Fire Suppression
The Fresno Fire Department (FFD) serves a population of more than 540,000 in the City of Fresno, and the Fig Garden Fire Protection District (over 128 square miles) with 21 fire stations, including the Airport Rescue Fire Fighting (ARFF) station.
The Department provides emergency response to fire, EMS water rescue, urban search and rescue, and hazardous materials incidents within the City and Fig Garden, and contract areas through mutual-aid and auto-aid requests.
FFD employs approximately 346 uniformed firefighter members. Twenty-seven staffed companies consist of 19 engines, 5 ladder trucks, and 3 squads. The department cross staffs the following units when needed; 2 water tenders, 2 type-3 brush apparatus, 1 type-1 Hazmat apparatus,1 type-1 heavy rescue apparatus, 4 patrol-type apparatus, 2 rescue boats, and 2 aircraft rescue apparatus. The companies are divided into four districts; each district is supervised by a battalion chief.
The City of Fresno’s Fresno Air Terminal, also known as the Fresno Yosemite International Airport (FYI), is an Index C Airport with nine air passenger carriers offering Valley passengers 16 non-stop destinations in the US and Mexico. Annually, more than 1.5 million travelers and passengers pass through FYI. Along with commercial flights, FYI also served two of the world’s largest air cargo carriers United Parcel Service and Federal Express aircraft. The airport has a General Aviation component serviced by several Fixed Based Operators.
The Fresno Fire Department (FFD) has an established Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting (ARFF) Specialty Team, which works in conjunction with Airport Public Safety. At FYI, FFD ARFF members are cross-trained in aircraft and structural firefighting, prepared to respond to fire and medical emergencies. These specialized firefighters receive certified training for incidents unique to an airport. This special category of firefighting involves response, hazard mitigation, evacuation, and possible rescue of passengers and crew of an aircraft involved in an airport ground emergency. The department staffs two specially equipped ARFF apparatus staffed by FFD qualified personnel 24/7/365 to meet FAA 139 index requirements. The ARFF station is centrally located within the airport and has been housing members since 1962.
The Fresno Fire Department Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) Team provides special rescue operations for the City of Fresno and in Region 5 of the California Emergency Management Agency (CalEMA). The USAR team is a certified Type-1 Heavy Rescue located at fire station 11. Qualified USAR members hold the following certifications.
Rescue Systems 1
Rescue Systems 2
Low Angle Rescue
Confined Space Operations
Trench Rescue
In order to keep current on best practices several members of the USAR team hold instructor certifications in all of the required disciplines
The Water Rescue Team is trained in Swiftwater, Rescue Boat, and Rescue Diver operations in order to provide search and rescue capabilities along the San Joaquin River, as well as the canal systems and ponding basins throughout the city of Fresno.
The Fresno City Fire Department recognizes the potential for a large chemical release to occur which could expose thousands of people to hazardous or toxic vapors. A variety of chemicals are transported utilizing one of the two railroad lines or one of the four freeways which transect the City.
The Fresno City Fire Department Hazardous Materials Response Team (HMRT) has embraced an all-hazards approach to emergency response to ensure that our community receives a robust, competent level of service to all hazardous materials events.
The Fire Department HMRT is comprised of sixty personnel trained to the Hazardous Materials Technician and/or Specialist requirements. Fourteen personnel are on duty each day with a minimum of nine of those persons, trained to the Technician/Specialist level. The HMRT utilizes 2 OES Type 1 Hazmat response rigs, and a Mass Decontamination trailer. The HMRT is deployed from two strategically located fire stations. The HMRT OES Type 1 response rig is assigned to a fire station with a fire engine and a fire truck. The second Type 1 response rig is assigned to a station staffed with HMRT personnel assigned to a fire engine. The second station is also the location of the Mass Decontamination trailer. The deployment plan requires the dispatch of the closest FRO response company in conjunction with the HMRT to hazardous materials emergencies.
The Fresno City Hazardous Materials Response Teams have partnered with the State Office of Emergency Services (OES) to deploy regionally or statewide to support any jurisdiction through the State Master Mutual Aid System.
The department acquired three hazardous materials response vehicles utilizing grant funding. The primary response OES Type 1 and OES Type 3 vehicles were purchased in 2005. The department recently purchased a second Type 1 vehicle which will be in service August 2008.
The local fire agencies have scheduled cross-training of all hazardous materials response technicians/specialists to maintain familiarity and competency with each agency’s personnel, equipment, and response capabilities.
The HMRT developed a Hospital Decontamination Program and have instructed the local hospitals. The hospitals are trained to decontaminate large groups of persons that would seek medical attention should a chemical release occur in our jurisdiction.