The Philadelphia Fire Department has been serving Philadelphia for nearly 265 years. The organized volunteer firefighting service was launched on December 7, 1736, and served the community with unsung acts of bravery for nearly 135 years. In the late 1860's, city officials spoke of transforming this volunteer service into a professional fire department to meet the demands of the City's growth. In December 1870, a council meeting was held and an ordinance was issued to create a professional fire department - and the Philadelphia Fire Department was born. The legacy of our early beginnings has made us heir to a lasting public image - an image that is protected and refined by the dedicated men and women of the Philadelphia Fire Department.

Organizational Structure of the PFD ( Bullet Org Chart )

Fire Chief
Supervises all operations of the Philadelphia Fire Department.
Division Chiefs ( Bullet Station Location Map )
The PFD presently has two Division Chiefs. Each Division Chief is responsible for overseeing the fire departmental operations for one half of the City of Philadelphia.
Battalion Chiefs
There are eleven subsections within the PFD. A Battalion Chief is assigned the supervisory responsibilities of the given section. Battalion Chiefs serve as immediate on-site supervisors for fires in their section. Battalion Chiefs also determine if more help is needed on site.
The Philadelphia Fire Academy
The Philadelphia Fire Academy is located in Northeast Philadelphia. The academy period lasts 15 weeks. The first 5 weeks of the academy extensively trains candidates to be competent Emergency Medical Technicians.