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Steam rises around Damon
Maclin III from Station 13 as he sprays water to suppress a small flare up
after fighting a house fire on State Street. Memphis firefighters battled
the blaze as temperatures dipped down into the teens in January.
Memphis is home to a
well-trained, well-equipped fire department that has a handle on training
and technology and a heart for the city’s citizens.
The Memphis Fire Department (MFD) entered 2003 with 1,759 personnel and a
$98.3 million operating budget. The fire department is comprised of 54
engine companies, 27 truck companies, 30 emergency medical units and
Special Operations Rescue Team.
Base pay for an MFD recruit is $27,610. After graduating from the fire
academy, the recruit earns $39,047 a year.
The Memphis Fire Department has maintained a Class One rating since 1964.
Only eight fire departments in the nation have such a high rating.
Memphis businesses and residents enjoy a Class Two insurance rating, a
feat made possible only by a fire department with tiptop equipment and
superior manpower, said Jimmy Price, chief of administrative services for
the Memphis Fire Department. "Our equipment is top grade. Our (fire)
houses are spaced out appropriately so that every neighborhood is covered.
Our water system is constantly maintained, and we’re constantly training
and upgrading our technology."
The best rating possible is a Class One, and insurance costs rise for
homeowners and business owners as the rating number increases up a 1-10
scale.
About 75 Memphis firefighters, paramedics and EMT’s received commendations
for bravery and heroism last year, The Commercial Appeal reported. Three
Memphis firefighters – Herman Redwine, Pat Sawyer and Darryl Mitchell –
received the coveted Medal of Heroism for pulling a 13-year-old boy from a
burning apartment in downtown Memphis.
Additional medals handed out at a City Hall ceremony include the
Lifesaving Medal, Medal of Bravery, Medal of Merit and Company of the
Year.
"Any medal handed out is given for action above the normal duty of a
firefighter, paramedic or EMT," said Price. "It takes a lot of dedication,
a lot of bravery, a love for the job, and caring for other people."
The Memphis Fire Department was formed in 1846 as Fire Company Number 1.
In 1974, Memphis was the first U.S. city to implement a computer aided
dispatch system.
The fire department took another leap forward in 2002 with completion of
the Memphis Fire Department training facility, located on about 22 acres
in Frayser. Firefighters at the $12 million center train in realistic
situations, such as a five-story burning building, a maze that simulates
an underground fire, and a specially designed container called "the can"
that simulates a deadly flashover fire.
The facility also includes a rappelling tower, a pond for drafting water,
and classrooms and a seminar room that boast state-of-the-art audio/visual
equipment.
"It says a lot for the fire department when a facility like this becomes a
reality," said Skeeter Rutledge, battalion chief of training. Firefighters
from across the United States, and even from overseas, train at the
facility, he said.
"We lost two firefighters in the early ‘90s due to flashover, which is a
very dangerous situation that gives a firefighter about five seconds to
escape," Rutledge said. "We’ve got videos about flashover and books that
you can read, but until you’ve actually seen one you really don’t
understand it.
"What happens here can save a firefighter’s life and hopefully the life of
a person in need of rescue."
Since its founding 157 years ago, the Memphis Fire Department has lost 48
firefighters in the line of duty.
Copyright 2004, commercialappeal.com - Memphis, TN. All Rights Reserved.
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