A Message From Chief Joe Harris

Welcome to the Plantation Fire Department website. Please make yourself at home as you scan through our various pages and learn about the many facets and faces of the Plantation Fire Department.
The Plantation Fire Department is a rather unique organization that, much like the City we serve, is both diverse and unique in its make-up.
The Plantation Fire Department is classified as a Combination department. This means part of our staff is career employees and part is volunteers. In fact, with more than 250 members, we are the largest, single-municipality volunteer fire department in the State of Florida.
In some respects, we operate very much like a large, urban fire department. However, being volunteer, we are able to maintain the hometown, Neighbor Helping Neighbor spirit that has made the City of Plantation such a wonderful place to live, work and play.

The Suppression Division is the oldest of the five, with its roots dating back to 1957. And to date, every member of the Suppression Division, from the Assistant Chief to the newest “blue tip,” (probationary firefighter) is a volunteer.

It’s been almost 50 years since Engine One first rolled out of a small station located on Broward Boulevard near the Turnpike. Much has changed.

Today we maintain six fire stations, throughout the City, with multiple pieces of apparatus in each station. We operate 19 pieces of apparatus including three aerial ladders, a dive/rescue-air support unit, a hazardous materials response truck, a foam unit and several utility vehicles.

Each “first due” engine has extrication capabilities and carries hydraulic extrication tools, known as the “Jaws of Life.” Two engines also carry the compressed air lift bags.

The Rescue Division  is the youngest and fastest growing of all the divisions. We began providing rescue services in March of 1996, with two rescue units operating during the day and one at night. Each rescue unit was staffed with two paramedics and an EMT/Driver.

Today we operate four rescue units, 24 hours each day. They carry some of the most technologically advanced emergency medical equipment available and we believe, we have some of the best trained EMS personnel in the area. Our paramedics and EMTs provide medical care based upon the Florida Regional Common EMS Protocols and train on the latest techniques and theories including specialization in pediatrics, trauma, airway management, stroke and acute coronary syndromes.

Our Rescue Division responds to more than 8,200 rescue calls each year and boasts an average response time - from receipt of the 911 call to arrival - of less than four minutes. Those are some of the fastest response times in the Country. And those rapid responses have played an important role in saving many lives.

Our Fire Prevention staff continually manages the daunting task of keeping this City’s fire incidents to a minimum. With installations like the Broward Mall, the Fashion Mall, two large health care facilities, and literally hundreds of restaurants and retail stores, the potential for large fires is tremendous. However, our prevention staff, which is comprised of full-time, part-time and volunteer inspectors, completes nearly 11,000 commercial fire inspections each year, approves more than 1,600 permits, reviews more than 4,500 building plans, and ensures all fire codes are adhered to, resulting in one of the lowest property loss rates in South Florida.

The Department also employs six mechanics and maintenance specialists who work on only emergency vehicles. They are known as Emergency Vehicle Technicians (EVTs). Whether it rolls, pumps, extends, spins or flashes, our mechanics can fix it. It is through their untiring efforts that our vehicles remain on the road, responding to calls, rather than sitting in a maintenance yard waiting for parts.

Finally, and by no means least of all is our Administrative Staff. In the fire service, rank is symbolized by the number of “bugles” worn on the uniform. As the Chief, I wear five bugles and it is often said my support staff wears six. These dedicated, hard working administrators and clerical people keep the Fire Department running. Our support staff is always there with a smile, ready, willing and able to serve the public in the same spirit in which our other Divisions do.