About the Fire Department
The Milford Fire Department is a “Class 1” ISO rated Fire Department which is the highest rating given. The Department consists of four active fire stations and a vehicle apparatus repair and maintenance facility. A Special Services Unit (Canteen Truck) is housed at a fifth fire station and is operated by retired members of the Department to provide fluid and food at long-term incidents.
The Milford Fire Department’s fleet consists of five 1,250 G.P.M. Fire Pumpers and one 1,000 G.P.M. Fire Pumper. The Department has two Aerials, a 100-foot Tower Ladder with a 1,500 G.P.M. Fire Pump and a 75-foot Quint (a combination Aerial and Pumper with a 1,250 G.P.M. Fire Pump). There are three reserve 1,000 G.P.M. Fire Pumpers for occasions when apparatus are being repaired or maintained. The Department also has one full time Paramedic Rescue Truck; a second Paramedic Truck is in service during periods when call volume is predicted to be high. The Department has ordered a new Rescue Truck from Medtec and a new Command Vehicle was put in service.
For water emergencies there is a 27-foot Fire Rescue Boat and a 19-foot Inflatable Rescue Boat. The 27 Foot Fire Rescue Boat is deployed from a slip at Milford Harbor and is equipped to fight fires on the water with a 1,000 G.P.M. fire pump. It transports members and equipment from the Department’s Dive Team and also disperses containment booms for fuel spills. The 19-foot boat is on a trailer at Fire Headquarters and is dispatched to incidents when appropriate.
The Department members are trained to the Firefighter II level, Haz-Mat Operations and EMT. They are also trained to handle special operations including water rescue, ice rescue, confined space, trench rescue, and hazardous materials spills. Some Department members are trained to provide Paramedic level care. Some are Certified Dive Rescue Specialists and Haz-Mat Technicians. All Fire Department Apparatus carry Water and Ice Rescue equipment, Advanced Life Support gear, and Cardiac Defibrillators. We have added three LUCAS Devices to our Emergency Medical Services inventory. These machines perform CPR on a patient during Advanced Life Support incidents.
The Department, led by Chief Douglas A. Edo, is comprised of 114 fire personnel, eight dispatchers and five civilian personnel. Two Assistant Chiefs fall under the direction of the Chief and are responsible for the Operations of the Department. One Assistant Chief is the Fire Marshal directing the Fire Prevention Bureau and acting as the Departments Administrative Officer. Another Assistant Chief is the Operations Officer whose responsibilities include the day-to-day activities of the Department as well as the accommodating of all training needs, reviewing equipment inventories, purchasing and servicing of firefighting equipment, hose, and breathing apparatus.
Administrative staff responsibilities include planning for all the logistical situations for the Department, formulating and executing long-term goals, and forecasting future budgeting to satisfy the needs of the Department. Two Department Mechanics are responsible for the maintenance and repair of apparatus, the fire and rescue boats as well as all gasoline and hydraulic powered equipment.