We, the Boston Fire Department, are an organization of dedicated professionals who are committed to serving the community by protecting life, property, and the environment through prevention, education, emergency medical, civil defense and fire service. We will provide fire protection and emergency service throughout the City of Boston by adequately staffing, training, and equipping firefighters at specific locations within the city.

• FY09 Quarter 4 Performance Report 
• FY09 Quarter 3 Performance Report 
• FY09 Quarter 2 Performance Report 
• FY09 Quarter 1 Performance Report 
• Detailed FY09 Budget Information 

• While the Boston Fire Department responded to more calls for service, whether fire or medical, in the past fiscal year than in FY08, it still responded to approximately seven out of ten calls within the goal of four minutes.
• The Boston Fire Department has continued to reduce the number of employees on injured leave, from an average of 43 per tour in FY08 to an average of 36 per tour in FY09, a decrease of 19 percent.
• In addition, the average number of employees per tour on injured leave who have filed for disability declined from 21 in FY08 to 19 in FY09.
• The condition of the City's fire apparatus fleet continues to improve. The average age of frontline apparatus decreased from 9.92 years in FY08 to 9.11 in FY09.

The Fire Department provides fire and emergency protection to all Boston residents and to the hundreds of thousands of people who work, shop and visit the city. To provide this protection, the Fire Department deploys 33 engine companies (five of which are trained and staffed to respond to hazardous material, weapons of mass destruction and decontamination incidents),19 ladder companies, one fire brigade, three tower ladder companies, two rescue companies, one marine unit (comprised of two vessels), a Safety Division, Six Special Operations Command Units which include a Hazardous Materials Operations Unit, a Mobile Decontamination Unit, a Decontamination Supply Unit, two Technical Rescue Support Units and a Collapse Unit. The Fire Department also operates a Special Unit that doubles as a lighting plant and backup Hazardous Materials Unit through a dispatching system maintained at the Fire Alarm Communications Center. The City's mutual aid agreement with surrounding areas continues to benefit the City and the involved communities. The Fire Prevention Program provides public education and inspections of residential and commercial properties, investigates suspected arson fires, and issues permits and licenses.

• To respond to all incidents and calls.
• To respond to all calls in a timely and efficient manner.
• To enforce city and state fire code regulations and to review all applications for compliance.
• To provide the best medical and rehabilitative service available to all injured firefighters to ensure their timely return to work.
• To initiate and supervise firefighter development.
• To maintain the conviction rate for fires resulting from arson.
• To promote fire education programs aimed at reducing loss of life, injury and property damage.