ALERT: Subscribe now to #DanburyAlert! LEARN MORE FIRE DEPARTMENT ABOUT ACCOMPLISHMENTS COMMUNITY RISK REDUCTION TRAINING FAQ Government / Departments / Fire Department About Us The Danbury Fire Department is an all hazard emergency response agency. Our core mission is to provide for the safety and security of citizens and visitors to Danbury. Each of our divisions has established a mission statement that directly supports the overall mission of the Department. Danbury comprises 44 square miles and our resident population is over 82,000 with over 100,000 commuters, students and shoppers in the city daily. On any given day, our members might respond to a structure fire, a hazardous material situation, assist a mother with unlocking her car or provide medical assistance at a motor vehicle accident. The primary focus of the Department is to provide the best possible customer service on every call. When people call 911 and have an emergency they expect help immediately. We respond to medical calls, water leaks, flooding, odors, alarms, fallen trees, aircraft crashes, motor vehicle accidents and people trapped under ground, above ground, and just about anywhere in between. This past year, 2013, our 9-1-1 center answered over 44,000 calls. This resulted in 3,938 fire and service responses and an additional 4,771 “first responder” medical responses. Of special note is the very high rate of cell phone calls to our Public Safety Answering Point or 9-1-1. This percentage of calls to 9-1-1 originating from a cell phone has climbed steadily as more citizens use these as opposed to traditional land lines. The landline phones are rapidly disappearing. The Danbury Fire Department is highly trained and educated. Firefighters go through a rigorous process to be appointed to the Department and then attend various educational forums throughout their career. This is critical to the fire service as the dynamic nature of emergency response evolves constantly. Though our mission to protect our citizens and visitors remains the same, completing the mission requires ever vigilant training and preparation. Continuing formal education is encouraged and supported by the department. College courses through Naugatuck Valley Community College have been taught at our facility in headquarters. Members of the Department hold certificates from the National and State Fire Academies, the State of Connecticut and independent training groups. Many of our members hold advanced degrees ranging from Associates to Masters Degrees. The Department Career Division currently comprises staffing of one hundred and twenty members. This allows the Department to staff five fire stations with five engine companies, a two vehicle rescue company, an aerial truck company and a command vehicle. These assignments are staffed twenty four hours a day. Our Community Risk Reduction Division, comprised of the Fire Marshal and Deputy Fire Marshals, investigates fires and explosions, reviews building and site plans and inspects buildings to ensure compliance with fire codes and safety requirements. In addition, administrative and command staff positions address various assignments such as training, communications, EMS, and apparatus repair. A major component of the department is the Volunteer Division. These men and women serve the community of Danbury in various capacities as members of twelve volunteer companies. They serve as Firefighters, Fire Police and Apparatus Engineers. These 136 members undergo similar training as the career members and trained for thousands of hours this year. They are an integral and vital part of the Department. As volunteers, they give freely of their time to protect our citizens. The Department is a keystone in Connecticut’s regional response plan with a number of resources of the State housed in Danbury. These resources will respond to the region or anywhere in the State staffed by Danbury firefighters. We provide staffing to operate and support a Hazardous Material Response Vehicle, Petrochemical Response Foam Trailer, a Mass Hazardous Material Decontamination Trailer and a Mass Casualty Trailer. Our Accomplishments and Goals Purchased a drone with donated funds for incident operations Purchased a new UTV with a corporate grant for search & rescue Distributed smoke detectors to residents in collaboration with the Red Cross Completed kitchen remodel at Station 26 Completed bathroom remodel at Station 24 Completed first phase of radio infrastructure buildout Completed ladder truck refurbishment Our goals for 2018-2019 include… Remodel former 911 dispatch center at Headquarters Complete HQ workout room addition and masonry repairs to Burn Building Continue radio infrastructure build-out including microwave transmitter/receivers Community Risk Reduction The Officers of Community Risk Reduction are charged with educating the citizens and business entities of the City in methods of reducing injuries due to fire, scalding and fire code compliance. These officers comprise the Fire Marshal and six Deputy Fire Marshals. Annual visits are made to each Danbury school to present Fire Safety Programs to our very diverse school population. The presentations were made to over 12,000 students this year. The students bring the information about smoke detectors, escape plans and other safety tips into their homes. This fire safety education is vital in creating a fire safe community in Danbury. This office is also responsible for the enforcement of many sections found in Chapter 541 of the Connecticut General Statutes, as well as numerous codes promulgated under the provision of these statutes. In the last year there were over 4,000 code enforcement inspections completed by the Fire Marshal’s Office. They also investigate all citizen complaints, fires and explosions. As the City and community evolve, the Fire Department will continue to train and educate our members to meet the demanding emergency response environment. The constant expanding use of our training facility by many regional departments is testimony of the successful efforts to work with these regional partners. Despite seemingly significant and constant fiscal pressures, we will maintain our current response model and we anticipate no reduction in service levels. The citizens of Danbury have a Fire Department that is equipped and prepared to fulfill our mission of preserving life and protecting property and the environment. Working together, the Mayor, City Council and the Department, Career and Volunteer, will meet the community’s demand for excellence in fire education, prevention, suppression and rescue services. Training Division The Danbury Fire Department has approximately 50 Fire Service Instructors on staff. Coordinated by the Training Office our staff provides expert instruction in virtually every aspect of fire, EMS, and Hazmat training. Our volunteers are offered training at quarterly sessions. These classes can be located by going to the link labeled “Training Calendar” and using the drop-down menu at the top of the calendar, locate “Fire Department Training Calendar”. These sessions will begin again in 1st Quarter 2007. The Danbury Fire Department can also work with the public or private industry to provide various safety educational programs. Danbury Fire Department Administrative Line 203 796 1550 Training Officer: Steve Rogers FAQ AFTER THREE DAYS OF RAIN MY BASEMENT IS FLOODED AND MY ELECTRICAL SYSTEM MAY BE WET. IS IT AN EMERGENCY? I AM BUYING A NEW HOUSE. IS IT FIRE SAFE? MY BASEMENT IS FLOODED BUT THERE IS NO SAFETY CONCERN. WHAT DO I DO? MY ELDERLY PARENTS ARE LIVING ALONE. CAN I GET THE "FILE OF LIFE FORM" FOR THEIR REFRIGERATOR? KEY STAFF VOLUNTEERS RICHARD THODE CHIEF r.thode@danbury-ct.gov WILLIAM LOUNSBURY ASSISTANT CHIEF CONTACT US The City of Danbury Fire Headquarters is located at 19 New Street. Emergency Dial 911 Fire Dispatch Non-Emergency 203-796-1523 Fire Dispatch Emergency 203-797-4616 Administrative Offices 203-796-1550 FIRE MARSHAL EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES LOCAL 801 News & EventsEmployment 155 Deer Hill Ave Danbury, CT 06810 203. 797. 4500 © 2021 City of Danbury, CT All Rights Reserved