Palestinian Fire and Rescue Brigades

The Palestinian Fire and Rescue Brigades (Palestine F&R; Arabic: كتائب الإطفاء والإنقاذ الفلسطينية katā’ib al-iṭfā’ wal-inqādh al-falasṭīnī) are an agency of the Ministry of Public Safety of the Palestinian Arab Republic. Palestine F&R maintains a fire station in almost every incorporated municipality in the republic, with many municipalities having more than one, with an average of one station per 45,000 people (although municipalities with a population under 45,000 will have a fire station of their own if there is not already a reasonably close one (15 minutes away maximum) in a neighbouring municipality.

All civilian fire stations are owned and operated by Palestine F&R, which also provides search & rescue services from all its fire stations including a wilderness, coast and mountain search & rescue utilising helicopters. It also provides emergency first response services including paramedic capabilities to other calls involving police and/or ambulance, as the department has the technology to extract victims from vehicles using jaws of life and other techniques. All personnel are trained in CPR and all stations also have attached paramedics. Such first response capabilities are in support of the local National Police and/or Paramedic Service.

The Palestinian Fire & Rescue Brigades have their headquarters at Fire Station 001, the oldest and one of the largest Palestinian fire stations, located on Nablus Road near the headquarters of the Palestinian National Police.