We will provide the City of Binghamton and its citizens with Firefighter/EMT's and Firefighter/Paramedics trained to the highest and most progressive level of skill, to protect and serve our community with the utmost professionalism.

The Binghamton Fire Bureau operates out of five fire stations.

The EMS Division provides training, supplies, record keeping and support to the men and women of the Binghamton Fire Department. The fire department operates both basic life support (BLS) first response services from our five fire stations and advanced life support (ALS) transport at the Paramedic level using our ambulance located at Fire Headquarters.

In 2019 the Binghamton Fire Department responded to nearly 8,200 EMS calls and transported around 3,000 patients to area hospitals.

The EMS office ensures that members receive all necessary training and retain their various certifications that allow them to operate in a medical capacity. Members are either Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) or Paramedics. We also ensure that all state and local mandates are met or exceeded.

The EMS office is given a budget to work with every year and all necessary medical supplies are procured using these funds. A necessary stock of medical equipment must be kept on hand in order to keep units in service and ready to respond to any emergency. The EMS division also acts as a liaison between the fire department and the community, hospitals, physicians and state and local EMS agencies.

Calling for Assistance

Citizens calling for assistance are sent a first response medic SUV with three firefighters and an ambulance with one EMT and one Paramedic. All medic SUV’s and fire trucks are well equipped with oxygen, automated external defibrillators, splinting equipment and different medications.

Billing Inquiries

For billing inquiries regarding services provided, contact Intermedix Billing Company (888) 980-9318.

The Fire Prevention Division provides the following services:

• Public education.
• Fire investigation to determine origin and cause.
• Computerization of gathered information and fire department business.
• Code compliance.
• Elimination of unnecessary responses.

Smoke Alarms: Residential

Are they required?

YES—New York State Code requires smoke alarms be present and in working order in ALL residential properties. 

Who is responsible to supply, install and maintain the smoke alarms?

The property owner is responsible to supply, properly install and maintain all smoke alarms in a building. 

I rent my apartment or house. Does that mean that my landlord is responsible to provide smoke alarms?

YES—However this does not relieve you from the responsibility of not tampering, altering, disabling or removing the units and notifying the land lord if they need service or replacement. Remember—they are provided for YOUR SAFETY!

Does the smoke alarm have to be hard wired or can it be powered by a battery?

In new construction or substantially renovated residential properties, the smoke alarms will be hard wired into the homes power source and have a battery back-up. These units will be interconnected, meaning that when one detects smoke, all units will alarm ensuring that occupants throughout the building are alerted.

In existing residential properties, battery powered smoke alarms can be installed.

AS OF JANUARY 1 2017, by LAW all smoke alarms sold and therefor installed in New York will only be powered by a 10 year sealed battery. This is to ensure uninterrupted power and protection for 10 continuous years. Additionally, the sensors within the alarm degrade at 10 years and should be replaced. So, when the alarm begins to “chirp” that indicates both the batteries AND the sensors are at the end of their life. Simply replace the entire unit.

The Binghamton Fire Department RECOMMENDS smoke alarms powered by the 10-year sealed battery due to the increased level of protection provided by the long term power source and the notification to replace the unit when the sensors have reached the end of their service life.

Where should smoke alarms be installed?

• In every bedroom.
• Outside of every bedroom or group of bedrooms if the doors are in a common hallway.
• At least one on every other floor that does not contain bedrooms.

Carbon Monoxide Alarms: Residential

Are they required?

YES—Amanda’s Law requires CO alarms be present and in working order in ALL residential properties that have a source of CO.

The 2010 Law requiring CO alarms in all new and existing residential buildings is named after Amanda Hansen, a West Seneca teen who lost her life to CO poisoning in January 2009 while sleeping over at a friend’s house.

What is Carbon Monoxide?

Carbon Monoxide or CO for short, is an odorless, colorless, tasteless gas that can kill by reducing the bloods ability to carry oxygen to vital organs.

Where does CO come from?

CO is a product of incomplete combustion. Any fuel-burning device has the potential to produce dangerous levels of CO gas. Examples of common devices that may emit CO include:

• Fuel-fired furnaces (not electric)
• Gas water heaters, fireplaces and wood stoves
• Gas stoves
• Non-electric space heaters
• Gas dryers Charcoal grills
• Lawnmowers, snow blowers, etc.
• Automobiles
• Gas powered generators

Who is responsible to supply, install and maintain the CO alarms?

The property owner is responsible to supply, properly install and maintain all CO alarms in a building. 

I rent my apartment or house. Does that mean that my land lord is responsible to provide CO alarms?

YES—However this does not relieve you from the responsibility of not tampering, altering, disabling or removing the units and notifying the land lord if they need service or replacement. Remember—they are provided for YOUR SAFETY!

Does the CO alarm have to be hard wired or can it be powered by a battery?

In new construction or substantially renovated residential properties, the CO alarms will be hard wired into the homes power source and have a battery back-up. These units will be interconnected, meaning that when one detects smoke, all units will alarm ensuring that occupants throughout the building are alerted.

In existing residential properties, battery powered smoke alarms can be installed.

Battery powered CO alarms use a variety of battery types. Currently available are units that are powered by a 10 year sealed battery. This means you will not have to worry about changing the batteries for 10 years! Additionally, the sensors within the alarm degrade at 10 years and should be replaced. So, when the alarm begins to “chirp” that indicates both the batteries AND the sensors are at the end of their life. Simply replace the entire unit.

The Binghamton Fire Department RECOMMENDS CO alarms powered by the 10-year sealed battery due to the increased level of protection provided by the long term power source and the notification to replace the unit when the sensors have reached the end of their service life.

Where should CO alarms be installed?

• In every bedroom containing a source of CO (duct work from a heat source in another room or floor is a potential source of CO)!
• In every bedroom that is on the same floor as a source of CO—even if there is no source of CO within the bedroom.
• Outside of every bedroom within 15 feet.

Fire Suppression

The five Binghamton Fire Bureau stations are staffed 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. The Bureau has earned a reputation as one of the most progressive fire departments in New York State through:

• Aggressive interior search/rescue and fire attack.
• Standard procedures for organizing firefighting operations.
• Acquisition of state-of-the-art firefighting equipment and techniques.
• An Emergency Medical Services (EMS) program started in 1981 now at transporting ALS/Paramedic level.

Special Operations

All manners of land and water rescue are used such as:

• High-angle rope rescue
• Low-angle rope rescue
• Confined-space rescue
• Building collapse
• Vehicle extrication
• Water rescue
• Swift Water rescue
• Ice rescue
• Hazardous Materials full service response

Training

The Training Division provides preparation on how firefighters should best respond to a wide variety of possible emergency incidents. The goal of the Training Division is to properly prepare every firefighter to respond with instinctive knowledge and expertise.

The training schedule ranges from daily drills, half-day training sessions with other stations, all-day specialty training and certification courses. In order to maintain the high standards of the Binghamton Fire Department, firefighters must learn and excel in many areas, including firefighting, search and rescue, emergency medicine, vehicle extrication, swift water rescue, trench collapse rescue, confined space rescue and hazardous materials.

Please fill out pages one, two and any of the appendices that are applicable to your type of permit required.

When it is completed, please send the following pages back to the Fire Marshal's Office:

• Page 1
• Page 2
• Page 3
• Any filled in appendix page that applies to your permit.

Completed permits may be hand carried, mailed, faxed or e-mailed to our office.

If you are delivering in person, City Hall is open from 8:15am until 3:45pm.

Our e-mail address is fire@cityofbinghamton.gov

Our mailing address and fax number can be found on the first page of the application.

If you are inquiring about the Kidde Lockbox Rapid Entry System you can click the link below.

https://lockbox.shopkidde.com/

If you have any questions, please call (607) 772-7123.

Operating Permit Application

Appendix A Hazardous Materials Storage

Appendix B Hazardous Processes and Activities

Appendix C Pyrotechnics in Assembly Occupancies

Appendix D Occupancy 100 or More

Appendix E Gases

Appendix E1 LPG Exchange Cabinets

Appendix E2 Mobile Food Prep Vehicles

Appendix F Open Burning

Appendix G Tents

Appendix H Other