Suppression
Suppression is the largest of four divisions within the Norman Fire Department with a budgeted staff of 117 uniformed personnel, 39 assigned to each of three shifts. Each shift consist of (1) Assistant Chief, (8) Fire Captains, (8) Driver Engineers and (22) Firefighters spread out between (7) Fire Stations operating (7) Engines, (7) Brush Units, (1) Aerial Truck, (1) Tanker Truck, and (1) Medium Rescue Unit.
Fire stations are strategically scattered throughout Norman to provide the best coverage possible to a response area of over 196 square miles. This consists of five urban and two rural locations with an average response time of just over four minutes urban and seven minutes rural.
In 1995, when the ambulance service was purchased from the City by Norman Regional Hospital, the fire department assumed the responsibility for providing Medical First Response and Rescue to the citizens of Norman. This undertaking would increase the call volume by 400% over the next eight years with our most recent being just over 7500 calls for service in 2002. Besides the standard compliment of firefighting equipment found on most any fire engine, ours are also equipped with a Medical Kit consisting of oxygen and other ventilation and airway devices, a Trauma Kit consisting of various bandaging materials and a Semi-Automated External Defibrillator used to treat patients in cardiac arrest.
In addition to providing emergency response to calls for help whether fire or medical, we also respond to non-emergency calls such as occasional lifting assistance, malfunctioning smoke and CO detectors, and the occasional lockout where life safety is a concern. When Firefighters aren’t responding to the needs of the public they can usually be found participating in a variety of activities. Such activities include two hours of required daily training, cleaning and maintaining their stations and equipment, cleaning, painting and flow testing over 4000 fire hydrants throughout the city or conducting one of the 600 company inspections. As you can see TV and dominoes are not daily activities of the firehouse as some once thought, although there is still an occasional attempt to prepare a “Firehouse Gourmet Meal” between calls.
Other public service activities include car seat checks and installations, public education, station tours and demonstrations, school visits and various fund raisers historically supported by the Fire Service such as Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) or “Jerry’s Kids”. The Norman Fire Department desires to be an active, useful and informational part of their community, and with the help of its citizens it will continue to grow into a true, well-rounded public service!
