With approximately 5,400 employees, including more than 2,800 certified deputies and more than 700 fire rescue professionals, the Broward Sheriff's Office (BSO) is a full-service, public safety agency.
BSO provides full-time law enforcement services in 14 Broward County cities and towns and in all of its unincorporated areas, serving more than one-third of the county. In addition, BSO protects the Broward County Courthouse, the Ft. Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, areas of the Everglades and the county's waterways, including Port Everglades.
The Department of Law Enforcement, in addition to road patrol and other customary operations, administers special units including the Bomb Squad, the K-9 (canine) Unit, School Resource Deputy Unit and the Child Protective Investigations Section (CPIS), which investigates allegations of abuse and neglect against Broward County's children.
BSO's Department of Detention and Community Programs administers the county's four jails and its offender programs including Drug Court and County Probation. The agency also manages 9-1-1 intake for the county and dispatch services for BSO and several local law enforcement agencies.
In October 2003, administration of the county's fire rescue operations was transferred to BSO. The Broward Sheriff Fire Rescue (BSFR) provides fire suppression, fire protection, emergency medical services and educational programs for most unincorporated areas and several contracted municipalities in Broward County.
With more than 700 professional and highly-trained operations, support and administrative personnel, the Broward Sheriff's Office Department of Fire Rescue and Emergency Services provides fire suppression, fire protection, emergency medical services and educational programs for most unincorporated areas of Broward County and to the municipalities of Cooper City, Dania Beach, Deerfield Beach, Lauderdale Lakes, Pembroke Park and Weston through contract agreements. Additionally, the department serves the Ft. Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport and Port Everglades. BSFR also operates countywide Hazardous Materials, Air Rescue, Everglades Rescue, and Technical Rescue teams.