For the 23rd year, the career fire service takes to the pages of the department activity levels, funding, staffing and pay. A total of 266* departments took part in this year’s survey, representing departments from 49 states, the District of Columbia and seven Canadian provinces.
The departments represented in the latest survey protect 86 million people, and they have budgets totaling more than $13 billion (budgets are listed in millions of dollars). They provide this service with 4,117 engine companies, 1,472 ladder companies, 1,315 ambulances and numerous other specialized units. They responded to 2,072,166 fire calls, 7,58,286 EMS calls and 10,619,144 total calls last year.
Part 2 of this survey features the busiest engine and ladder companies for 2003. Other categories will be featured in the next issue.
Our sincere thanks go to each department that participated in the survey. If your department does not appear, we invite you to request a survey form next year.
*Five fire departments have been added to Part 2. Some data was not available when Part 1 of the survey was published and is as follows:
Los Angeles City, CA
- Budget for 2003 - $435.7 million
- Total engines - 99
- ladders - 49
- ambulances - 115
- medics - 120
- chiefs - 19
- Total strength of department - 3,376
- Total calls - 344,546
- fire calls - 64,151
- EMS calls - 280,395
- false alarms - NA.
Las Vegas, NV
- Total calls - 72,116
- Fire calls - 2,880
- EMS calls - 64,876
- False alarms - 1,100
Waco, TX
- Budget for 2003 - $12.7 million
- Total engines - 12
- ladders - 2
- ambulances - NA
- medics - 0
- chiefs - 1
- Total strength of department - 175
- Total calls - 10,357
- Fire calls - 750
- EMS calls - 6,809
- False alarms - 869
Burlington, VT
- Budget for 2003 - $4.1 million
- Total engines - 5
- ladders - 1
- ambulances - 2
- medics - NA
- chiefs - NA
- Total strength of department - 80
- Total calls - 6,194
- Fire calls - 937
- EMS calls - 4,368
- False alarms - NA.
Busiest Engine Company
Busiest Ladder Company
