over 270,000. The Vancouver Fire Department is chronically understaffed and underfunded- it has the dubious distinction of the highest call volume per firefighter in the state. ALS transport is provided by AMR, making Vancouver Fire's service area population by far the largest in Western Washington without public ALS ambulance service.
History
The Vancouver Fire Department was officially founded on April 1, 1867 when an ordinance was passed by the City Council organizing a fire department for the city. The motivation for the formation of the department came in August 1866 when a fire started in a furniture store and, in less than an hour, destroyed eight buildings were burnt to the ground.
Operations
Fire and EMS Response
An engine company is the standard multi-purpose response resource for each VFD first-due zone. Engines carry water, hose, and a full complement of emergency medical equipment. Both VFD truck companies are housed alongside engine companies. VFD truck companies carry a full complement of ground ladders and a 100 ft. aerial ladder, along with other structure-fire-specific tools. They are also the primary technical rescue companies, carrying patient extrication equipment, forcible entry equipment, and other special equipment. Both VFD trucks are tractor-drawn aerials and do not carry water. They are the only fully-staffed truck companies in all of Clark County. VFD engine companies are staffed 24/7 with 3 members minimum, and truck companies are staffed with 4 members minimum. Each engine company and truck company is supervised by a Captain For some of each day, Vancouver also operates at least one 2-person ALS rescue. Staff for rescue does not impact minimum engine and truck staffing. All VFD engine companies and truck companies are Advanced Life Support units. Every firefighter, Captain and Battalion Chief is certified to either the EMT-B or paramedic level. The department's daily minimum on-duty staffing is 40, including 2 BCs. More than 80% of the department's annual call volume is EMS-related. Because of their distributed locations, the fire companies provide primary ALS treatment until the AMR transport unit arrives. All staffed VFD companies are dispatched via AVL, a GPS-based location feature of the regional computer-aided dispatch system at CRESA. The closest company of a CAD-recommended type is automatically sent to an incident, regardless of jurisdiction. Vancouver's heavy rescue, hazardous materials, fire boat, rehab and air units, as well as all water tenders and brush engines, are not normally staffed. They can be cross-staffed by their co-housed engine or truck crew when needed. The combined City of Vancouver/Fire District 5 response area is split into two geographic battalions. Each battalion is managed by a Battalion Chief working a 24/48 schedule. At present, each BC supervises 5 stations and their respective companies. A Battalion Chief serves as the incident commander for all complex, multi-company operations. Both BCs respond to every structure fire incident to fill IC and other roles. A BC also normally responds with Vancouver companies that are dispatched to complex incidents outside of the VFD response area. They provide additional command staff assistance at those incidents. For very large incidents, the VFD can request the Vancouver Police Department mobile command post unit. VPD's acquisition of this unit allowed the VFD to discontinue maintenance and operation of its own command post unit.
Specialty Teams
Technical Rescue: Heavy Rescue 5 and a Clark Co. FD 6 multi-purpose vehicle make up the Clark County Technical Rescue Team fleet. The team is composed of members from both departments, as well as from other agencies within Clark County. HR5 can be cross-staffed by members of E5 and/or T5 for initial deployment. This team is a regional asset. Hazardous Materials: Engine 10 serves as the on-duty HazMat company for emergency consultation. The special-purpose HazMat 10 unit is not staffed, but is usually part of a team deployment. The team must be assembled for a full mobilization, with members often coming from home. This can take 1 hour or more. This team is a regional asset.
Fireboat
In May 2014, the VFD put into service the Discovery, a quick response fireboat. The fireboat was paid for through a port security grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Normally FEMA matches funds raised locally on a three to one basis, but, in Vancouver's case, FEMA waived the requirement for a local contribution to the capital costs, and paid the entire $1.6 million costs itself.
Labor Groups
Firefighters and Captains are represented by the "Vancouver Firefighters Local 452" of the International Association of Firefighters. Battalion Chiefs and Division Chiefs are represented by the "Vancouver Fire Command Officers Local 4378" of the International Association of Firefighters Fire Prevention personnel, are currently not represented
The Vancouver Fire Department museum lost its facility in the late 1990s. Most of the museum's historic artifacts, including apparatus, are in storage. However, the public may view a 1925 Seagrave engine and some equipment in a view-from-outside museum display at Fire Station 10. No entry to the display area is allowed- do not disturb the on-duty crew. The department also has two other fully restored apparatus; a 1934 Seagrave engine, and an original hand pumper. None of Vancouver's steam fire engines remain in the department's possession.
Pipe Band
The "Vancouver Firefighters Pipes and Drums" band was formed in 2009. It is sponsored by IAFF Local 452, but raises operational funding through donations. The band receives no fire department funding or support. The band's core purpose is to honor fallen firefighters and other public servants at memorials and other events. The band is regional in nature, with members from Vancouver FD, Clark Co. Fire District 6, Chehalis FD and Olympia FD. Membership is open to active duty and retired members of the region's fire and law enforcement agencies.
