Fire & Medical Operations

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The Division of Fire & Medical Operations continues to be the core of Avondale Fire & Medical's service delivery.

Avondale Fire & Medical Operations primarily consists of 911 emergency response which is facilitated through a participation in a valley wide automatic aid agreement. This agreement brings together 26 different municipal fire departments and fire districts within Maricopa County to provide a seamless and efficient sharing of fire, medical, and rescue resources. Emergency units are dispatched by the Phoenix Fire Department Regional Dispatch Center website using a Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) system. This system utilizes satellites and Global Positioning Systems (GPS) to locate apparatus in real time. Apparatus are dispatched based on location to incident, regardless of the municipality. It is quite common to see fire trucks from neighboring cities responding to emergency calls.

AFMD has adopted the Phoenix Fire Department's Operation's Manual - Volume 2 as its standard operating procedures for Intervention Services. By adopting these standard operating procedures, continuity in operational logistics, communication, tactics, and strategies are maintained throughout the automatic aid system. To review the standards go to the Phoenix Fire Operation's Manual website.

Fire Suppression

Fire represents a low occurrence but high consequence event for most departments, including ours. While actual fires represent a small portion of total calls received by AFMD, they continue to represent the greatest threat to the safety of both the citizens and our firefighters. AFM units may be dispatched to any fire including trash, vehicle, or vegetation fires to large structural fires involving hazardous materials. To give our crews the greatest advantage in mitigating fires, AFM uses the latest technological advances in suppressing fires. Thermal Imaging cameras, which see light waves in the infrared spectrum, are used to see through smoke and darkness for locating possible victims or hidden fires. All front-line engines are capable of using firefighting foam which have been proven to more efficiently extinguish fires by absorbing more heat than an equal volume of water. This reduces the amount of water needed to extinguish a fire resulting in quicker fire control and a potential reduction in property loss.

Emergency Medical Services

Over 80% of the calls for service are for emergency medical service (EMS). These calls may include heart attacks, vehicle accidents, difficulty breathing, strokes, seizures, and many other types of injuries or illnesses. This percentage is consistent with nationwide averages and is expected to continue in the future. The department provides advanced life support (paramedic) first response on every engine company. American Medical Response (AMR) provides patient transport through a Certificate of Need. All shift personnel must be certified emergency medical technicians and over 2/3 are certified paramedics. A minimum of two paramedics are assigned to each engine or ladder company on each shift. The latest technologies and equipment are available to AFM personnel in order to provide the most definitive medical care possible in the field setting. This includes anything from 12 lead heart monitors, hands-free chest compression devices, to over 34 medications that can be administered.

Technical Rescue Team

Squad 173 operates as one of seven technical rescue teams (TRT) in the automatic aid system. Personnel certified as technical rescue technicians must complete a rigorous 4-week training program conducted by the Phoenix Fire Department. Technicians are qualified in the areas of high angle, confined space, trench, swift water, and structural collapse. With more people enjoying the hiking, biking, and horse riding trails that surround Avondale and adjacent communities, AFM's TRT element has been responding to an increased amount of mountain and trail rescues as more and more people enjoy the trails and hiking available in the southwest valley. Staffing on E173/SQ173 includes a minimum of three TRT trained personnel on duty, every shift.

Wildland Firefighting

Wildland fires range in size from a field or brush fire on the side of the road up to a complex forest fires that devastate communities and deplete local public safety resources. Fighting fire "off-road" where fuels, weather and topography impact fire behavior is very different than structural fire fighting. Each of these situations requires specialized training and equipment. Beginning in 2002, AFM assembled a specialized team of firefighters who received training and annual recertification through the Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management as Wildland Firefighters. Additionally, formal mutual aid compacts allow firefighters to respond and support other communities during major emergencies. AFM Wildland resources respond when needed to assist wherever needed within Arizona and interstate when required. Since the team's inception, they have responded to Wildland fires across the country and wherever resources are needed. For information on current large emergency incidents visit the InciWeb page.