UPCOMING EVENTS

Nov. 2 - 4, 2012 “Change Your Clock – Change Your Battery” Fall Promotion - In conjunction with the time changes to and back from Eastern Standard time and to publicize the support of the Philadelphia Fire Department for this life-saving program, all fire companies will go door-to-door on a block in their local safety and education district with smoke alarms and fresh 9-volt batteries, offering to install smoke alarms and replace batteries for residents.

October 10, 2012 - CITY WIDE HOME FIRE DRILL - On Wednesday, October 10, 2012, at 1930 hours the annual City Wide Home Fire Drill will be conducted.

October 7 - 13, 2012 - Fire Prevention Week, Open House at Fire Stations - During Fire Prevention Week (October 7 through October 13, 2012), there will be open house at all fire stations between 1000 and 1600 hours. At this time, companies will highlight their “Community Based Fire Prevention Activities” by welcoming visitors to their stations and discussing topics of particular interest and significance to that individual, family, or group.

September 24, 2012 - ESSAY CONTEST (CITY-WIDE) begins The City-Wide Essay Contest, co-sponsored by Saint Joseph's University, is open to all 6th, 7th,and 8th grade pupils in Philadelphia's public, private, parochial, and charter schools.

Essays are required to be 250 words or less in length. They should be composed around a fire prevention theme, usually provided in the contest rules. Entries will be judged for fire safety thought and content, as well as neatness and originality. The contest will begin on Monday, September 24, 2012.

Teachers of each 6th, 7th, and 8th grade classes will be requested to choose the best essay from their respective classes to submit. They should place them in an envelope with the school's name, grade, and classroom number on it, to be picked up by the local Fire Company at the close of the contest. Each essay should have the name, home address, home phone number, school, and grade of the pupil on the back.

Essays selected by each teacher should be picked up from schools by local companies on Friday, October 26, 2012. Each battalion will pick the three best essays.

Final judging will be completed by a panel of impartial judges from the fire/civilian population at Fire Headquarters. The winners will be announced in January 2013, at the completion of the final judging.

The first place winner will receive a trophy, Certificate of Merit, and $200.00 cash. The winning school will hold the perpetual trophy for one year, with the winner's name engraved. Second place is $150.00. Third place is $100.00, each with a trophy and a Certificate of Merit.

Each of the thirty semi-finalists will receive a small gift and a Certificate of Merit, to be delivered by the local company to their respective schools.

May 16, 2012 - MEMORIAL PLAQUE DEDICATION TO HOSEMAN JOSEPH DUGAN - On Wednesday, May 16, 2012 at 11:00 a.m., a memorial plaque will be dedicated in the memory of Hoseman Joseph Dugan who was assigned to Fireboat 2, Rudolph Blankenburg. Fireboat 2 was located at the foot of Columbia Avenue at Penn Treaty Park. The ceremony will take place at the Local 22, Philadelphia Fire Fighters’ Union Hall, which is located at 415 North 5th Street.

On March 8, 1942 Fireboat 2 responded to a fire in the hold of a steamboat on the Delaware River. Although rare, this type of fire is extremely dangerous and occurs in confined spaces. Hoseman Dugan was lowered into the hold with a guide rope around his stomach area. When he returned home from work that day, he complained to his wife of stomach pains. For the next 18 months Hoseman Dugan battled health problems related to his brave actions on March 8, 1942. On November 8, 1943 Hoseman Dugan passed away leaving his wife, Margaret, and their five children.

May 2, 2012 - LIVING FLAME MEMORIAL SERVICE - On May 2, 2012, the City of Philadelphia will join with the Police, Park Police, and Fire Department to honor all members of these three departments who have been killed in the line of duty.

April 28, 2012 - NATIONAL TAKE-BACK INITIATIVE - On April 28, 2012, from 10am to 2pm, the Philadelphia Fire Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), in cooperation with state and local law enforcement agencies will be conducting another national take-back day for the public to surrender expired, unwanted, or unused pharmaceuticals and other medications to law enforcement officers for proper disposal.

Americans that participated in the DEA’s third National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day on October 29, 2011, turned in more than 188.5 tons of unwanted or expired medications for safe and proper disposal at the 5,327 take-back sites that were available in all 50 states and U.S. territories. When the results of the of the three prior Take Back Days are combined, the DEA and its state, local and tribal law-enforcement and community partners have removed over 498.5 tons of medication from circulation in the past 13 months.

There will be many collection sites located throughout the city including fire stations that were chosen to provide easy access along with having available parking. Controlled, non-controlled, and over the counter medications will be collected. However, sharpies and syringes will not be accepted due to the potential hazard posed by blood-borne pathogens.

The DEA will have representatives at each location that will coordinate the collection. The stations that are being used as collection sites areas follows:

  • Engine 2 Engine 36 Engine 57 Ladder 2
  • Engine 7 Engine 43 Engine 60 Ladder 30
  • Engine 9 Engine 45 Engine 62
  • Engine 19 * Engine 50 Engine 68
  • Engine 22 Engine 51 Engine 71
  • Engine 33 Engine 54 Engine 73
* Denotes stations that will receive Spanish language posters and possibly literature

April 15, 2012, SUBJECT : BATTLE OF THE BADGES - ROUND XXVI BEGINS - Once again, it is time for the Annual Battle of the Badges. The Battle begins on Sunday, April 15, 2012 and ends on Saturday, July 14, 2012. This is the twenty-sixth (XXVI) straight year Weight Watchers of Philadelphia, Inc., has sponsored this thirteen-week competition between the Fire and Police Departments. The Philadelphia Fire Department leads this competitive series with thirteen victories to the Police Departments twelve. The Fire Department has been the Battle of the Badges winner for the past five years and is motivated again as indicated by this year’s slogan, “Every Loss Is A Win For Us.”

Weight Watchers’ Inc., will donate $10,000.00 to the Hero Thrill Show in the name of the winning department who has the highest percentage of weight lost.

The top individual representing each department with the most percentage of weight lost will receive a $100.00 United States Savings Bond. The top individual winner from each department will also receive a Microwave as an additional gift for his or her unit. In addition, the five runners-up from each department who lose the most percentage of weight will also receive a $100.00 U.S. Savings Bond.

April 13, 2012 - B.A.F.F.Y. BUNNY SPRING FIRE PREVENTION CONTEST This contest is open to all children six to twelve years of age who reside in the city of Philadelphia. The entry forms will contain a cryptogram puzzle with terms related to fire safety.

Entry forms will be distributed by company officers to all local schools, and will be available at the fire stations for any visitors who qualify. The contest will close on Friday, March 30, 2012.

All completed entry forms must be received by Saturday, April 7, 2012. The drawing will be random and held on Friday, April 13, 2012. The winner will receive a $200.00 cash prize. Click here for entry form. You may print the form, fill it out and return it to any fire station by Friday, March 30, 2012.

The official rules for the “B.A.F.F.Y. Bunny Spring Fire Prevention Contest” are as follows:

  1. The contest is open to all Philadelphia residents between the ages of 6 and 12.
  2. Contestants will be required to correctly complete the “B.A.F.F.Y. 2012 Puzzle.”
  3. Entry forms can be mailed directly to the Fire Prevention Division, Fire Administration Building, 240 Spring Garden Street, Philadelphia, Pa. 19123 or turned in to the local fire company. All completed entry forms must be received no later than Saturday, April 7, 2012.
  4. All entries must contain the child’s name, address, telephone number, age, and school with the address.
  5. All entries become the property of the Philadelphia Fire Department.
  6. The winner will be selected from correct entries on Friday, April 13, 2012 by a random drawing and be awarded a cash prize of $200.00.
  7. The winner will be notified by phone.

The Philadelphia Fire Department would like to remind everyone to change the batteries in their 9-volt battery powered smoke alarms when we change our clocks and spring forward one hour on Sunday, March 11, 2012.

In conjunction with this message Fire Department Engine and Ladder Companies will go to hundreds of addresses to replace 9-volt batteries, distribute fire prevention literature and install state of the art, tamper proof, 10-year lithium powered smoke alarms on Saturday, March 10 and Sunday, March 11.

NOTE: Under no circumstances should a long life 9-volt size lithium battery be replaced with a 9-volt alkaline battery.

Philadelphia homeowners, in need of smoke alarms for their primary residence, should call the Philadelphia Fire Departments “Smoke Alarm Hotline” at 215-686-1176.

Any adult Philadelphia resident that would like to volunteer their time and represent a block or group in their neighborhood, serving as a Philadelphia Fire Department Fire Safety Representative should contact the Fire Prevention Division at 215-686-1382.

February 3, 2012 - NATIONAL WEAR RED DAY - On Friday, February 3, 2012, the Philadelphia Fire Department will participate in the “National Wear Red Day” in support of women’s heart health to help bring awareness of heart disease in Women and to help promote a heart healthy lifestyle. The day is being sponsored by the American Heart Association and is being supported by the Office on Women’s Health, The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and many other groups.

January 25, 2012- 2011 BATTALION YEAR-ROUND FIRE PREVENTION/COMMUNITY OUTREACH BOOK WINNERS

The winners of the 2011 Battalion Year-Round Fire Prevention/Community Outreach Book Competition have been selected.

The result of the judging is as follows:

FIRST PLACE - BATTALION 08
SECOND PLACE - BATTALION 11
THIRD PLACE - BATTALION 09

The Awards Ceremony will take on January 25, 2012

February 1, 2012, GRADUATION OF 30TH FIRE SERVICE PARAMEDIC CLASS

A graduation ceremony for the 30th Fire Service Paramedic Class will be held February 1, 2012, at the Philadelphia Fire Academy.

Click here for Previous Events

HOUSEHOLD HAZARDOUS WASTE COLLECTION

The Philadelphia Streets Department is sponsoring a series of household hazardous waste (HHW) collection events each year at sites throughout the City.  This is a cooperative effort with the other Pennsylvania counties that surround Philadelphia, which will also accept household hazardous waste from Philadelphia residents. 

These scheduled events give residents the opportunity to recycle or dispose of unwanted household hazardous wastes, which may have accumulated in their home or garage. 

For a list of dates, times, and typical materials accepted at HHW Events, go to http://www.phila.gov/streets/HHW.html