About the Prescott Fire Department
Prescott still has its original Engine No. 1,
a 1926 American LaFrance Type 75.
The Prescott Fire Department is the oldest fire department in the state of Arizona. It was established in 1885 and is today a modern and highly professional career fire department. The department has a wonderful history full of firefighting traditions and past times.
The department consists of 91 career personnel, five fire stations, and serves a population of 40,225 over 38.63 square miles. We are dedicated to providing the highest level of service in the prevention and mitigation of emergency incidents in a growing community and treating our citizens and employees in a fair and considerate manner while remaining financially responsible.
The Prescott Fire Department values a creative and proactive work place, and is involved in numerous joint partnerships to include automatic aid with the Central Yavapai Fire District, United States Forest Service, and Yavapai-Prescott Indian Tribe.
We are dedicated to excellence in service for our customers. The department managed the first vegetation reduction crew with 400 area homes being successfully treated for wildland defensible space. We successfully secured a follow-up national fire program grant to continue vegetation reduction, and are a firewise model community within the nation in regards to mitigating the urban interface issue that exists within our region.
Our communications center dispatched 7661 calls for service for five fire agencies in the year of 2006. These calls were processed in less that 50 seconds, 99% of the time. The department prevention bureau reviewed 1,479 plans for new subdivisions and buildings. Trained 2800 students in fire/life safety, and are in the process of adopting the 2006 International Fire Code and Wildland Urban Interface Code.
Department apparatus are always staffed with advanced cardiac life support personnel. Personnel and equipment are dispatched nastionwide as part of our off district wildland response team. Suppression members conducted 25,584 man-hours of in-service training in all aspects of emergency services to include advanced and basic life support, fire suppression, wildland fire suppression, aircraft rescue firefighting, hazardous materials, rescue diving, trench rescue, high and low angle rope rescue, helicopter operations, child safety, public education, mass casualty, natural disasters, and terrorism.
On May 15th, 2002, the most significant fire in Prescott for over 100 years took place. The "Indian" Fire started near Indian Creek Road in the Prescott National Forest and burned into the city limits. Five homes were destroyed along with 1365 acres of vegetation. 1500 people were evacuated and 2000 homes were directly threatened. Due to the USFS fuel reduction, quick coordinated initial attack by the USFS, Prescott Fire Department, Central Yavapai Fire District, and the cooperation of the Prescott Police Department, Yavapai County Sheriff's office and Yavapai Division of Emergency Management and numerous volunteers the fire was contained in five days. The cost of fighting the fire stands at approximately $3,000,000.