The Suppression division, also referred to as operations, is the emergency response division of Fire District 12.
When most people think of a fire department, they think of big shinny trucks with loud sirens and bright lights. They also think that those trucks must be on their way to fight a fire. And fighting fires is part of their job, but that is not all they do. Anything from motor vehicle accidents, assisting someone back up after a fall, and even performing CPR on someone in cardiac arrest, this is what the suppression part of the fire service does. 80% of calls that are dispatched are medical in nature, and 20% are fire related.
The division consists of three shifts: “A” shift, “B” shift, and “C” shift. Led by the Chief of Operations, there is one district chief that oversees each shift. There are also 15 captains that oversee each of fire district 12’s stations, and 28 firefighter operators/EMTs (all fire district 12 firefighter operators are trained as Emergency Medical Technicians). Each firefighter operator works a 24-hour shift.
Many activities take place at any given time during a shift, including maintenance on equipment to ensure readiness when the time comes, training as a company to perform as one, medical training and preplans to learn about buildings in their response area. Those are just a few of the tasks and activities that may occur on a daily basis.
Preparedness is what the Suppression Division is all about. When the time comes, the Suppression Division is ready to provide exceptional emergency medical and fire service for our community.