The Virginia Beach Fire Department(VBFD) provides fire protection and emergency medical services to the city of Virginia Beach, Virginia. The department protects an area of 249 square miles (640Â km2) as well as 59 square miles (150Â km2) of inland waterways and 38 miles (61Â km) of shoreline. The independent city is home to a population of 448,479, not including the summer population growth due to tourism, making it the most populous city in Virginia and the 39th largest city in the United States.
History
The Virginia Beach Fire Department has origins dating back to 1906 when the Town Council felt the need to provide fire equipment to protect the rapidly growing resort area and formed an all volunteer fire department. In 1928 the volunteers felt that the need had grown to require a paid system. The town hired a paid staff of firefighters that also performed the duties of police officers. This dual duty system was necessary as the town did not have the funding to hire single function employees. On January 1, 1963, the Town of Virginia Beach merged with Princess Anne County to form the City of Virginia Beach and thus the Virginia Beach Fire Department was born.
Operations
USAR Task Force 2
The Virginia Beach Fire Department is the founding member of one of Virginia's two FEMA Urban Search and Rescue Task Force. Virginia Task Force 2 (VA-TF2) is available to respond to natural or man-made disasters around the country and the world to assist with search and rescue, medical support, damage assessment and communications.
Marine Operations
The VBFD Marine Operations Team is responsible for patrolling 59 square miles (150Â km2) of inland waterways as well as 38 miles (61Â km) of shoreline. The team also provides mutual aid to parts of North Carolina as well as the U.S. Coast Guard. The operations team has three fireboats at their disposal:
- Fireboat 1 is a 30-foot (9.1Â m) Argus Class Northwind with an enclosed cabin and a 1,500-US-gallon-per-minute (0.095Â m3/s) pump docked in Lynnhaven Inlet.:
- Fireboat 6 is a 24-foot (7.3Â m) Metal Shark aluminum response vessel with a 500-US-gallon-per-minute (0.032Â m3/s) pump docked at Station 6 in Creeds.
- Fireboat 12 is a former USCG 41-foot (12Â m) utility boat that is designed to operate under rough weather and sea conditions where its speed and maneuverability make it an ideal platform. It is kept at the City Dredge Ops marina located in Owls Creek.
Stations and apparatus
References
