Fire Department Engine #21

Engine 21 is a Boston Fire Department engine company serving Dorchester, including the Upham’s Corner area. Engine companies are the foundation of the department: they bring fire engines and water to calls, and firefighters on scene decide the best course of action based on the situation in front of them. Crews respond to fires, vehicle accidents, hazardous materials incidents, technical rescues, medical calls and large events, working alongside ladder and rescue companies from across the city.

The company belongs to a department whose history reaches back to the colonial era. Boston passed its first fire prevention ordinance in 1631, banning thatched roofs and wooden chimneys, and created its first public fire department in 1678. Today the department protects residents along with the hundreds of thousands of people who work, shop and visit the city, and its mission covers prevention, education, emergency medical response and civil defense as well as firefighting.

What to Know

• The Boston Fire Department’s Fire Prevention division inspects properties and issues permits, licenses and certificates.
• The department runs a Boston Fire Cadet Program for people interested in becoming firefighters.
• More than 150 civilian employees support the department’s firefighters and operations.
• The city publishes fire safety guides, including advice on carbon monoxide and outdoor cooking and heating.