Coordination of Emergency Fire Services

The Fire Bureau is committed to providing assistance to Monroe County’s Fire Departments through its collaboration and partnership on critical incidents that affect the delivery of fire-based emergency services within the community.  Specifically, the Fire Bureau facilitates the delivery of County and State firefighter training, manages a County-wide Hazardous Materials Response Team and Special Operations Unit, and assists with incident coordination at large scale events.  The Fire Bureau also manages the Fire Investigation Unit in partnership with the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office to determine the origin and cause of fires when requested by any of the Monroe County Fire Departments outside of the City of Rochester.

The Monroe County Fire Coordinator administers the Monroe County Mutual Aid Fire Response Plan.  The original Mutual Aid Plan was developed in 1941 and was built on the spirit of teamwork and mutual cooperation.  We’re pleased that these guiding principles are still evident today as the fire service has become more structured and complex.

Monroe County’s Hazardous Material Response Team and Special Operations Unit offer a unique skill set and capability for dealing with low-frequency/high-risk incidents.  These specialty units are comprised of firefighters from across Monroe County to deal with a variety of threats in a modern environment.   This type of capability requires a great deal of planning, training, and general team organization.   We’re grateful of the common purpose shared by the members of these groups as they work tirelessly to maintain an appropriate state of readiness.

Firefighter Training

Firefighter training is a primary function of the Fire Bureau and those that have come before us know that training in the fire service never stops.  Our goal is to provide quality instruction on a variety of topics so our firefighters are prepared to provide service in an all-hazards environment.   This is accomplished through the delivery of County and State level training courses, which are primarily held at the Public Safety Training Facility (PSTF) located on Scottsville Road through a unique partnership with Monroe Community College.  This regional training facility boasts a number of live fire training opportunities where firefighters can learn and practice proper techniques for dealing with residential, commercial, and industrial fires.  The Fire Bureau also supports the annual in-service and recruit firefighter training for many of the career and combination fire departments in Monroe County. 

One of the spotlight programs offered at the PSTF is the NYS Firefighter 1 curriculum.  This is the baseline Firefighter training program for individuals that become a new member of a Volunteer Fire Department. 

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Fire Investigation Unit

The Monroe County Fire Investigation Unit is a partnership between the Fire Bureau and the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office.  The unit is comprised of members from the Fire Bureau and Sheriff’s Office that respond to assist with the origin and cause determination of fires as requested by the Authority Having Jurisdiction.  These investigations are performed in accordance with the NFPA guidelines for fire and explosion investigations and may be done in partnership with the Monroe County Crime Laboratory, the Monroe County District Attorney’s office, the New York State Office of Fire Prevention and Control, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms.   

In cases where a fire may involve a juvenile, the Monroe County Fire Bureau can provide services to address a form of fire play or fire setting behavior.  These services can be provided in the child’s home with a parent present and may involve other mental health support services.  

The Fire Investigation Unit can be reached by calling the Fire Bureau office at 585-753-3750.  

Request a report via Freedom of Information Law Request

Incident and Mutual Aid Support

The Fire Bureau routinely responds to working fires, hazardous materials incidents, technical rescue emergencies, and other critical events where elements of the Mutual Aid Plan are engaged to support the Authority Having Jurisdiction.   This is accomplished via our Deputy Fire Coordinator network as they work to provide assistance to incident commanders in each of Monroe County’s five fire battalions.

During an activation of the NYS Fire Mobilization and Mutual Aid Plan, the County Fire Coordinator acts as a Regional Fire Administer to support and manage resource requests into other areas of New York State via specific deployment orders.  An example of this could be a severe weather event located somewhere outside of Monroe County.  In the last decade, Monroe County has deployed fire-based resources on multiple occasions from one end of the State to another.   We always stand ready to support other communities across New York State, as we know someday we may also require assistance (as we needed during the March 1991 Ice Storm).