The City of Fort Lauderdale Fire-Rescue Department delivers a multitude of services to the residents and visitors of Fort Lauderdale. The area surrounding this great City encompasses many unique features, such as:
- Metro Coastal Waterway
- Vast Business Districts
- Railways
- Interstates
- Airports
- Sea Ports
- Towering High-Rises
- Other demanding metropolitan city aspects that pose technical considerations for emergency service response
Fort Lauderdale Fire-Rescue offers one of the only full service Special Operations Command (SOC) teams in the area. The emergency components of SOC include:
- Hazardous Materials (HazMat)
- Technical Rescue Team (TRT)
- Marine
- Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) Medics
- Aircraft Rescue Firefighting (ARFF)
- Urban Search and Rescue (USAR)
Residents and visitors can rest assured that Fort Lauderdale Fire-Rescue SOC is ready to respond to any emergency. The dedicated management, specialty trained firefighters, extensive equipment and intense training of SOC ensures an increased level of safety in all areas of the City of Fort Lauderdale.
Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting (ARFF)
The Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport was constructed in 1941 as an auxiliary landing field to train Naval Aviators during World War II. At that time the airport was called West Prospect Field and had only one hangar.
In 1959 the City of Fort Lauderdale City Commission Resolution No. 7336 changed the airport’s name to “Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport”. Over the following decades and as business development boomed in Fort Lauderdale, that first hangar grew to over 450 hangars and more than 700 aircraft, including 115 jets and 37 helicopters.
In 1972, after recognizing the potential aviation hazard, the Fort Lauderdale Fire-Rescue Department along with the Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport, established the first special operations team, “The Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting” (ARFF) team. The ARFF team is operational 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Although assigned to the Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport, the ARFF team has responded to aircrafts downed in emitted surrounding areas when called upon.
All ARFF members are trained in the operation of the department’s apecialized ARFF apparatus. The ARFF truck carries 1500 gallons of water, foam and Haltron (eco-friendly clean agent), and thermal imaging equipment. These vehicles have pump and roll capabilities that help our team members get close to the crash in a safe manner. Team members need to be well versed on airport familiarization including signs, markings, lighting, control tower language, runway operations aircraft familiarization, cargo hazardous’ (including hazardous material/dangers goods incident). Members are also trained in the donning of special proximity suits that protect them from the radiant heat of the burning of jet fuel. Once these suits are donned, the team can advance on foot to the apparatus to perform a search and rescue, followed by administering medical treatment.
Pilots flying into “Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport” have a sense of security knowing that the Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue ARFF team is here and ready to respond to their “MAY DAY” radio call for help.
Technical Rescue Team
Mission Statement: The Fort Lauderdale Fire-Rescue Technical Rescue Team (TRT) is committed to hard work and continuous training to provide citizens and visitors of the City of Fort Lauderdale, Broward County, and the state of Florida with a truly dedicated, knowledgeable and well-equipped specialty team. This achievement is made possible through the hard work and cooperation of team members and of the Fort Lauderdale Fire-Rescue Administration.
City of Fort Lauderdale Fire-Rescue Technical Rescue Team (TRT)
The City of Fort Lauderdale Fire-Rescue Department provides a specialty service Technical Rescue Team (TRT) to the South Florida region. This team extends capabilities of fire-rescue and medical response to confined space rescue, high angle rescue, trench/excavation rescue, water related emergencies, structural collapse/emergency shoring, heavy extrication, urban search and rescue, shipboard firefighting, wild land firefighting, and damage reconnaissance, as well as weapons of mass destruction (WMD) preparedness in times of civil unrest. The team responds to mitigate both natural and man-made disasters on a local, state and federal level.
History
Fort Lauderdale's Technical Rescue Team is one of the largest teams in the state and responds frequently out of jurisdiction to assist other municipalities with mutual aid. The team has been recognized many times at a national level for outstanding work.
The TRT has been operational for over 18 years and is comprised of a select group of firefighter/paramedics who are trained and certified to respond and provide technical knowledge, high-risk work duties and specialized equipment. The TRT team members are available 24 hours a day seven days a week and answer calls from multiple Fort Lauderdale Fire-Rescue stations to ensure citywide coverage.
Training
Team members are cross-trained to provide firefighting, emergency medical service, and rescue functions. In addition to these duties, members have extensive training in advanced rescue techniques. This intense training is performed for expansion of knowledge and preparedness to respond. Physical standards for the team are also above those mandated by other nationally recognized organizations.
Equipment
 The equipment the TRT uses is top-of-the-line and maintained in ready condition for rugged use. Equipment includes a number of extrication devices, such as sawzalls, die grinders, assorted pneumatic tools, air bags, portable air carts, a heavy lifting tripod and winch, and dive equipment, as well as high angle rescue equipment and typical firefighting equipment. There is also an assortment of pneumatic shoring devices, air ventilators, class 3 harnesses, atmospheric monitoring devices, communications equipment, confined space lock-out tag-out kits, supplied air breathing hoses, and escape (pony) air bottles for confined space operations.
Purpose
The City of Fort Lauderdale Fire-Rescue proudly maintains the Technical Rescue Team to ensure the safety of both citizens and visitors to the Venice of America. With capabilities extending "outside of the norm," technicians are available to safeguard victims and provide aid to unusual rescue situations beyond the capability of an average fire department response. This application of skills, knowledge, and equipment safely resolves unique or complex rescue situations. With the dedicated service of the Technical Rescue Team, Fort Lauderdale Fire-Rescue assures preparation for any life safety situation that may arise.
Marine Rescue
 The City of Fort Lauderdale is known as the Venice of America for its many and vast inland waterways, as well as the Atlantic Ocean and shoreline. The considerable amount of boat traffic is often greater than the automobile traffic encountered in many cities. An effective Dive Rescue Team is maintained by providing proper equipment and training to Firefighter/Paramedics.
The Fort Lauderdale Fire-Rescue Department conducts its own dive rescue training via in-house instructors for department personnel, as well as other municipalities, highlighting Fort Lauderdale Fire-Rescue as a premier dive rescue operation and training facility.
Hazardous Materials Response Team (HazMat)
The Fort Lauderdale Fire-Rescue Department Hazardous Materials Response Team (HazMat) was founded in 1979 and was the first fire department hazardous materials response team in Broward County.
The HazMat team has been extensively trained and equipped to respond to the threat and/or deployment of nuclear, chemical and biological weapons of mass destruction (WMD).
HazMat technicians have advanced training in hazardous materials and bring various skills to the team.
The HazMat team is operational 24 hours a day, seven days a week and is one of four regionally posted HazMat teams that not only responds to calls within the City, but throughout the state.
 The most common types of calls the Fort Lauderdale Fire-Rescue HazMat team responds to involve acid spills, gasoline spills, chemical spills, and chlorine and vapor leaks. Common household calls often involve BBQ grill propane tanks and natural or propane gas leaks in pipes or appliances.
The HazMat team often trains with the Fort Lauderdale Police Department's Special Operations Units on WMD issues and provides hazardous materials training to other local agencies.
The HazMat Team also works with several local, regional and federal agencies to develop protocols for different types of hazardous material emergencies. These multi-agency partnerships have been strengthened to foster interagency knowledge, as well as to develop an understanding of what each agency's role is in an emergency situation.
The HazMat team is outfitted with a tractor-trailer to store and transport the various equipment and protective gear necessary for hazardous materials emergencies. All Fort Lauderdale Fire-Rescue Operations Division units are equipped with chemical/biological protective suits for use at hazardous materials incidents. The Fort Lauderdale Fire-Rescue Department has the capability and equipment to decontaminate, treat and transport victims of chemical or biological exposure.
Special Weapons and Tactics Medic Unit (SWAT)
Mission Statement
The mission of the Fort Lauderdale Fire-Rescue SWAT Medic Unit is:
- To provide dedicated emergency medical support for the Fort Lauderdale Police Department SWAT team during tactical missions and training.
- To be capable of administering advanced life support care of life threatening medical emergencies in the tactical environment.
- To act as liaison between fire-rescue and police personnel during tactical operations.
- To expand the level of service to the citizens and visitors of the City of Fort Lauderdale by allowing rapid access of specialized emergency medical care to the sick and injured when hostile conditions preclude a timely conventional emergency medical response.
SWAT Unit
The Fort Lauderdale Fire-Rescue Department Special Weapons and Tactics Medic Unit (SWAT) was founded in October 2000 and increases the level of protection the Department provides to the citizens, employees and visitors in the City of Fort Lauderdale.
This special operations unit consists of department paramedics who are assigned to the Fort Lauderdale Police Department SWAT team. The SWAT medics respond to all incidents involving the Fort Lauderdale Police Department SWAT team.
SWAT medics are equipped and trained to provide emergency medical care in a tactical environment where delivery of emergency medical care to injured or sick civilians and police officers is often delayed because medical personnel are usually not equipped to operate under hostile conditions. SWAT medics give the fire-rescue and police departments the ability to rapidly provide lifesaving service to sick or injured persons in areas otherwise not accessible to traditional paramedics.
Goals
Fort Lauderdale Fire-Rescue SWAT Medic Unit is directed at achieving the following important goals:
- Provide a medical response to the sick and injured within the tactical arena in ninety seconds, conditions permitting
- Individualize medical response to SWAT team members by catering to specific medical conditions of individual officers
- Enhance tactical mission accomplishment by assisting in extrication and taking over medical emergency management, thereby freeing up SWAT officers to return to the primary objective
- Facilitate a professional partnership between the police and fire-rescue departments
- Reduce death, injury and illness among SWAT officers, innocents and suspects
- Project a favorable image of both the Police and Fire-Rescue Departments with the citizens of Fort Lauderdale
- Offer a sense of comfort to SWAT officers and their families, knowing that qualified emergency medical assistance is with them at all times during training and missions
Urban Search and Rescue (USAR)
 The Florida Task Force-2 (FL-TF2) Urban Search and Rescue Team is available 24-hours a day, locally or nationally. The City of Fort Lauderdale Fire-Rescue is a FEMA Urban Search and Rescue participating agency that responds to natural and man-made disasters to provide search and rescue, medical support, communications, and damage assessment among other life saving activities.
Since 1991, the South Florida Urban Search and Rescue Team (FL-TF2) has been serving the national community in times of need. In cooperation with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the State of Florida and other agencies, the task force can be mobilized when an affected disaster area exceeds locally available response capabilities and officially requests outside help.
Fort Lauderdale’s team is designed to respond to a variety of disasters, including earthquakes, hurricanes, typhoons, storms and tornadoes, floods, dam failures, technological accidents, terrorist activities and hazardous materials releases, and incidents where victims may be trapped, lost or injured. The team is deployed with Managers, Doctors, Structural Engineers, Search and Rescue canines and handlers, as well as Heavy Rescue Specialists, Logistics Specialists and Communications Specialists. Working together, this team is a multi-talented force ready to meet the most demanding Search and Rescue challenges. With only 3-1/2 hours notice, this nationally recognized team can be deployed with highly trained members and specialized tools to serve a community in need.
The City of Fort Lauderdale is proud to be a participant in the Urban Search and Rescue initiative. Each member plays an integral role in the Search and Rescue process. With some of the most reliable experts in the business, Fort Lauderdale Fire-Rescue is a leader in worldwide disaster response.
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