Deparment History
Yesterday and Today
The City of Deerfield Beach Department of Fire and Rescue
An undependable American LaFrance Chemical Truck served as a fire truck for the town in 1928. Four to five years later it was replaced by a Ford pick-up truck with hose placed in its bed. Around 1949, $1700 was raised and a 1942 Ford Fire Engine was purchased from Camp Murphy, north of Palm Beach. Shortly after the purchase, M.A. Peterson was hired as a police officer and a volunteer fireman of Deerfield Beach.
In 1951 the beginnings of a fire department were evident. Myrle Johnson was appointed Chief of the fifteen man volunteer fire department. A 4-wheel drive, 1953 Dodge power wagon was purchased in 1954, along with a Champion Pump. The volunteer fireman and M7M Iron Works built up the chassis with heavy-duty fenders, ect., built a water supply tank and mounted both tank and pump on the engine. The total cost of the operation, not including hose, siren and radio, was $2800. Today, a new engine costs in the vicinity of $500,000.
Until late 1980, it was still possible to find the 1942 Ford and the 1952 Dodge in the City. “The Dodge” was housed at the city garage and washed down a parking lot or unclogged a plugged up sewer from time to time. The “Old Ford” was kept at the wastewater Treatment Plant; and although it was without a water supply tank, it produced a fine fire stream when hooked up to a hydrant until a final retirement.
Both trucks and all the equipment were housed in the City’s first fire station – a dirt floor, double door barn on the corner of N.E. 3rd Avenue and N.E. 2nd Street. In the early days Fire Department radio hook up was to the Fort Lauderdale Police Department. Any fire between Sample Road and Hillsboro Canal had to be first reported to Fort Lauderdale and was then relayed to the fire department in Deerfield Beach. Later, alarms were called into Deerfield Police Station (located where the Building department was in the old city hall) and the police sounded the fire sirens to summon volunteers. There was a compass painted on the station with a rotating wooden arrow in the center that used to point the way to the fire for volunteers who missed the trucks. Myrle and his volunteers, along with Pompano Beach, Oakland Park, and West Hollywood formed the Broward County Volunteer Fireman’s Association, which is still in existence today.
In the last part of 1956, Odas Tanner, the City Commissioner, asked Herbert E. Gimmel to talk with the City Manager, Clarence Landsitell, about starting a paid fire department. Chief Gimmel had served as Chief of the Cleveland Heights, Ohio Fire Department, and was hired as Deerfield’s first full time chief. Interestingly, he remembers a chain hooked to the Ford, since the first volunteers to arrive at the barn had to tow it to get it started; and a nickel on the coil of the Dodge was needed to crank it up!
In January of 1958, Bill Abernathy and Horace Freeman were hired on a 24 hour on, 24 hour off basis, to provide a working firefighter on duty at all times. Chief Gimmel worked regular day shifts and was on call at night. Six months later, in June, Fred Holloway and Bob Fowler were hired to provide two men on each shift. Bill and Horrace slept in the Chief’s Office (in the back of the old commission room), but Fred and Bob worked from 7:00 am to 6:00 pm at the station and had to sleep at home next to their phones, for there was no more room in the Chief’s office. Emergency alarms for the first year totaled 24.
In 1973 a group of fireman volunteered to attend Broward Community College in order to become State Certified Emergency Medical Technicians. The department added its first rescue unit and medical calls were officially responded to. The department employed 27 personnel and responded to 624 emergency calls, the majority of which were medical in nature. Firefighter/EMT’s studied medical journals along with their fire training. Population served was 27,700.
During 1976, the firefighter/EMT’s began taking advance training and was up-graded to Paramedic status. Advance life support services were instituted, a second fire station was occupied adjacent to Century Village on South Powerline Road. The department employed 47 personnel. Emergency alarms totaled 2, 816. Population served was 31, 200.
In 1981, a third fire station was opened on SE 21st Avenue. The department employed 75 personnel. Each of the City’s three fire stations housed one Engine Company and one rescue unit. Emergency alarms exceeded 5,000. Population served was 50,422.
In 1985, as the demand increased for emergency medical services, advanced life support equipment was added to the department’s three fire engine companies, thereby effectively doubling the Paramedic response capabilities of the department. Population served was 53,265; emergency responses totaled 6,396.
In 1990, additional personnel to staff the City’s first Aerial truck were authorized. The 85’ Aerial Truck Company, purchased in 1976 was placed into service. Population served was 64,294; emergency responses totaled 8,383.
In 1999, the City’s fourth fire station was placed in service due to the annexation south down to Sample Road, west to the Florida Turnpike, and east to Dixie Highway. An ALS engine company, ALS rescue unit, and twenty seven (27) firefighters were added to serve our community. Population served was 75,000; emergency responses totaled 16, 590.
2008, the city’s community is ever changing. We currently serve a population of 82,500, along with contractually providing Fire and EMS services to the Town of Hillsboro Beach. Emergency responses exceed 19,000.
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