Our History | Today | Automatic Aid | Facilities and Services

Our History

Our fire department began in 1912. It wasn’t until the 1950’s that the city hired its first fulltime paid fire chief. During the next decade in the 1960’s, Glendale was able to show the need to employ its first fulltime paid firefighters.

1950s… First fulltime paid fire chief
1960s… First fulltime paid firefighters
1970s… Firefighters become paramedics
1980s… Firefighters become experts in Hazardous Materials
1990s… Firefighters train and learn about Weapons of Mass Destruction
New millennium… the Glendale Fire Department is enthusiastically involved in the growth of the city with major residential and business developments and sporting venues.

Today

The Glendale Firefighters of years ago may have never envisioned our city having the needs it does today and the department having 240 firefighters, nine fire stations and responding to approximately 40,000 calls a year--in addition to being a fully accredited department. But even with all the changes, our core mission remains the same:

“The Glendale Fire Department:        Fast, Caring, Innovative and Professional.”

Remarks on Automatic Aid:

The citizens of Glendale are fortunate to be part of the Automatic Aid System. This agreement, created at the end of the 1970’s among 3 Valley cities (Glendale, Tempe and Phoenix) has grown to now include 23 Valley cities. Automatic Aid ensures that the closest fire truck will respond to an emergency no matter which jurisdiction the emergency is located in.  The following cities participate in this program:

Nationwide, there are thousands of fire departments that do not use Automatic Aid and they will not cross a city boundary to go to a fire or car accident just because the incident is not in their city. Can you imagine a frantic Glendale mother whose toddler was just found floating in the swimming pool having to wait for a fire truck from her city instead of the closest fire truck regardless of jurisdiction? Saying we are fortunate to have Automatic Aid is an understatement. This system is a worldwide model.

The Glendale Fire Department provides a variety of emergency services including fire suppression, emergency medical, hazardous materials and specialized rescue response.

Your fire department at a glance:

• Nine fire stations
• 10 Paramedic Engine Companies
• Two Ladder Trucks
• One Technical Rescue Unit
• One Brush Truck
• Three Medic Units
• One Alternative Response Van
• Three Command Responders
• Utility Truck
• Hazardous Materials Unit
• Life Safety Trailer

We responded to nearly 40,000 emergency calls in 2006, approximately 80 percent of which were medical related. An innovative intergovernmental agreement called Automatic Aid allows us to provide a high level of service at one of the lowest cost per citizen ratios in the nation.

View our Annual Report (pdf)

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Facilities and Services

The fire department has three main branches:

• Office of the Fire Chief
• Life Safety Services
• Administrative Services

The Financial Resources Division is a direct report to the Administrative Service's branch and that division plans, develops, facilitates and monitors the department’s budget and provides budget management support to all other divisions.

The two main branches are designed below:

Life Safety Services includes the following:

• Operations Division is responsible for the daily delivery of emergency and non-emergency services to Glendale citizens. This division makes sure that everyday the fire trucks are staffed with personnel who respond to emergencies.
• Special Operations is responsible for areas of expertise such as hazardous material, technical rescue and special events.
• The Training and Safety Divisions develop and oversee all departmental training and continuing education programs for firefighters. This includes firefighter training, as well as certification and promotional examinations for engineer, captain, chief officers and incident safety officers, researching employee health/safety issues and performing accident/injury review and incident critiques.
• Personnel Division is responsible for the Human Resource programs and processes within the fire department.
  

Administrative Services includes the following:

• Information Technology is responsible for maintaining the department's incident records management system, managing and maintaining the department’s information technology as well.
• Planning and Assessment provides analysis for our incidents and response times; documentation to maintain accreditation with the Commission of Fire Accreditation International, map updates for emergency response map books; and prepares department business plans.
• The Support Services Division coordinates the acquisition and delivery of all materials and equipment used at the fire stations. The division is also responsible for overseeing the department’s vehicle fleet and maintenance of its fire stations.
• Emergency Medical Services provides advanced and basic life support services to the sick and injured through a variety of medical technologies and treatment specialties. This division also provides CPR/AED training within the organization.
• The Fire Marshal's Office ensures that new and existing structures are in compliance with the Glendale Fire Code through plans review and inspection services. Fire Investigations and the Juvenile Fire-Setter program referrals are also administered through this division.
• Community Relations provides a high level of community partnership through education, interaction, participation and awareness. This division includes the CCC Program; Fire PALS in the schools, the SAFETY Clowns, the Honor Guard, the Safety Educator Program and several other education type community based programs.
• The Public Information Division manages all information released to the media and the public, and develops and implements pro-active campaigns and projects that reach, inform, educate and involve citizen and target audiences.