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The Suffolk County Department of Fire, Rescue and Emergency Services (DFRES) is committed today to serving the residents of Suffolk County and the emergency responders who are dedicated to saving lives and protecting property. The administration section provides personnel and financial management, coordinates the Deputy County Fire Coordinators program, and operates the county's mobile fire rescue command post. The Fire Marshals Office (FMO) performs code enforcement and inspections, fire investigations, public education, technical assistance to the fire and EMS agencies of Suffolk, supports the emergency management operation, and staffs various positions within the county's incident command structure. The Fire Rescue Communication section is a component of the FMO. The communications center is an enhanced 911 facility handling fire and EMS calls and dispatching units. The dispatchers must be New York State certified Emergency Medical Technicians to be hired and maintain national certification as Emergency Medical Dispatchers. These same Emergency Services Dispatchers are utilized to staff the mobile command post along with county fire marshals. Last year, the communications center processed approximately 172,000 fire and EMS emergencies.
The Emergency Management Office (EMO) coordinates the county's response to natural and manmade disasters. EMO personnel are responsible for the operation of the county's Emergency Operation Center (EOC) and work with local, state, and federal officials in shelter management, planning, resource management, and radiological response coordination.
The Suffolk County Portable Fire Extinguisher and Automatic Fire Extinguishing Systems Licensing Board (Board) was created by local law in 2004 to oversee and regulate the servicing of portable fire extinguishers and automatic fire extinguishing systems in the interest of safeguarding the lives and property of Suffolk County residents. The licensing board - more commonly referred to as the Portable Fire Extinguisher Licensing Board or FELB – had its oversight authority expanded in 2010 to include those involved in the installation of automatic fire extinguishing systems as well. The FELB is comprised of five members under the general supervision of the Suffolk County Department of Fire, Rescue and Emergency Services (FRES). The designee of the FRES Commissioner serves as the chair of the FELB which is further comprised of the Suffolk County Chief Fire Marshal, one representative of the Fire Marshals’ Association of Suffolk County and two representatives of the National Association of Fire Equipment Distributors (NAFED) from Suffolk County.
To service and install portable fire extinguishers and automatic fire extinguishing systems in Suffolk County a license is required of each technician performing the work. Similarly, the company employing the technician must have a certificate of registration authorizing the existence and use of its premises for the purpose of the design, installation and/or servicing of portable fire extinguishers and automatic fire extinguishing systems.
The Fire Academy provides field training and classroom instruction in local fire departments and at the Suffolk County Fire Academy in Yaphank. Courses range from basic firefighting to incident command and management. Specialized training courses are provided as needed. The county fire training field features a residential structure burn building, "taxpayer" burn buildings, a vehicle fire prop, a smoke house, a three story tower, a tank car, a hazardous materials and confined space training area, LP gas training props, a pump test facility, and a classroom building with the nation's largest smokeless maze.
Suffolk County Executive Steve Levy and the Suffolk County Legislature have strongly supported public safety issues with their support of the DFRES. The DFRES is making a difference by improving the quality of life in Suffolk County. The department is dedicated to saving lives and protecting property in times of fire and disasters, providing effective and efficient EMS support services, and ensuring that our fire rescue personnel are properly trained to perform their duties.
The Suffolk County Department of Fire, Rescue and Emergency Services proudly serves the county's 1.4 million residents, the 109 fire departments and 27 EMS agencies, and the approximately 10,500 fire and EMS responders.
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