The Fire Safety Services is responsible for the protection of life and property of the citizens of Imperial Beach against hazards that are caused by fire, explosion and natural disasters or any other occurrence that seriously disrupts normal living conditions.
The Imperial Beach Fire Department is an ISO Class 4 Department with one fire station, built in 1979, staffed with 12 suppression personnel, one secretary, one deputy chief and one fire chief/public safety director. The suppression staff work a 56-hour workweek consisting of 3 platoons (A, B, C). Suppression personnel include 3 captains, 1 engineer, 2 engineer/paramedics, 4 firefighter/paramedics and 1 firefighter.
The department provides fire suppression, emergency medical services, prevention, education, inspection, community service, and weed abatement duties.
Beginning in September 2003, the department began its first responder Advanced Life Support program. The department has decided to upgrade its emergency medical services to the paramedic level, to provide the citizens of Imperial Beach with the highest level of prehospital care possible. The department always has at least one firefighter/paramedic on duty at all times to fit this need. Now, the department can provide citizens with medications, IVs, EKG monitoring, airway maintenance and other advanced life support procedures in our short response time to emergency calls. All other personnel of the Fire Department are trained at the EMT-D level.
Currently, the city contracts with a private ambulance company for transport of patients to hospitals.
The department responds to approximately 1800 calls for emergency service each year; including structure fires, wild land fires, vehicle fires, hazardous material incidents, traffic collisions, emergency medical aids, and public service requests.
Apparatus include a 2004 Pierce Arrow XT 1500 gpm triple combination pumper, with a Series 60 Detroit Diesel engine, 500 gallon water tank, 25 gallon Class A foam tank, 25 gallon Class B foam tank, hydraulic ladder lift, full ALS EMS compartment, full complement of hydraulic rescue tools, chain saw, rotary saw, and a smoke ejector. The department also uses a reserve 1993 Weststates 1500 gpm triple combination pumper on a HME chassis with a Detroit Diesel engine and 500 gallon tank. This engine is also used as the wildland engine which has been fully modified for an in-county or out-of-county strike team response.
The department keeps a rigorous training schedule, which includes fire suppression activities, live fire training, HAZMAT, Confined Space Rescue, Rescue Systems, Vehicle Extrication, Ventilation techniques, Forcible Entry techniques, Rapid Intervention Crew (RIC) training and updates for Emergency Medical Services (Paramedic). The Fire Department spends at least two hours each shift on training exercises as well as 8 hours a month at In Service Training (IST). All firefighters will obtain FFI and FFII certifications as well as attend department paid classes for additional training/certifications.
Imperial Beach Fire Department is also involved in many community service projects. Some of these include Fire Safety Fridays, Burn Institute Demolition Derby, sponsoring a youth little league team, Fill the Boot Program and Fire Safety lectures at local elementary schools.
The Imperial Beach Fire Department is progressing forward to keep up with the ever-growing City, wildland fire issues and emergency medical services. Future avenues for the department possibly include; ocean rescue training, paramedic dive/lifeguard rescue services and enhanced wildland services.
