Santa Barbara Fire Department

The Santa Barbara City Fire Department (SBFD) is the agency that provides fire protection and basic life support (BLS) emergency medical services exclusively for the city of Santa Barbara. Not to be confused Santa Barbara County Fire Department.

Not to be confused with Santa Barbara County Fire Department.

Santa Barbara Fire Department

Operational area
Country	United States
State	California
City	Santa Barbara
Agency overview[1][2]
Established	1881
Annual calls	8,027 (2012)
Employees	110
Annual budget	$21,393,661
Staffing	Career
Fire chief	Patrick McElroy
EMS level	BLS
IAFF	525
Facilities and equipment
Battalions	1
Stations	8
Engines	7 frontline 4 reserve
Trucks	2
Squads	1
Rescues	2
HAZMAT	1
Airport crash	2
Wildland	2 - Type 3 1 - Type 6
Website
Official website
IAFF website

Equipment

Truck 1 during a drill at the training tower.

Type 1 Engine

Santa Barbara City has a total of 11 Pumper Engines with 7 acting as frontline engines and an additional 4 in reserve. These engines are staffed by 3 personnel, A captain, an engineer and a firefighter.[3] Each engine is fitted with a 1500 GPM pump and carries 750 gallons of water.[4]

Type 3 Engine

The Type 3 Engines, which are used mainly for vegetation fires, are smaller than the Type 1s which are used primarily in the city.[5] The Type 3 has 4 x 4 capability and can thus climb hills and make it through rough terrain. One of the features that makes the Type 3 ideal for vegetation fires is that it can pump water while driving, whereas the Type 1 engine must be put into park to flow water. This allows the Type 3 to make "mobile attacks" on vegetation fires, a tactic that can help minimize the rate of spread by having a firefighter walk the edge of a fire with a hose line and the Type 3 trailing close behind. Each of the engines feature a 500-gallon water tank and a 20-gallon tank for the Class A foam injection.[6] In September 2013, the SBFD bought a second $400,000 Type 3 Engine and placed it at station 7, moving the older Type 3 to station 4.[5]

Special Response Unit

The Special Response Unit is a box van that contains supplies for a Mass Casualty Incident (MCI). It is dispatched automatically to any reported aircraft emergency on or off the airport as well as by request of any incident's IC.[3]

Heavy Rescue

In March 2006, the SBFD acquired a $450,000 Heavy Rescue unit built by SVI Trucks. At over 33 feet long, the Heavy Rescue weighs 44,000 pounds, fully loaded.. The interior has seating for six people as well as storage for all the tools necessary. The vehicle also has foldout awnings on both sides.[7]

Airport Foam Engines

Station 8, located at the Santa Barbara Municipal Airport, which was previously under the jurisdiction of Santa Barbara County Fire and was later annex to the City of Santa Barbara, is home to 3 Oshkosh Striker vehicles. Responding to approximately 65 calls per year, each of these engines can carry 1500 gallons of foam, dry chemical and Halotron.[8]

Stations and apparatus

Fire Station Number	Address	Engine Company or Reserve Engine Company	Truck Company or Auxiliary Truck Company	Rescue Units	Other units
1	121 W. Carrillo St	Engine 1 Reserve Engine 1	Truck 1 Auxiliary Truck 1	Rescue 1	Heavy Rescue Squad 1, Battalion Chief	[9]
2	819 Cacique St	Engine 2			HazMat 2	[10]
3	415 E. Sola St	Engine 3 Reserve Engine 3				[11]
4	19 N. Ontare Rd	Engine 4 Reserve Engine 4			Brush Engine 304	[4][5]
5	2505 Modoc Road	Engine 5			Special Response Unit	[12]
6	1802 Cliff Dr	Engine 6 Reserve Engine 6				[13]
7	2411 Stanwood	Engine 7			Brush Engine 307, Patrol 7	[14]
8	Santa Barbara Airport			Rescue 8	Foam 81, Foam 82, MCI 8	[8]

See also

• Santa Barbara County Fire Department

References

1. "Operations & Training". City of Santa Barbara. Retrieved 31 December 2013.
2. "Fiscal Year 2014 Budget - Fire" (PDF). Santa Barbara Government. Retrieved 31 December 2013.
3. "Glossary". IAFF 525. Retrieved 31 December 2013.
4. "Station 4". IAFF Local 525. Retrieved 31 December 2013.
5. Ford, Ray (8 September 2013). "City Dedicates New Type 3 Fire Engine". Santa Barbara Independent. Retrieved 31 December 2013.
6. "Type 3 Engine" (PDF). Retrieved 29 December 2013.
7. "Santa Barbara Fire Department Steps Up To Heavy-Rescue". Fire Apparatus & Emergency Equipment. Retrieved 31 December 2013.
8. "Station 8". IAFF Local 525. Retrieved 31 December 2013.
9. "Station 1". IAFF Local 525. Retrieved 31 December 2013.
10. "Station 2". IAFF Local 525. Retrieved 31 December 2013.
11. "Station 3". IAFF Local 525. Retrieved 31 December 2013.
12. "Station 5". IAFF Local 525. Retrieved 31 December 2013.
13. "Station 6". IAFF Local 525. Retrieved 31 December 2013.
14. "City of Santa Barbara Fire Stations and Buildings". Retrieved 31 December 2013.