Anchorage Fire Department

The Anchorage Fire Department (AFD) provides fire protection and emergency medical services to the city of Anchorage, Alaska. Areas that are served by department include the incorporated areas of downtown Anchorage, Bird, Bootleggers Cove, Eagle River, Fairview, Indian, Mountain View, Muldoon, and Spenard, among others.^[1] AFD is assisted by two volunteer fire departments operating in the outlying areas of the Anchorage Municipality.

Anchorage Fire Department

AFD Logo
AFD Patch
Operational area
Country	United States
State	Alaska
City	Anchorage
Agency overview[1]
Established	1915 (1915)
Annual calls	36,270 (2017)
Employees	392 (2022)
Annual budget	$104,173,605 2022)
Staffing	Career
Fire chief	Douglas Schrage
IAFF	1264
Facilities and equipment[1]
Battalions	3
Stations	13
Engines	14
Trucks	2
Tillers	1
Platforms	2
Rescues	3
Ambulances	13
Tenders	5
HAZMAT	1
USAR	1
Wildland	1
Rescue boats	2
Website
Official website
IAFF website

History

Lt. Livingston of AFD poses with mascot Sparky, a dalmatian, and a pair of schoolchildren named "Fire Prevention King and Queen" in 1963.

The Anchorage Fire Department was founded in 1915. By 1951, AFD had grown to 50 fire fighters, and saw the beginning of Anchorage's first ambulance service. In 1967, the various fire companies unified as the Greater Anchorage Area Borough Fire Department. In 1975, the City of Anchorage and the Greater Anchorage Borough unified, becoming the Municipality of Anchorage.

As of 2015, the AFD has a goal of maintaining 315 fire fighters and paramedics on active duty.^[2][3]

In 2024, AFD is led by Chief Doug Schrage with Deputy Chief Eric Scheunenmann and Assistant Chiefs Brian Partch and Ben Lewis. Brian Dean is the Fire Marshal.

Anchorage has a history of inclusive female Leadership: Chief Jodie Hettrick served as Chief of the Anchorage Fire Department, Virginia McMichael served as Chief of Chugiak Volunteer Fire and Rescue and Judie Coletta and Michelle Weston have served as chiefs of Girdwood Fire Rescue. Bridget Bushue and Michelle Weston previously served as AFD Deputy Chiefs. Cleo Hill and Bridget Bushue both filled command roles as Fire Marshals.

Stations and apparatus

Anchorage Fire Department engine based at its downtown station, responding to a call early in the morning

Anchorage Fire Department garage entrance

Fire Station Number	Neighborhood	Engine Company	Truck Company	EMS Medic Unit	Special Unit	Battalion Chief Units
1	Downtown	Engine 1 Engine 2	Truck 1	Medic 1 Medic 81 (BLS) Medic 82 (BLS)	HazMat 1, ALS 1 (fly car)	Battalion Chief 1	[4]
3	Mountain View	Engine 3	Truck 3	Medic 3	Rescue 3 (USAR)		[5]
4	Tudor	Engine 4		Medic 4 Medic 84 (BLS)	Rescue 4 (Heavy Rescue), Dive 4 (Water Rescue), ALS 4 (fly car)		[6]
5	Spenard	Engine 5	Truck 5	Medic 5			[7]
6	Muldoon	Engine 6		Medic 6			[8]
7	Jewel Lake	Engine 7		Medic 7			[9]
8	O'Malley	Engine 8			Tender 8		[10]
9	Dearmoun	Engine 9		Medic 9	Tender 9, Rescue 9 (Frontcountry Rescue)		[11]
10	Rabbit Creek	Engine 10			Tender 10		[12]
11	Eagle River	Engine 11		Medic 11	Squad 11, Tender 11, Rescue 11 (Swiftwater Rescue)		[13]
12	Dimond	Engine 12	Truck 12	Medic 12	Safety 1	Battalion Chief 2	[14]
14	Tudor Baxter	Engine 14		Medic 814 (BLS)	Tender 14, Rehab 14	Battalion Chief 3	[15]
15	Southport	Engine 15					[16]

Chugiak and Girdwood Fire Service Areas

Chugiak and Girdwood fire departments provide fire, rescue and EMS services to the north and south of the Anchorage Fire Service Area. In the north, Chugiak Volunteer Fire & Rescue Company, Inc. operates five stations and serves an area from the North Eagle River overpass on the Glenn Highway to the Municipal boundary at the Knik River under the leadership of Chief Scott Fisher and two assistant chiefs.^[17] In the south, Girdwood Fire Rescue operates one station and serves the Girdwood community and Turnagain Arm. Girdwood responds to vehicle accidents in the Seward Highway Safety Corridor from Indian to Mile 60 in the Kenai Peninsula Borough^[18] under the leadership of Chief Michelle Weston and Deputy Chief Manch Garhart.^[19] Both departments provide 24/7/365 advanced life support coverage along with vehicle extrication, water rescue, mud rescue, wildland initial attack and backcountry rescue. Girdwood is 45-60 miles from the closest hospital, and Girdwood Fire is the only medical provider in the community from 6pm-9am weekdays and for 24hr/day on weekends. Girdwood can be isolated from Anchorage and travel south to the Kenai Peninsula by severe weather (white out conditions), avalanches and rockfall and is in an earthquake and tsunami zone. Both departments do a significant amount of fundraising for specialized rescue equipment and training.

Fire Station Number	Neighborhood	Engine Companies	Medic Units	Special Units
31	Chugiak	Engine 31	Medic 31	Tender 31, Brush 31, Utility 31, ALS 31 (24-hour ALS fly car), Captain 1, 2, 3, or 4 (24-hour duty officer)
32	Birchwood	Tender 32		Utility 32 (Flatbed)
33	Peters Creek	Engine 33	Medic 33	Rescue 33, Tender 33
34	Birchwood Airport	Brush 34		off-season storage for snowmachines, 6-wheelers, Boat 31
35	North Eagle River	Engine 35	Medic 35	Tender 35, Brush 35, Boat 31 (summer) or snowmachines (winter), Chief 31, Chief 32, Chief 33
41	Girdwood	Engine 41	Medic 41, Medic 42	Rescue 41, Rescue 42, Brush 41, Tender 41, Tender 42, Tender 43, Utility 41, Chief 41,Chief 42, Boat 41, UAS, snowmachines (x2), Side-by-side (x2) Unimog