Suppression Division

The Suppression division, also referred to as Operations, is the emergency response division of Fire District 12.

When most people think of a fire department, they think of big shiny trucks with loud sirens and bright lights. They also think that those trucks must be on their way to fight a fire. And fighting fires is part of their job, but that is not all they do. Anything from motor vehicle accidents, assisting someone up after a fall, and even performing CPR on someone in cardiac arrest, this is what the suppression part of the fire service does. 80% of calls that are dispatched are medical in nature, and 20% are fire related.

The division consists of three shifts: “A” shift, “B” shift, and “C” shift. Led by the Chief of Operations, there is one district chief that oversees each shift. There are also 18 Captains/EMT’s that oversee each of Fire District 12’s 5 stations, and 33 firefighter operators/EMR’s. Firefighters work a 24/48 schedule meaning they work for 24 hours then are off for 48.  This schedule means a firefighter will spend one-third of his life at the station protecting the citizens of Fire District 12.

Many activities take place at any given time during a shift, including maintenance on equipment to ensure readiness when the time comes, training as a company to perform as one, medical training, and preplans to learn about buildings in their response area. Those are just a few of the tasks and activities that may occur on a daily basis in addition to responding to emergency calls.

Preparedness is what the Suppression Division is all about. When the time comes, the Suppression Division is ready to provide exceptional service to those who call upon us.