The 1900s

During the early 1900’s three more fire stations were opened and two chemical wagons with hose beds and 40 gallon tanks were purchased. Also during that time, the City of Montgomery purchased the Fire Department’s first motorized pumper that was capable of delivering 900 gallons of water per minute.

In 1932, an intense Fire Prevention Program was started by then Fire Chief C. E. Ingram, which was aimed at making the citizens of Montgomery more “fire conscious”. The Fire Prevention Program was a big hit and has been credited with greatly reducing the frequency of fires. Just three years after the program’s inception, the lowest fire loss in Montgomery Fire Department history was recorded at $21,720. The Fire Prevention Program is still being conducted today by the Public Education Department.

In 1935, the Montgomery Fire Department went to two shifts, which brought the number of paid Fire Department personnel from 29 to 59 members. By 1938 a new fire station was added and in the early 1940’s a ladder truck with a 65” aerial ladder was purchased. In 1947, the Montgomery Fire Department had been a paid department for almost 50 years and a firefighter’s annual salary came to about $1,860. Now, a little over 60 years later a firefighter starts out making $36,354.

During the late 1960’s, the Division of Training was established at 1001 North Court Street. Since then it has grown from an academy of a few weeks that taught basic firefighting skills to a twenty-two week academy that covers Basic and Advanced firefighting operations, hazardous material certifications, as well as, Emergency Medical Technician training.

In 1974 the paramedic program was introduced and two medic units were placed into service. That year they answered 3,841 calls. Today, the Medic Division operates 9 Medic Units and 5 Advanced Life Support Pumpers that answer the bulk of all of the emergency calls for the City at over 27,000 calls per year. It is the large volume of EMS responses that caused the department in 2007 to change its name to Montgomery Fire/Rescue. The Medic Division answers all kinds of emergencies such as strokes, heart attacks and vehicle accidents, which saves countless lives each year. There is also an incentive for those in the department that have continued their education and received their paramedic certification. Firefighters who have received their paramedic certification, and who are working in a Medical Unit, receive an additional $6,000 per year.

It was also in the 1970’s that the Bureau of Investigations was formed. This bureau was then and is now dedicated to providing the citizens and business owners of Montgomery with a full investigation of suspicious fires and vigorous prosecution of those who commit arson in Montgomery. Today there are eight fire investigators that are assigned to investigating suspicious fires. Five of the members of the Bureau of Investigations also have arrest powers due to their APOST certification, having graduated from the City of Montgomery’s Fire and Police Academies.

In 1978, the Special Operations Division started with a single Hazardous Materials Unit consisting of an old bread van and donated chemical and proximity suits donated by Maxwell Air Force. Special Operations has since grown into one Hazardous Materials Unit, two Heavy-Rescue Units and one Dive Team. The Hazardous Materials Team is located at Station #4 on Air Base Boulevard. The team consists of 15 members and all are certified Haz-Mat Technicians, trained to mitigate any chemical emergency situations, whether they be manmade or caused by natural disaster.

The Heavy Rescue Teams are located at Station #3 on Carmichael Road and Station #15 on Taylor Road. Heavy Rescue members are trained to respond to technical rescue situations, such as, Vehicle and Machinery Extrication, High Angle Rope Rescue, Confined Space Rescue, Trench Rescue, and Structural collapse Rescue. The Dive Team is currently located at Station #2 on South Holt Street. They are capable of handling responses from Victim Rescue to Evidence Recovery to Swift Water Rescue. The Hazardous Materials Unit and the Heavy Rescue Unit have been assigned duties as Regional Response Teams as a part of the Alabama Mutual Aid System. These special operation teams are capable of handling the most complex of emergencies.

In the late 1980’s the Montgomery Fire Department began to modernize its fleet of Fire Engines and purchased its first enclosed-cab fire truck. This greatly increased the safety of the firefighters riding on these trucks.

The Montgomery Fire Department continued to grow during the 80’s and 90’s. The City added more stations (for a total of 16), updated apparatus, provided more advanced training and purchased more versatile equipment that was needed to meet the challenges of fighting fire in a growing city.

Throughout the City of Montgomery Fire Department’s history, it has been heavily involved in the community that it serves. The Fire Department’s members participate in events such as the Jubilee run, the Heart Walk and the Christmas Parade. Probably the biggest event the Fire Department members participate in raising money, is for the Muscular Dystrophy Association.

In a little more than a century, the Montgomery Fire Department has gone from a few volunteers carrying buckets and ladders, to a large paid department that employs up to 460 people and protects its citizens with 15 Pumpers, 6 Ladder Trucks, 9 Paramedic Units, 1 Hazardous Materials Unit, 2 Heavy Rescue Units and a Dive Team.