The Anchorage Fire Department (AFD) provides

fire protection Fire protection is the study and practice of mitigating the unwanted effects of potentially destructive fires. It involves the study of the behaviour, compartmentalisation, suppression and investigation of fire and its related emergencies, as we ...

and

emergency medical services Emergency medical services (EMS), also known as ambulance services or paramedic services, are emergency services that provide urgent pre-hospital treatment and stabilisation for serious illness and injuries and transport to definitive care. ...

to the city of Anchorage,

Alaska Alaska ( ; russian: Аляска, Alyaska; ale, Alax̂sxax̂; ; ems, Alas'kaaq; Yup'ik: ''Alaskaq''; tli, Anáaski) is a state located in the Western United States on the northwest extremity of North America. A semi-exclave of the U.S. ...

. Areas that are served by department include the incorporated areas of downtown Anchorage, Bird, Bootleggers Cove, Eagle River, Fairview, Indian, Mountain View, Muldoon, and Spenard, among others. AFD is assisted by two volunteer fire departments operating in the outlying areas of the Anchorage Municipality.

History

The Anchorage Fire Department was founded in 1915. By 1951, AFD had grown to 50 fire fighters, and saw the beginning of Anchorage's first

ambulance An ambulance is a medically equipped vehicle which transports patients to treatment facilities, such as hospitals. Typically, out-of-hospital medical care is provided to the patient during the transport. Ambulances are used to respond to medi ...

service. In 1967, the various fire companies unified as the Greater Anchorage Area Borough Fire Department. In 1975, the City of Anchorage and the Greater Anchorage Borough unified, becoming the

Municipality of Anchorage A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality'' may also mean the go ...

. As of 2015, the AFD has a goal of maintaining 315 fire fighters and

paramedic A paramedic is a registered healthcare professional who works autonomously across a range of health and care settings and may specialise in clinical practice, as well as in education, leadership, and research. Not all ambulance personnel are p ...

s on active duty. In June 2018, Deputy Chief Jodie Hettrick was promoted to Fire Chief following the retirement of Denis LeBlanc. Chief Hettrick is the first woman to serve as Chief of the Anchorage Fire Department.

Stations and apparatus

Volunteer Fire Departments

AFD is assisted by two volunteer fire/rescue departments that provide fire protection and EMS services to the outlying areas of the Anchorage Municipality. In the north, Chugiak Volunteer Fire & Rescue Company, Inc. operates five stations and serves an area from the North Eagle River overpass on the Glenn Highway to the Municipal boundary at the Knik River under the leadership of Chief Tim Benningfield and two assistant chiefs. In the south, Girdwood Fire & Rescue, Inc. operates one station and serves the Girdwood community and other communities along the Seward Highway under the leadership of Chief Michelle Weston and one deputy chief. Both departments provide 24/7/365 advanced life support coverage to their respective areas, and stations 31 and 41 are staffed by volunteer duty crews 24/7.

References

{{Coord, 61, 13, 06, N, 149, 52, 56, W, display=title 1915 establishments in Alaska Fire departments in Alaska Government agencies established in 1915

Fire Fire is the rapid oxidation of a material (the fuel) in the exothermic chemical process of combustion, releasing heat, light, and various reaction products. At a certain point in the combustion reaction, called the ignition point, flames a ...