What Miami-Dade Fire Rescue does

Miami-Dade Fire Rescue (MDFR) is the fire and emergency medical services department of Miami-Dade County, Florida, a political subdivision of the State of Florida governed by the Board of County Commissioners and County Mayor. The department delivers fire suppression, emergency medical rescue, specialized rescue operations, mental health crisis response (via the embedded Crisis Response Unit), natural disaster response (hurricanes, flooding), and emergency evacuation assistance for special-needs residents. MDFR serves the entire 2,802,029-resident county across more than 2,000 square miles of diverse terrain, including 34 incorporated municipalities, unincorporated areas, the Everglades, and the Florida Keys, with demand amplified by 8.56 million annual cruise passengers and 24.8 million international air passengers.

Operationally, MDFR deploys emergency response units across its jurisdiction and delivers 24/7 coverage through 911 dispatch, the county's 311 Contact Center, and integrated emergency alert systems. Its core "technology" is physical emergency-response infrastructure — fire stations, apparatus, paramedics with advanced psychiatric training embedded in the Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office Crisis Response Unit, and integration with countywide emergency management. The department employs between 1,001 and 5,000 personnel; the firmographic record states a 1935 founding date, while Miami-Dade County itself was established in 1836 (as Dade County, renamed in 1997).

The business model is non-commercial: services are provided free of charge to residents and visitors, funded entirely through Miami-Dade County general fund tax revenue as part of the county government's public-safety allocations. There is no private ownership, no shareholders, and no venture capital. The department's customer base is the entire county population plus transient visitors, and its single financial principal is the county government itself, making this a regulatory monopoly operating on a tax-funded budget rather than a revenue-generating enterprise.

Name

Miami-Dade Fire Rescue

Legal name

Miami-Dade County

Website

https://miamidade.gov

Company type

Public

Founded year

1935

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Miami-Dade Fire Rescue is the fire and EMS department of Miami-Dade County, Florida, providing fire suppression, emergency medical rescue, crisis intervention, and disaster response to 2.8 million residents and tens of millions of annual visitors across 2,000+ square miles. Services are tax-funded and delivered at no direct charge.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Fire and Emergency Medical Services

NAICS

Fire Protection (92216), Ambulance Services (62191), Emergency and Other Relief Services (624230)

SIC

Services-Health Services (8000), Services-Misc Health & Allied Services, Nec (8090)

akta.pro primary industry

Fire & Rescue Services (Fire Suppression, Rescue) (BPAIAGAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Community Safety Administration (Fire/EMS, Emergency Management) (BPAIACAL), Fire & Life Safety Services (Inspection/Testing/Sprinklers/Alarms) (IMAIAAAI)

Keywords

• Fire rescue services
• Emergency medical services
• Public safety services
• Fire suppression
• Emergency response

Headquarters

HQ city

Miami

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Public Tax Funding: Fire rescue services are funded through Miami-Dade County tax revenue as part of the county government's general fund allocations for public safety services.

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Miami-Dade Fire Rescue provides fire suppression, emergency medical services (EMS), specialized rescue operations, and natural disaster response to the 2.8 million residents and millions of annual visitors across Miami-Dade County's more than 2,000 square miles. As a county government department, it operates 24/7 emergency response units serving 34 municipalities and unincorporated areas, and partners with the Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office Crisis Response Unit to deliver specialized mental health crisis response.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Fire Suppression and Rescue Services Countywide fire suppression and technical rescue operations delivered by MDFR units dispatched to emergency calls across Miami-Dade County's 2,000+ square miles and 34 municipalities. Provided at no direct charge to residents and visitors as a tax-funded public safety service.
• Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Emergency medical response and rescue provided as part of MDFR's mandate, including paramedic-level medical response integrated into the Crisis Response Unit.
• Crisis Response Unit (CRU) Specialized mental health crisis response service pairing MDFR paramedics with advanced psychiatric training alongside law enforcement and licensed clinicians, providing safe, humane de-escalation and diversion to behavioral health services.
• Emergency & Evacuation Assistance Program Evacuation assistance and emergency support service for county residents with special needs, integrated with countywide emergency management systems.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Miami-Dade Sheriff's OfficecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMiami-Dade Fire Rescue collaborates with the Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office through the Crisis Response Unit (CRU), providing specialized assistance for citizens experiencing mental health crises. The CRU includes Fire Rescue paramedics who have advanced education and training in psychiatry. The goal is to de-escalate, assess, and divert those in crisis to behavioral health services in a safe, humane, and compassionate manner. MDFR paramedics are assigned directly to the unit alongside law enforcement officers and licensed clinicians.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• American Medical Response (AMR): National private ambulance and EMS provider. Relevant as a potential outsourcing counterparty and as the dominant private-sector EMS benchmark for labor costs and service models that government departments like Miami-Dade Fire Rescue must compete against.

Direct peers

• Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department: County-operated fire and rescue department in a major suburban jurisdiction with integrated EMS and co-responder behavioral health programs. Comparable in governance structure and integrated service delivery.
• Chicago Fire Department: Major U.S. municipal fire department providing fire and EMS citywide with a large uniformed workforce. Comparable in mission, government ownership, and integrated emergency medical services delivery model.
• New York City Fire Department (FDNY): The largest municipal fire department in the U.S. providing fire suppression, EMS, and technical rescue across a dense, diverse population. Directly comparable in mission, government ownership, and integrated EMS co-responder model to Miami-Dade Fire Rescue.
• Houston Fire Department: Large metropolitan fire department with high call volume and integrated EMS. Comparable in scale and combined fire/EMS service model, with similar urban-coverage challenges.
• San Diego Fire-Rescue Department: Municipal fire-rescue agency providing fire, EMS, lifeguard, and marine rescue services across a coastal, geographically diverse area. Comparable in multi-terrain response capabilities and integrated EMS.
• Los Angeles County Fire Department: County-operated fire department covering 2,000+ square miles of urban, mountain, and wildland terrain with integrated EMS. Highly comparable to Miami-Dade Fire Rescue in scale, county-government structure, and multi-jurisdictional service delivery.
• Palm Beach County Fire Rescue: County fire rescue agency in Southeast Florida delivering fire suppression, EMS, and special-needs evacuation programs. Closely comparable in scope, climate exposure, and integrated government structure.
• Broward County Fire Rescue: Adjacent Florida county fire rescue department providing fire and EMS to Fort Lauderdale and surrounding municipalities. Directly comparable service model, EMS integration, and hurricane-exposed Florida operating environment.

Others

• Florida Division of Emergency Management: State-level emergency management agency that coordinates disaster response, hurricane preparedness, and grant funding flowing to county fire rescue departments including Miami-Dade Fire Rescue. Relevant as a funder, regulator, and counterparty rather than a direct competitor.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/miamidaderer
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/MiamiDadeTV
• Facebookfacebook.com/miami.dade.county
• Instagraminstagram.com/miamidadecounty
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/miami-dade-county

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Miami-Dade Fire Rescue