User:BCFDFF/VBFD

The Virginia Beach Fire Department is the agency that provides fire protection and emergency medical services for Virginia Beach, Virginia, as well as a section of North Carolina. The VBFD protects an area of 307 sq miles, and a population of 437,000 with 407 paid firefighters, from 21 stations strategically located around the city. In 2007, the department responded to over 27,000 calls for service.

Engine companies
VBFD maintains 19 Engine companies(E1, E2, E3, E4, E5, E6, E7, E8, E9, E10, E11, E12, E13, E14, E16, E17, E18, E19, E20, E21. Two brands of engines are used: American Lafrance Eagles and Pierce Quantums. Some are engines, some are 5o ft telesquirts

Ladder companies
The department has three tower ladders: L2 and L8, both rear mounts, and L16, a mid-mount 2003 American Lafrance Eagle. Ladders 1, 9, and 21 are Pierce Dash 105' Aerials. The City replaced its tractor drawn aerial ladder with a new Pierce Quantum 110 ft tractor-drawn unit in late summer of 2008. This unit is Ladder 11 serving the high-rise resort area of the city.

Squad companies
The Department also has two specialized response squads: Squad 3 Hazmat and Squad 10 Technical Rescue. Squad 3 responds to all Hazmat calls in the city with a specially equipped Walkaround Heavy Rescue mounted on a 2003 American Lafrance Eagle Chassis.

The Technical Rescue Squad responds with Squad 10, a walk-around heavy rescue mounted on a 2003 American Lafrance Eagle Chassis, a Freightliner M2 Box truck specially equipped, as well as a 28 ft Wells Cargo Trailer. The Technical Rescue Rescue Team is housed at Station 10 in the Kempsville section of the city, and responds to technical incidents in the city: high/low angle rope rescue, trench rescue, MVA's with pins or rollovers, as well as providing mutual assistance to neighboring cities.

Other units

 * Brush Trucks - Three 2006 Ford F350 Brush Trucks are used for natural cover fires: Brush 5, Brush 6 and Brush 13.


 * Tankers - Tanker 5 and Tanker 6 provide added protection to the south end of the city.


 * Chief buggies - The four Battalion Chiefs drive 2005 Chevrolet Suburbans.


 * Monster 1 - A monster truck parade engine used for public relations events.

Special Operations Teams

 * Marine Operations Team


 * Technical Rescue Team


 * Hazardous Materials Team

FEMA US&R team
The Virginia Beach Fire Department is home to Virginia Task Force 2, a Federal Urban Search and Rescue Resource.

Deployments :

 * Petersburg, Virginia - 1993
 * Hurricane Opal - 1995
 * Oklahoma City, Oklahoma - 1995
 * Hurricane Fran - 1996
 * Summer Olympics - 1996
 * Hurricane Georges - 1998
 * The Pentagon - 2001
 * Winter Olympics - 2002
 * Hurricane Frances - 2004
 * Hurricane Ivan - 2004
 * Hurricane Rita - 2005
 * Hurricane Katrina 1 - 2005
 * Hurricane Katrina 2 - 2005
 * Hurricane Ernesto - 2006
 * Hurricane Gustav - 2008
 * Hurricane Ike - 2008
 * Tropical Storm Omar - 2008

Links
The Virginia Beach Fire Department

The Unofficial Virginia Beach Fire Department Website

Virginia Task Force 2

Tidewater Fire Photographers