What defines a Squad?

[AFS1970 504]

A neighboring town has just placed a new engine into service, however they call it a squad. I have a friend in NJ who calls his ambulance a squad. We used to have an engine called a squad in Stamford but changed it to an engine, I was told because the same mattered to ISO. Another neighboring town used to call utilities (including old chief's cars) squads. So what defines a squad in general? I believe in FDNY they are engines with enhanced equipment, which of course brings with it dedicated personnel trained to use that equipment. So do all the departments calling their engines squads make this distinction? What about the places calling their rescues squads, do they do something that other rescues don't or can't?

[FF1 172]

A traditional fire service squad is a rescue pumper. 

 

Typically, a fully functional engine company with a tank, pump and full compliment of supply and attack line. In addition, a squad will be equipped with rescue tools, struts, cribbing, ropes/hardware, etc.

 

Essentially it's an engine that can be detailed as a 2nd rescue if needed.

[vodoly 535]

Englewood Cliffs EC-2 is a Rescue Pumper It’s ID is a Engine  It has all the equipment for auto accidents  plus Venting & chain saws I am surprised They never wanted it identified as a Squad There’s quite a few towns in Bergen County that run Squad’s as well Dumont Squad 1 Oradell Squad 22 & Fort Lee Squad 6  are some of the Units That I. Know of 

[bad box 371]

In the early 1940's, FDNY had a couple of Squad companies. They were manpower units only. They reported to incidents and were utilized for whatever was needed. In the 1950's through the late 1960's FDNY Squad Companies were equipped with step vans. They carried basic truck company tools and were again utilized for whatever functions were needed. In the late 1960's, The squads were assigned pumpers and responded as engine companies. Eventually the Squads were disbanded. In 1977, Squad Company 1 was reestablished in the former quarters of Engine 269 which had been disbanded. They were assigned a pumper and also carried Truck Company Tools. They were used for whatever the Chief needed when they arrived at a fire scene. In 1990, Squad 41 was established in the former quarters of Engine 41 in the Bronx. They were assigned a pumper and they along with Squad 1 were part of Special Operations Command. in addition to engine company equipment, they carried truck company tools as well as Hurst Tools, Air Bags and some other rescue related gear. In the late 1990's Engine 18, 61, 252, 270 and 288 became Squad Companies and all squad personnel were trained to the Haz Mat and Rescue Technician level. All Squads were then assigned a second rig (step van) designated as Haz Mat Support Units.

[LayTheLine 108]

As an add on to "bad box" comment. Last month FDNY put another squad into service. It's Squad 8 on Staten Island. It's in the quarters of E154. E154 was disbanded when Squad 8 went into service. FDNY now has a total of 8 squads. As eluded to in most of these responses, FDNY squads are enhanced engine companies. They run with an engine and carry a full-assortment of extrication and rescue equipment. Each squad has a 2nd Piece called a Haz-Mat Tech unit. Whenever there is Haz-Mat call anywhere in the city, a squad (with their second piece), Haz-Mat Company 1, and the Haz-Mat Battalion are assigned. Manning on the FDNY squads is 6 (1 officer & 5 firefighters).

[vodoly 535]

42 minutes ago, LayTheLine said:

As an add on to "bad box" comment. Last month FDNY put another squad into service. It's Squad 8 on Staten Island. It's in the quarters of E154. E154 was disbanded when Squad 8 went into service. FDNY now has a total of 8 squads. As eluded to in most of these responses, FDNY squads are enhanced engine companies. They run with an engine and carry a full-assortment of extrication and rescue equipment. Each squad has a 2nd Piece called a Haz-Mat Tech unit. Whenever there is Haz-Mat call anywhere in the city, a squad (with their second piece), Haz-Mat Company 1, and the Haz-Mat Battalion are assigned. Manning on the FDNY squads is 6 (1 officer & 5 firefighters).

Excellent concept plus Riding Heavy (more then 4 people)is good too

[MiFF 23]

How does North Hudson Regional run their squads? I've seen they have quite the mix of apparatus used by squad companies.

[Anesti 329]

8 hours ago, MiFF said:

How does North Hudson Regional run their squads? I've seen they have quite the mix of apparatus used by squad companies.

 

Haven't listened to their dispatch in quite awhile but they usually had assigned a squad as Ric company on a reported fire.

[AFS1970 504]

I think the most common is the enhanced engine, but I have seen everything from SUV's to Heavy Rescues called Squads. In dispatch we use the term squad for the group of people who work together the way some fire departments use platoon or group.

 

One nearby department has a heavy rescue and has small extrication tools on their two engines. We just purchased a large amount of extrication equipment but only have a small amount of cribbing and air bags. We also don't carry struts or jacks. As we have no rescue, we are putting all of this on the second due engine. Some members wanted to call it a squad, but I argued that meant that those riding it had to be better at extrication than those riding the other engine. 

 

I am not sure that outside of a given department or region there is a traditional answer. Even FDNY started out differently than they currently operate. Even the squad numbers are all over the place. Squad 1 & Squad 8 replaced engines but got new numbers, the others retained the numbers of the engines they replaced. 

 

In NJ where my friend is chief, because the term squad also referred to his agency, they used to use Squad 1-5 as the officer ID's. So he would sign on as Squad 2 from home or in his POV, while going to get the squad (ambulance). They have since changed to a car number system as they share a channel with other agencies (some of them squads) and didn't want to have conflicting numbers. 

[LayTheLine 108]

I would agree that the word squad may designate anything, anywhere. I would say that the word is the most commonly used word in the fire service with multiple, multiple definitions. 

[vodoly 535]

On 1/15/2019 at 0:01 PM, MiFF said:

How does North Hudson Regional run their squads? I've seen they have quite the mix of apparatus used by squad companies.

Squad 7 is the only unit that’s has a Quint in use in fact a 100 foot aerial on it The rest are Pumpers  they are used as RIT Units & Can respond along with the Rescue company on select calls  Lol every other unit’s a Squad down there 

[Anesti 329]

On 1/16/2019 at 6:34 PM, vodoly said:

Squad 7 is the only unit that’s has a Quint in use in fact a 100 foot aerial on it The rest are Pumpers  they are used as RIT Units & Can respond along with the Rescue company on select calls  Lol every other unit’s a Squad down there 

 

 

Do they carry any extra like equipment like tools or are they just manpower units??

[dwcfireman 656]

Sorry for the absence, but I finally decided to check back in on EMTB after too long....

 

Up here in Western NY a squad is generally a pickup chassis with some sort of utility body on it (think brush truck without a pump or hose, or a utility for those of you in Westchester).  Usually, these trucks are equipped with EMS, pump-out, and salvage equipment.  Most departments throw in a couple of SCBA and extra brush fire gear.  Some departments will throw on eDraulics or spare hydraulic tools.  And almost every department just throws a bunch of random crap on them when they can't find another or useful spot for it.  These "squads" come to be extremely useful for the mass of EMS runs and the BS calls that we don't want to burn an engine or ladder for.  They're also useful for when you need a few extra people on scene or need to get yourself a distance from the paved road.