Mission Statement

To enhance the quality of life of every person in the Municipality of Anchorage by providing courteous, progressive, prompt, and effective direct and support services:   

• To the community and AFD through the Communications Center    
• To AFD through the Data Systems, Fleet Maintenance, and Facility Maintenance Divisions

AFD Communications Center

The Anchorage Fire Department Communications Center is located next to Fire Station 12. Sixteen positions are allotted: 12 dispatcher positions and 4 lead dispatcher positions under the direction of the Fire Communications Officer. Shifts are 12 hours in length, ranging from 0700 to 1900 hrs, 1100 to 2300 hrs or 1900 to 0700 hrs. Minimum staffing is 3 personnel, two taking phone calls and one dispatching. The center handles approximately 36,000 calls a year for an area of about 1956 square miles and a population of approximately 272,000 people.  Communication Center duties include answering emergency 9-1-1 phone calls, providing instructions for callers to perform CPR, the Heimlich maneuver, control bleeding, maintain airways, assist in child birth etc. All personnel are required to be CPR certified, with recertification occurring every 2 years through the AFD Training Center. Communications center personnel are also Emergency Medical Dispatch certified. Initial certification requires a 24 hour class with recertification occurring every 2 years through a written test and completion of 24 hrs of Continuing Education.

Data Systems

The Data Systems division provides technological solutions to support the Anchorage Fire Department's daily and long-term information needs, with emphasis upon Fire Incident Reports, GIS-based computer-aided dispatch and records management systems, and Web-based information sharing, across an enterprise-wide topology of hardware and software systems.

Fleet Maintenance

The Anchorage Fire Department Maintenance Shop maintains a fleet of 22 Engines (pumpers), four ladder trucks, eight water tankers, 12 specialty apparatus, as well as more than 50 small vehicles. All employees are certified Emergency Vehicle Technicians. Support is provided for Anchorage, Chugiak and Girdwood fire departments.