The Melbourne Fire Department has been protecting our community since 1916. First established as the volunteer fire department of two small towns (Eau Gallie and Melbourne), the Melbourne Fire Department has grown over the years to become a full-service professional department it is today, meeting the needs of a city with more than 80,000 residents.

Major milestones of the Melbourne Fire Department’s creation and history:

1916

The cities of Melbourne and Eau Gallie organize their first volunteer fire departments.

1924 – 1929

Both Melbourne & Eau Gallie build new fire stations and purchase their first motorized fire apparatus. They also reorganized, restructured and became more formal organizations to respond to increased needs of the community.

1950s

First paid professional fire fighters added to both departments.

1969

The City of Eau Gallie and the City of Melbourne merge to form one unified city under the name City of Melbourne. The two fire departments merged to form the Melbourne Fire Department.

1970s

Volunteer fire fighters were completely replaced by professional paid fire fighters. The International Association of Fire Fighters, Local 1951 was formed.  Several new fire stations were constructed and manned.

1980s

The Melbourne Fire Department continues to expand and replaces aging apparatus and equipment.

1996

Station 77 is built and additional personnel are hired to staff the station. The addition of the station provided for better coverage for the north end of the City allowing for quicker response to incidents.

2000

The City of Melbourne, along with other municipal fire departments, participated in the First Responder Program. The program provides paramedics that perform advanced life support medical care to critically ill or injured patients. The collaboration between city and county first responders has reduced response times for advanced life support fire units and has provided for timely transport to area hospitals.

2002

Station 74 and Fire Administration relocate to a new facility on Hickory Street.

2006

Station 78 is built, and additional personnel hired to staff the station. The addition of the station provided for better coverage for the south end of the City allowing for quicker response to incidents.

2012

Station 71 is rebuilt at its current location. Fire Administration relocates to Station 71.

2013

A Unified Command Trailer is donated to the City’s fire department and police department. The command trailer is deployed for large scale events in which the fire department and/or police department are involved.

2014

The department restructures its administrative staff, and the addition of a Division Chief of Training is approved. New Fire Chief (Bogle), Chief and Company officers trained in Bluecard, a department annual strategic plan was created, a new Sutphen ladder truck was placed in service that changed the look of the department’s future apparatus

2015

The department hires a Training Chief, begins a chaplaincy program, obtains a Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) grant for new Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA) and places a second ladder truck in-service in the north area of the City. The department also created a pre-plan book for each fire station.

2016

The department celebrates its centennial birthday, increases Insurance Services Office (ISO) score from 80.26 to 87.72, and is awarded a Florida Inland Navigational District (FIND) grant to refurbish the fire boat. A new Record Management System (RMS) was placed in service to replace the old reporting system. We also hosted our first annual “retiree” breakfast and created a Melbourne Fire Department Facebook page.

2017

The department obtained a Firehouse Subs grant for new protective hoods and improvements to our fire training center, including forcible entry door and window props, new water main and fire hydrant, and the acquisition of an airplane fuselage.  A second chaplain was added to the chaplaincy program.

2018

The department placed three additional Battalion Chiefs in service. A pre-planning software, “Mobile Eyes,” was purchased to update existing pre-plan information, and we began annual departmental fitness evaluations. A new Deputy Chief was promoted, and we placed in service a new Type-6 brush truck.

2019

The department was approved for three additional firefighters, obtained funding for exhaust removal system for the apparatus bays and the construction of bunker gear storage areas, purchased rope rescue, confined space, trench and Vehicle Machine Rescue (VMR) equipment, modified dispatch procedure to reduce response times, awarded HMGP for wind retrofit of 5 fire stations, installed UV lights in air handlers to reduce carcinogens in the apparatus bays, and hired a new Training Chief.

2020

This year, we completed the confined space prop at the fire training center, placed our eighth fire engine into service and moved second ladder truck to Station 71. The department also obtained a state grant for Narcan, expanded our peer support program, placed video laryngoscopes in service, obtained Lexipol to review and revise our Standard Operating Policies and Guidelines, and removed squads from service due to COVID, and installed exhaust removal systems in apparatus bays.

2021

Replaced all carpet in fire stations and constructed bunker gear storage rooms, placed new replacement ladder truck in service, engaged Life Scan to conduct department annual physicals, scans and fitness assessments, purchased fall restraint belts for personnel, provided multiple “tech” training classes, increased funding for the HMGP wind retrofit program, engaged a mental health professional to support our personnel. ISO conducted a re-evaluation of the department.