Des Moines Fire Department

Congratulations to our latest well-deserved promotion.

Join us in congratulating Tanner Owen, our newest Fire Engineer!

This week, we've been holding multi-company fire suppression and EMS drills at our new Fire Station #4.

Today, 1st Division crews enjoyed ladder, search and rescue training and simulations for treatment of patients with burns.

This is another way these firefighters put in the work to stay sharp - so they're ready for when Des Moines residents need them!

"In the short time this station has been operational, it has already proven to be a game changer in helping our crews improve response times to calls and provide better service to our residents," Des Moines Fire Department Chief Jonathan Lund said. "Between the number of safety improvements for our firefighters and the new training tower, this station represents the next generation of firefighter health, safety, and training design."

🚒 Station #4 is officially open! After two years of construction, we cut the ribbon today at 1505 MLK Jr. Parkway on a state-of-the-art facility built for the next generation of firefighter health, safety, and training. Features include a four-story training tower, advanced decontamination systems, and geothermal heating and cooling. Thank you to everyone who joined us to celebrate this milestone in our 140-year legacy of service!

Thank you to all the current and former firefighters who joined us this morning!

One of the most important mornings of the year is our annual Retirees Breakfast Ceremony. This event provides an opportunity for former and current firefighters to continue honoring tradition by performing a bell-ringing ceremony for retirees who have passed away in the last year.

In addition to taking time to reflect and pay respects to those who have passed away, our retiree breakfast is also a wonderful chance to catch up with our retirees, hear their stories, and find out what they're doing in their free time.

Thanks to Mackenzie Highlanders Pipes and Drums of Iowa for joining us, and everyone else who helped make this event possible!

This week brings another well-deserved round of promotions that deserve attention! Congratulations to the following:

Fire Medic Austin Hernandez
Fire Medic Bryan Llewellyn
Fire Engineer Kristofer Henshaw
Lieutenant Douglas Cole
Lieutenant Christopher Oberembt
Lieutenant Patrick Thomas
Lieutenant Jordan Van Ness
Lieutenant Hali Van Velzen

Thank you all for your hard work and dedication to protecting the City of Des Moines!

Fire Sprinklers and DMFD Firefighters are a proven fire safety success story.

The photos below show two apartment fires with two VERY different outcomes.

The first two photos are from an apartment fire on E. Caulder Avenue that occurred on May 4. The building was not equipped with fire sprinklers, and the fire had a big head start and wind conditions that helped it spread quickly. Despite an efficient and aggressive fire suppression response, the building is likely a total loss, displacing approximately 70 residents. Polk County Emergency Management Agency, Iowa worked with the Red Cross and other partners to help residents who were displaced by this fire.

The second two photos show an apartment fire that happened in Des Moines two days earlier on May 2nd. In this instance, sprinklers helped delay the fire spreading and our firefighters did the rest leaving limited damage to the building, and allowing residents to remain in the building.

This is a great reminder during Home Fire Sprinkler Week that sprinklers are an important component of fire safety alongside our firefighters!