# Charlotte Fire Department

The Charlotte Fire Department (CFD) provides fire suppression, emergency medical services, technical rescue services, hazardous materials mitigation, disaster response, code enforcement, fire investigations, and public education for the city of Charlotte, North Carolina, United States. The department is responsible for an area of approximately 312 square miles (810 km$^2$) with a day population of two million and a night population of 885,000.

## History

The Charlotte Fire Department was officially formed in 1875, although fire services existed in the area for decades before that.
Charlotte Fire Department is notable for its role in the development of NFPA 704, the "fire diamond" found on chemicals which depicts in a simple and clear manner the flammability, health hazards and reactivity of the substance. A fire at the Charlotte Chemical Company in 1959 led to severe injuries to many of the firefighters. Upon arrival, the fire crew found a fire burning inside a vat that firefighters assumed to be burning kerosene. The crew tried to suppress the fire with water, which resulted in the vat exploding due to metallic sodium being stored in the kerosene. Thirteen firefighters were injured, several of whom had critical injuries while one lost both ears and most of his face from the incident. At the time, such vats were not labelled with the materials they contained, so firefighters did not have the necessary information to recognize that hazardous materials were present, which required a specific response. In this case, sodium was able to react with water to release hydrogen gas and large amounts of heat.
The Charlotte Fire Department developed training to respond to fires involving hazardous materials, ensured that protective clothing was available to those responding, and expanded the fire prevention inspection program. Fire Marshal J. F. Morris developed the diamond-shaped placard as a marking system to indicate when a building contained hazardous materials.

## Stations and apparatus

As of March 2025 this is the current list of stations and apparatus for the department:
| Neighborhood | Engine Company | Ladder Company | Rescue Company | Special Unit | Battalion Chief Unit |
| First Ward | Engine 1 | Ladder 1 | Rescue 11 | Field Comm 1 & 2, MCP 1, Vent 1, Division Chief (Car 6, 7,8) | Battalion Chief 1 |
| South End | Engine 2 | Ladder 2 relocated to 43 | | | |
| Rama | Engine 3 | Tower 3 | | | |
| Fourth Ward (Uptown) | Engine 4 Engine 11 | Ladder 4 | | | |
| Wesley Heights | Engine 5 | | | Brush 5 | |
| Myers Park | Engine 6 | | | | |
| NoDa | Engine 7 | | | | |
| Plaza Midwood | Engine 8 | | | Rehab 1 | |
| Providence Township | Engine 9 | | | Tanker 9 | |
| Camp Greene | Engine 10 | | Rescue 10 | Dive 10 | Battalion Chief 3 |
| Graham Heights | Engine 11 relocated to 4 | | Rescue 11 relocated to 1 | Dive 11 | Battalion Chief 9 |
| Madison Park | Engine 12 | | | | |
| South Hoskins | Engine 13 | Ladder 13 | | Hazmat 13 | |
| Cotswold | Engine 14 | | | | |
| Shamrock | Engine 15 | | | | |
| South Park | Engine 16 | Ladder 16 | | | |
| Charlotte Douglas International Airport East | Engine 17 | Tower 17 (Enters service November 2025) | | Blazes 1, 2, 5, & 14 | Battalion Chief 8 |
| Washington Heights | Engine 18 | Tower 18 | | | |
| Landsdowne | Engine 19 | | | | |
| Starmount | Engine 20 | Ladder 20 (Enters service 9/28/25). | | Brush 20 | Battalion Chief 5 |
| Paw Creek | Engine 21 | | | Brush 21 & Foam 21 | |
| Derita | Engine 22 | | | Tanker 22 | |
| Hickory Grove | Engine 23 | Ladder 23 | | | |
| Carmel Village | Engine 24 | Ladder 24 | | | |
| Oakdale | Engine 25 | | | Foam 25 | Battalion Chief 6 |
| Ayrsley | Engine 26 | Tower 26 | | | |
| University City | Engine 27 | Tower 27 | | | Battalion Chief 2 |
| Northlake | Engine 28 | Ladder 28 | | | |
| Idlewild South | Engine 29 | | | Brush 29 | |
| Whippoorwill Lake | Engine 30 | | | | |
| Highland Creek | Engine 31 | Ladder 31 | | Brush 31 | |
| Ballantyne | Engine 32 | Ladder 32 | | Hazmat 32 | |
| Shuffletown | Engine 33 | Ladder 33 | | Deluge 33, Tanker 33 | |
| Newell | Engine 34 | | | Decon 34, Hazmat 34 | |
| Withrow Downs | Engine 35 | | | Tanker 35 | |
| Mallard Creek | Engine 36 | | | MOC 1 | |
| Steele Creek | Engine 37 Engine 90 | | | Tanker 37 | |
| Withers Cove | Engine 38 | | | Dive 38, Fire Boat 38 | |
| The Arboretum | Engine 39 | Ladder 39 | | | Battalion Chief 7 |
| Wilgrove | Engine 40 | Ladder 40 | | Tanker 40 | |
| Charlotte Douglas International Airport West | | | | Blazes 41, 42, & 47 | |
| Eastland | Engine 42, Engine 65 | | | | Battalion Chief 4 |
| Clanton Park | Engine 43 | Ladder 2 | | USAR 1, USAR 2 | |
| River District | Engine 44 | | | |
| Hidden Valley | | Ladder 45 | | | |
| Beatties Ford Road / Miranda Road | Engine 46 | | | | |
| Charlotte Douglas International Airport | | | | | |