The St. Louis Fire Department is led by the Fire Commissioner, currently Dennis M. Jenkerson.[7] The Fire Commissioner and Chief is appointed by the Director of Public Safety and each bureau is commanded by a Deputy Fire Chief, who oversees the department's bureaus. Administrative Services, Fire Prevention, Operations, Support Services, Emergency Medical Services are the major operational units in the St. Louis Fire Department.
History
The first organized fire department in St. Louis was created in 1822, had several volunteer fire departments in the area. An ordinance was passed to purchase the equipment, which primarily consisted of leather buckets. When the alarm sounded, members of the department would fetch their bucket and rush to the scene.[8] On September 14, 1857, the department transitioned to an all-paid department. The St. Louis Fire Department is the third oldest fully paid fire department, behind the Cincinnati Fire Department and the Providence Fire Department.[9]
Specialized units
In addition to fire suppression and emergency medical services, the St. Louis Fire Department also has specialized units that include:[10]
Marine Operations with a Boston Whaler called the "Jack Buck & Stan Musial," which is permanently moored on the Mississippi River, along with five other small rapidly deployable boats.
Dive and Swift Water Rescue
High-Angle Rope Rescue
Trench and Collapse Rescue
Office of the Fire Commissioner
The Fire Commissioner serves as the senior sworn member of the STLFD. Prior to 1857, the position was known as the Fire Chief'[11][verification needed] The Commissioner is the overall person in charge of the Fire department.
Commissioner Dennis Jenkerson is the 10th individual to hold the post as Fire Commissioner.
The SLFD'S's organization consists of seven bureaus. These include the following:
Each bureau is commanded by a Deputy Chief or Deputy Fire Chief or Manager.
Bureau of Emergency Medical Services
Bureau of Prevention
Bureau of Communications
Bureau of Support Services
Bureau of Fire Inspections
Bureau of Fire Investigations
Bureau of Fire Suppression
Administration
Command Staff
Title and Department
Derrick Phillips
Deputy Fire Commissioner - Bureau of Administrative & Homeland Security
James Thompson
EMS Chief – Bureau of EMS
Charles E. Coyle
Deputy Chief – Bureau of Prevention
Michael Richardson
Battalion Chief – Bureau of Communications
Ray Daniels
Fire Captain – Bureau of Fire Inspections
Adam Owens
Chief Fire Investigator – Bureau of Fire Investigation
TBA
Battalion Chief – St. Louis Lambert International Airport (ARFF)
Ranks of the STLFD
Typical rank insignia in the St. Louis Fire Department.
In the St. Louis Fire Department, helmet colors often denote a fire fighter's rank or position. In general, white helmets denote chief officers, while red helmets may denote company officers. The specific meaning of a helmet's color or style varies from region to region and department to department. The rank of an officer in the St. Louis Fire Department is most commonly denoted by a number of speaking trumpets, a reference to a megaphone-like device used in the early days of the fire service, although typically called "bugle" in today's parlance. Ranks proceed from one (lieutenant) to five (fire chief) bugles.
A lieutenant is responsible for the administration and supervision of a fire company for fire suppression operations, hazardous material response, rescue operations, etc.
Engineer/Technician/Sergeant
No Insignia
Silver
Engineers/technicians/sergeants are responsible for firefighting vehicles, such as fire engines, that transport firefighters, carry equipment, and pump water at fire scenes.
Firefighter
No Insignia
Silver
A firefighter is a rescuer extensively trained in firefighting, primarily to extinguish hazardous fires that threaten life, property, and the environment as well as to rescue people and animals from dangerous situations.
The primary responsibility of a probationary or rookie firefighter is to learn how to be a firefighter. They are both mentored and closely inspected by other senior firefighters and the officers.
Note: In place of bugles, ladder companies are signified by axes, rescue companies by life guns, squad companies by crossed ladders and stacked tip nozzles, and marine companies by bugles with an anchor.
Media
The firefighters, paramedics, and EMTs of STLFD are featured in A&E Network's reality series Live Rescue.[12]
Fallen Firefighters
From May 17, 1849, to Jan 13th, 2022, the Supporting Heroes Page reported that 171 Firefighters in the St. Louis Fire Department died in the line of duty.[13]
As of 2013, there are four small fireboats operated in St. Louis.[14]
The largest two are named.[15][16]
The 27 feet (8.2 m) Jack Buck was commissioned in 2003 and the 44 feet (13 m) Stan Musial in 2013.
On May 17, 1849, at 9:00 p.m., an enormous fire broke out in the heart of St. Louis.[17] A steamboat named "The White Cloud" sitting on Cherry Street was on fire. The Fire Department, which, at that time, consisted of 9 hand engines and hose reels, responded to the scene. The moorings holding the boat broke, and the steamer floated downstream, setting 22 other steamers on fire as it went.[17]
The flames leaped from building to building, sweeping everything on the levee for four blocks.[17] The firemen were exhausted after fighting for over eight hours. The entire business portion of the city appeared lost. In a last-ditch effort to save the city, six buildings were spread with explosive powder and blown up. When the fire was finally contained after 11 hours, 430 buildings were destroyed, 23 steamboats along with over a dozen other boats were lost, and three people had died, including a fire captain.[17]
Stations and apparatus and Fire Boats
Below is a complete listing of all Fire Station and Apparatus Locations in the city of St. Louis by Battalion District, as of October 2019. In addition to the primary services (Fire Suppression, Emergency Medical Services, Fire Prevention, Fire Cause Determination, Hazardous Materials Mitigation, and Rescue Services) The St. Louis Fire Department also provides structural fire protection, emergency medical services, rescue response, and aircraft rescue firefighting at St. Louis Lambert International Airport from the two fire stations located there.[18][19]
Fire Station Number
Address
Neighborhood
Engine Company or Rescue (Mini Pumper) Unit
Hook & Ladder Company, Truck Company or Crash Truck Units
^
Bob Hamilton (September 29, 2013). "St. Louis Fire Department Getting New Boat". CBS News. Archived from the original on September 30, 2013. Retrieved September 30, 2013. It can pump up to 7,000 gallons of water or fire-suppressing foam per minute and can fight fires even while it's moving.
^ abcd"Great Fire". St. Louis Fire Department. Retrieved May 26, 2015.
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