Message From The Chief 

The goals of fire response are to suppress hostile fires and protect lives, property and the environment. Our firefighters are highly trained to respond to these fires in a quick and efficient manner. Duties of firefighters during a fire response include:

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• Search and Rescue – firefighters search a building for victims and perform rescues.

• Suppression - crews enter a burning building to locate and extinguish a fire. Based on the severity, size, and potential for unsafe structural conditions; crews may be forced to battle the fire from the exterior.

• Command and Safety – a commander oversees the operation and ensures firefighter safety.

• Ventilation – firefighters cut holes in roofs and remove windows to remove hot gases and smoke so firefighters inside the building can locate and extinguish the fire. Ventilating a building can also provide “good” air for trapped occupants.

• Rapid Intervention Team (RIT) – firefighters must stand by to rescue injured or trapped firefighters inside a building.

• Salvage and Overhaul – firefighters minimize damage to personal items by covering or removing them from the building. They also open walls and ceilings to extinguish fires that could later rekindle.

• Investigation – investigators determine the cause of the fire.

• Rehab – a crew helps firefighters get rehydrated and cooled down after being inside a building.