Question 1

Why is my fire department not Milford Community Fire Department even though I have a 45150 zip code which is Milford?

Accepted Answer

The Milford zip code and school district extend greatly beyond the City of Milford.  When people refer to Milford sometimes they are actually not referring to the City of Milford, but the surrounding area within the zip code or school district.  This means that MCFD may not be your fire department.  If you are not sure you may call the fire station and we can assist you to find out which fire department serves your house.
911 WILL ALWAYS GET YOU HELP IN AN EMERGENCY NO MATTER WHERE YOU LIVE.  DO NOT CALL THE STATION DIRECTLY FOR EMERGENCIES.

Question 2

The Milford fire station is right down the street from me, but why are they not my fire department?

Accepted Answer

Political boundaries determine what municipality serves your house, in some cases it is not always the physically closest department.

Question 3

Why, when I call 911, do they ask a lot of questions that I don't think are important?

Accepted Answer

The 911 operators try to get as much information about a situation as possible.  It may not seem important to you, but could actually be very important us when we are responding.  It is important to follow the 911 operator's instructions and answer all of their questions, which in turn will help them properly dispatch the call correctly and efficiently.

Question 4

I do live in the City of Milford, but why did another fire department's ambulance come to my house when I called 911?

Accepted Answer

Sometimes all of our units are out on emergencies, so we rely on mutual aid from other departments to help when we are unavailable.  Mutual aid is a mutual agreement between communities to help each other when needed.  We receive mutual aid if all of our units are tied up or on large incidents and give mutual aid to other communities for the same reasons

Question 5

Is there anything I can do to help Fire and EMS find my house in an emergency?

Accepted Answer

While we have detailed map books, having visible address numbering is critical for locating your residence or business in an emergency.
Some suggestions are:

- Use a minimum of 4 inch high numbers with high contrast coloring, preferably reflective.

- Shine landscape or building lighting on the numbers, but make sure it doesn't cause the numbers to appear "washed out" from the street.

- If an address has a letter (A,B, etc) or suite, include that next to the numbers (ex, 687-B).

- Numbers are much easier to read quickly than written out addresses (687-B vs. Six Eighty Seven B).

- Do not use script or a font that is difficult to read at a glance.

- To see how well your numbers can be identified, try reading your address while driving by at the speed limit in the dark.

- For businesses or apartments with rear entrances, placing the address numbers on the rear will also help in an emergency.

Question 6

Why did the Police come when I called for an ambulance or the fire department?

Accepted Answer

Milford Police are very helpful to the fire department and in many cases can arrive on the scene faster than the ambulance or fire truck if they are close.  The Police can help give us updates before we get there to help with locating an emergency or so we have details before we get there.  They also help care for patients, assist with equipment, and control traffic if necessary.