San Bruno Fire Department

The San Bruno Fire Department provides all-risk emergency services to the City of San Bruno, a community of about 41,000 people spread across roughly 5.5 square miles on the San Francisco Peninsula. Founded in 1937, the department operates two strategically located stations staffed around the clock.

The department fields two fire engines and a ladder truck, staffed 24/7/365. Its work spans fire suppression, rescue, advanced life support emergency medicine, fire prevention and investigation, operational training, and community education, and it handles roughly 3,900 calls for service each year.

Beyond the line, the organization includes battalion chiefs, captains, apparatus operators, paramedics, and specialty roles such as fire inspectors, SWAT paramedics, and fire mechanics. A Fire Prevention Division led by a Fire Marshal handles inspections and prevention.

San Bruno also invests heavily in community risk reduction, with CERT and CPR training, a car-seat installation program, a bike-helmet program, Stop the Bleed, and wildfire mitigation work focused on Crestmoor Canyon.

San Bruno hires entry-level firefighters primarily through California's Firefighter Candidate Testing Center (FCTC) process, so candidates should establish an FCTC profile and monitor postings at fctconline.org. The department values Firefighter 1 certification, EMT-Basic and Paramedic credentials, a college degree, prior fire service experience, mechanical aptitude, and foreign-language ability.

The department also runs a fire internship/cadetship program that provides training and experience fulfilling Firefighter 1 requirements (in conjunction with pre-service fire academy coursework), giving aspiring firefighters a pathway toward a career position. Recruitment questions can be directed to Captain Dedes, and general hiring inquiries to the city's HR office.