City Of Davis Fire Department

Davis Fire Department traces its roots to March 1917, when a series of destructive downtown fires convinced residents of the need for a formal department; Walter Lillard was appointed the first fire chief, overseeing 15 volunteer firefighters. The department added its first paid firefighter in the 1950s, built its current Station 31 headquarters on 5th Street in the 1960s, and established Station 33 that same decade to take on contract coverage for the East Davis County Fire Protection District; Station 32 followed in west Davis in the 1980s, alongside a new EMT certification requirement for all personnel. In 1999 the department moved to a four-person-engine "2 in 2 out" staffing model to comply with OSHA requirements.

Today DFD runs three engine companies (each staffed with 3-4 personnel), a squad, a water tender, and a battalion-chief vehicle out of Station 31 (headquarters, 530 5th Street), Station 32 (Arlington Boulevard), and Station 33 (Mace Boulevard), with at least 14 firefighters on duty at all times across three 48-hour shifts. Beyond the Davis city limits, the department holds contracts to provide first response for the East Davis County, Spring Lake, and No Man's Land Fire Protection Districts, with the combined coverage area divided into seven emergency first-response zones for dispatch.

Crews train continuously in forcible entry, search and rescue, hazardous-materials response, and rope rescue, and maintain technical-rescue capabilities including confined-space rescue, trench rescue, and vehicle extrication along the I-80 corridor. The department has also been working to place a new aerial ladder truck into service, running an accompanying truck-company training program for its crews.

Davis Fire Department hires firefighters directly off the statewide Firefighter Candidate Testing Center (FCTC) Eligibility List, and because accepted applications are capped due to high demand, treats every posted recruitment as a competitive, limited window. Candidates who clear the interview process receive a conditional offer, complete required evaluations to confirm eligibility, and are hired as City of Davis Firefighters for an eighteen-month probationary period. A college degree (Associate's in Fire Technology or Bachelor's), prior paid or volunteer firefighting experience, and specialized training are called out as desirable, not required, qualifications.