West Sacramento Fire Department

West Sacramento Fire Department

Operational area
Country	United States
State	California
City	West Sacramento
Agency overview
Established	1987
Annual calls	8884 (2015)
Employees	62 (2015)
Staffing	Career
Fire chief	John Heilmann
EMS level	BLS
IAFF	522
Facilities and equipment
Battalions	1
Stations	5
Engines	4
Trucks	1
Squads	1
Rescues	1
Ambulances	Contracted with AMR
Tenders	1
Wildland	3 - Type 3 3 -
Website
Official website
AFF website

The West Sacramento Fire Department (WSFD) is an all risk department that serves a population of 49,891 over a 23 square mile area. The community the WSFD serves is the culmination of the combined smaller communities of West Sacramento, Broderick, and Bryte to form the City of West Sacramento in 1987. On average WSFD responds to 9,000 calls for service each year.

The WSFD operates 5 fire stations from which it deploys four engine companies, tiller operated truck, OES Type 3 Brush Rig, three fire/rescue watercraft, water tender, two brush rigs, and trench rescue trailer. Every station is staffed with a minimum of three personnel and a four-person truck company consisting of a Captain, Engineer, and FireFighter. These companies are managed by three battalion chiefs with oversight through an assistant chief.

Administrative functions of operations, training, fire marshal, and other support related services are managed at the direction of the Fire Chief.

WSFD maintains automatic and mutual aid agreements to provide emergency services to all neighboring jurisdictions of West Sacramento.

In addition to routine and emergency operations WSFD personnel are deployed to support regional emergency operations and community programs including: Urban Search and Rescue (USAR), California Office of Emergency Services (OES), Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT), West Sacramento Fire Youth Academy, West Valley Regional Training Consortium (WVRTC).

History

Organized fire fighting began in West Sacramento long before the city’s Incorporation. The township of Washington (Broderick) was laid out on February 22, 1850 and was the first community in the West Sacramento area. At that time the population was small and the need for an organized fire department was not necessary. As Washington’s population and commerce grew so did the fires. In the 1890s a series of fires swept through the community with devastating results. On August 5, 1896 the town narrowly escaped total destruction by fire. The fire started in the two-story residence of John Churchill and spread rapidly, five residences and two large barns were destroyed. A high wind was blowing and at one time a dozen residences were ignited by flying embers. Washington at this time did not have an organized fire department and had it not been for the prompt assistance rendered by the fire crews of the Southern Pacific Railroad shops the entire town would have been consumed. On August 7, 1896 a mass meeting of the citizens of Washington was held at the town hall to devise ways and means toward purchasing fire equipment and forming an organized fire brigade. From that meeting the first organized fire department was founded. Records from 1898 show that the town of Washington had a volunteer fire department with a fire chief and 33 members. Apparatus listed for the department at that time consisted of two hand hose carts with 350 ft. of 2 ½ in. cotton rubber lined hose on each, One 50 gal hand chemical cart, and One hand hook & ladder cart. All of the apparatus was located at the town hall.

Later, as the population extended towards the town of Bryte, the need for additional fire protection was evident. In 1917, Bryte was added to the list as another volunteer fire department. Both Washington and Bryte were divided into fire districts. Hand drawn carts and leather buckets slowly gave way to motorized fire apparatus with gasoline engines. In 1933 the community of West Sacramento built its first volunteer fire truck. This was done without any direct district costs. Also, in 1933, the citizens realized they needed more fire protection. Along with the West Sacramento Land Company and the volunteer Fire Department, they both raised funds to purchase a second hand 1926 Federal truck with a Dodge Brothers motor. It had a 300 Gallon a minute pump, with a 150-gallon water tank. It carried a few hundred feet of 1 ½ inch hose and some nozzles. It is believed this fire engine became known as Old Mary. The Westgate (West Sacramento) Fire District was the next fire district formed. That was in 1939. All three districts co-existed until 1979 when they merged into the East Yolo Fire Protection Agency. In 1987 the three districts incorporated, becoming the 444 city in California and the West Sacramento Fire Department was finally formed.

Today, the West Sacramento Fire Department employees (around) 60 full-time firefighters with five fire stations located throughout the city and is dedicated to preventing the loss of life, property, and the environment from fire, medical, hazardous materials, and other natural or man-made disasters through aggressive prevention, training, public education, and emergency response.