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Department History
Prior to 1941, The Hialeah Fire Department was a Volunteer Fire Department.
January 8, 1925
J.L. Quimby was appointed the First Fire Chief of the Hialeah Fire Department.
Chief J.L. Quimby purchased the Department's first fire engine, which was a 1925 LaFrance Brockway Torpedo Pumper.
1927
The fire department purchased an additional pumper, a 1923 American LaFrance Pumper.
A fire alarm system was installed in the city. The system consisted of 34 pull boxes and the control equipment, which was housed in the Municipal Building Fire Station. The pull boxes were located on almost every block.
Roy Ewing was in charge of the fire alarm system installation project.
1932
The first Fire Chief's Car was assigned to the chief for official use.
1936
Fire-station 1 was remodeled.
October 1938
It was ordered that some of the Everglades Fire Control Fire units were to be housed at Hialeah's Fire station Number 1.
March 1939
Smokey, Hialeah's Fire Dog, was featured in an article in the Miami Daily News Paper. Smokey was a full-blooded Dalmatian.
September 12, 1941
Roy Ewing aided in the construction and design of the City's fire hydrant system.
September 14,1941
The Hialeah Fire Department was officially changed from a volunteer department to a full-time paid department.
The first paid Fire Chief was Chief A.J. Davis. The first paid fire personnel were: Ben Cameron, Robert Woefel, Merle McKinney and Roy Ewing.
1942
The Hialeah Fire Department was awarded a Class 1 rating by the underwriters insurance.
The Department reported 60 alarms:
- 45 trash and grass fires
- 10 house fires
- 5 false alarms
1943
The Department reported 120 alarms:
- 107 trash and grass fires
- 13 house fire
- 0 false alarms
January 17, 1946
A fire broke out at the Hialeah Race Track, destroying 600 seats and 12 parimutuel machines.
June 27, 1946
A major Code 1 Fire broke out at the Hialeah Riding Club, located at West 1st avenue and 9th Street. The alarm was received at 11:50 a.m.
An art mural located in the second floor of the Fire Administration building depicts this event.
1948
The department consisted of 9 full-time paid personnel.
Seniority numbering system implemented in the department. First 3 seniority numbers were assigned to:
#1- Norman Thomson
#2- Lawrence Cantrell
#3- Jacob Brehm
1951
Fire Station 2 was built at 4200 East 8th Avenue.
1959
Fire Station 3 was built at 800 West 49th Street.
First Hispanic Firefighter in the Department’s history was hired: Alberto Diaz (seniority #55).
Hialeah Fire Department operated out of four fire stations:
- Station 1 (Central Station) at 20 East 6th Street
- Station 2 at 4200 East 8th Avenue
- Station 3 at 800 West 49 Street
- Station 4 at 251 East 12 Avenue
The restoration of one of the Department's first fire engines was completed (1923 American LaFrance). It took the crew from "4B" two and a half years to complete the restoration project.
1960's
The first regular 100 hour Underwater Rescue and Recovery Class was started with 15 firefighters.
March 25,1960
The department received its first Civil Defense Heavy Rescue Truck.
1961
New Emergency Call Box System installed. Installed throughout the city at 66 designated locations.
November 1961
Fire Chief Thomson ordered all members of the Hialeah Fire Department to attend a First Aid Class.
March 1, 1961
Fire Department employee salaries were as follows:
- Assistant Fire Chief: $525 monthly
- Fire Engineer: $415 monthly
- Fire Lieutenant: $455 monthly
- Firefighter First Class: $410 monthly
- Freighter: $340 monthly
1963
Hialeah Fire Department consisted of 77 full-time firemen and owned 11 pieces of fire apparatus. The department responded to approximately 1,350 emergency calls.
1964
Fire Station 4 was built located at: 251 East 12th Avenue.
Mid-1960s
The department purchased its first aerial fire truck, the American LaFrance Junior Aerial. A 65-foot American LaFrance Junior Aerial.
1968
Fire Station 1 (Central Station) was built on the site of 30 East 6th Street.
11 major code 1 fires were fought, and the department's personnel increased to 96 firefighters.
First Hispanic Firefighter to get promoted to the position of Driver/Engineer and Lieutenant: Orlando Blanco (Seniority #81).
The only 2 units in the department to carry hydraulic spreaders were Ladder 1 and Ladder 3.
November of 1970
The department ordered the first two modern day Rescue units at a cost of 12,000 each. These units were to be manned by two EMTs
1971
The department responded to 2,882 alarms.
January of 1971
The department sent 15 fire personnel to begin training as Emergency Medical Technicians.
First EMT Class for HFD Consisted of 15 firefighters. Training was held at Miami Dade College and at Hialeah Hospital.
January 12, 1971
The first Code 1 fire involving a gasoline tanker (8,000 gallon tanker) occurred, at the intersection of Northwest 122nd Street and the Palmetto Expressway. Three victims died on scene as a result of the fire.
1972
The Rescue Protocol system was set into place. The department responded to 4,674 alarms. Hialeah's first graduating class graduated from Metro-Fire College.
October 23, 1973
Ground was broken for the construction of Fire Station Number 5 located at: 1195 West 74 street.
September 5, 1974
A chlorine leak was discovered at the Miami Water Plant on West 9th street. A total of 11 firefighters were taken to Hialeah Hospital for possible lung damage.
1974
William Ackerly, was appointed the full-time Rescue Coordinator for the Hialeah Fire Department. Fire Station 5 construction was completed. The department handled 5,431 alarms.
1975
The department received a new 100 feet aerial ladder from Mack.
1976
Fire Station#3 was remodeled and enlarged with a training classroom and an additional engine bay.
1977
Training Division was developed. Craig Andres was appointed as the department's first fulltime training officer. Fire Station Number 6 was completed at 780 West 25th Street.
1978
Fire department personnel were issued a full set of bunker gear. The first set of gear was a cream color. Prior to this firefighters were issued a black turnout bunker coat, boots and a helmet.
October 1, 1978
Fire Department went to the 911 Public Safety Answering Point call center to report emergencies. Prior to this resident would have to dial 888-7547 to report emergencies. This phone line was manned 24/7 at fire-station #1.
1979
The department consisted of:
- 211 trained personnel
- 12 command staff vehicles6 fire stations
- 7 primary engines
- 4 rescue vehicles
- 2 aerial ladder trucks
- 1 reserve engine
The department responded to 7,115 alarms.
Hialeah’s Fire Department Hazardous Materials Team was established.
Hialeah’s Fire Dep. Hazardous Materials Team was developed. The first Hazmat Truck was the 204 Mack Engine.
SCBA (Self Contained Breathing Apparatus) usage was ordered to be mandatory on IDLH environments by all fire department personnel.
1986
First African-American Firefighter was hired by the department: Michael Wright (Seniority #336) .
1988
First female firefighter to get hired by the department: Sandra Flynn (Seniority # 360).
Michael Wright was the first African American to get promoted to Driver/Engineer and Lieutenant.
1991
Hialeah Fire Station 7 was built at 7590 West 24th Avenue.
Construction of the training tower, which is behind fire-station #7 was finished. Prior to this the training division was located at fire-station #3. Training Tower was named after: Fire Training Chief: Michael Walsh
1993
Sandra Flynn was the first female firefighter to get promoted to Driver/Engineer.
1994
Fire Administration building (83 East 5th Street) and fire station #1(93 East 5th Street) was built. The building numbering 83-93 symbolizes the 10 years it took for the approval to build it.
1996
Sandra Flynn was the first female firefighter to get promoted to Lieutenant.
2005
Fire station # 2 was remodeled. Located at 4200 East 8th Ave.Sandra Flynn was the first female firefighter to get promoted to Captain.
May 7, 2007
Hialeah Fire Station #8 was built.Located at: 5405 West 18th Avenue.
September 23, 2009
Fire Station # 6 was remodeled. Located at 780 West 25th Street.
2014
Haz-Mat Truck (E-One Quest walk-around) was put into service.Fire Department switched from yellow bunker gear to black bunker gear.
2017
The City held a dedication naming ceremony of the Fire Administration Building. It was named in honor of: Fire Chief Herminio Lorenzo. Chief Lorenzo served as Fire Chief from:1989-1994.
Blaze, the Search and Rescue K-9, was given to HFD and assigned to Driver/Engineer: Barbara Gonzalez. USAR Certified in: 2020 and Tracking and Trailing Certified in: 2021December 2019
Special Operations Rehab Trailer was completed.First African-American Firefighter promoted to Captain: Edward D. Altidor (Seniority#510).
September 2020
First African-American Firefighter promoted to District-Chief: Edward D. Altidor (Seniority#510).
May 2021
Ladder 1: A Pierce Ascendant 100 Foot Heavy Duty Aerial Tower was put in service.
December 1, 2021
Fire Station # 9 officially opened. Located at: 3620 west 104 St. in the Annex area.
April 2022
First Hispanic female to get promoted to Lieutenant: Stacy Munoz (Seniority#714).
- 1925 to 1933: Chief J.L. Quimby
- 1933 to 1939: Chief F. Freeman
- 1939 to 1943: Chief A.J. "Shorty" Davis
- 1943 to 1946: Chief Roy Ewing
- 1946 to 1948: Chief A.J. "Shorty" Davis
- 1948 to 1955: Chief ArThursday Chapman
- 1955 to 1972: Chief Norman Thompson Jr.
- 1972 to 1981: Chief William E Lynch
- 1981 to 1989: Chief Thomas J. Hyle
- 1989 to 1994: Chief Herminio Lorenzo
- 1994 to 1999: Chief Paul DeYoung
- 2000 to 2001: Chief Micheal M. McCann
- 2001 to 2009: Chief Otto Drozd III
- 2009 to 2013: Chief Marcos De La Rosa
- 2013 to 2017: Chief Miguel "Mike" Anchia
- 2017 to 2019: Chief Patrick Flynn
- Current: Chief Willians Guerra