A Piece of History

Liberty City

Liberty City is a neighborhood within Miami, Florida. It is listed as “Model City” on many Miami websites although, the name is rarely, if ever, used by anyone, especially local residents.

The area houses more than half of Miami-Dade County’s nearly half a million African Americans and Afro-West Indians (as of the 2000 census)

Liberty City is named for the Liberty Square Housing Project built in the late 1930s for Miami’s low-income African-Americans, the second of its kind in the South and the first in the state of Florida. The housing project, located on 14 Ave and 63rd Street, was an attempt to relieve overcrowding in Overtown

Organized in 1935 as a single unit fire patrol Miami built its fourth fire response unit in 1938 following an exodus from Overtown to Liberty City. The migration began in the late 1930′s once the liberty square housing project was completed. The fire station was located at N.W. 18th Avenue and 79th Street and it was the first station not located at someone’s home. The 1940′s was an era of unprecedented growth for MDFD. The state of Florida passed House bill 1315 increasing the departments budget and by the end of the decade Miami Dade had added multiple stations, including station #7 at 1755 N.W. 103rd street. Station 2 was relocated in 1949 to its current home of 6460 N.W. 27th Avenue.

In 1980, the infamous Liberty City Riots broke out after an unpopular verdict in a 1979 case of white-on-black police brutality. The acquittal of five white police officers that beat a black motorist to death sparked the violence. By the time the rioting ceased the following morning, over 850 people had been arrested and 18 people lost their lives.

Emergency calls in this city have never been lite. As the population grows so does the volume of calls that station 2 responds on. Every year Firehouse® Magazine compares statistics about company and department activity levels, funding, staffing and pay. In 2009 a total of 287 fire departments took part in the survey, representing 47 states, the District of Columbia and six Canadian provinces. That year Aerial 2 was ranked as the busiest ladder company in the United States & Rescue 2 was ranked as the 7th busiest transport unit. Aerial 2 has been bestowed with such ranking in 2000, 2001, 2002, 2006, 2007 & now 2009.