Carlsbad Fire Department (California)

Area Served[]

The Carlsbad Fire Department (CFD) provides fire protection and emergency medical services for the city of Carlsbad, a coastal city in the North County region of San Diego County, Southern California, located some 35 miles north of the City of San Diego. Together with the cities of Oceanside and Vista, Carlsbad forms a tri-city area with California Interstate 5, a major north/south corridor, bisecting the city one mile east of the Pacific Ocean. Incorporated on July 16, 1952, Carlsbad was named for a famed 19th Century European spa in the Bohemian town of Karlsbad (now Karlovy Vary, Czech Republic), whose mineral springs were found to be similar to those found here. It encompasses an area covering 39.08 square miles, and serves a population of 114,746. The city of Carlsbad is bordered by the city of Oceanside to the north, the City of Vista to the northeast, the city of San Marcos to the east, the City of Encinitas to the south, and the Pacific Ocean to the west.

Mutual Aid[]

The Carlsbad Fire Department has mutual aid agreements with the Oceanside Fire Department, the Vista Fire Department, the Encinitas Fire Department, the San Marcos Fire Department, and the Rancho Santa Fe Fire Protection District

Department Profile[]

The Carlsbad Fire Department is budgeted for 111 full-time personnel, including civilian support staff, plus 10 part-timers. and has a daily staffing of 25 firefighters working an alternating 24-hour shift schedule. The department is separated into three bureaus: Emergency Operations, Emergency Preparedness and Fire Prevention. Carlsbad's resources include six fire stations and twelve front-line emergency vehicles comprised of five engine companies (three firefighters/paramedics each), one aerial ladder truck company (three firefighter/paramedics), five Advanced Life Support (ALS) paramedic ambulances (two firefighter/paramedic each), one battalion chief vehicle plus seasonal lifeguard staffing with a minimum of one lifeguard/paramedic. In addition, CFD cross staffs one Type 3 brush engine company, one OES Type-3 brush engine company, and one technical rescue/USAR response vehicle. All response personnel are trained to the paramedic level, capable of providing Advanced Life Support (ALS) pre-hospital emergency medical care. Seasonal lifeguards are trained to a Basic Life Support (BLS) level to render care in conjunction with paramedic personnel. Carlsbad Fire responded to 13,837 incidents during 2021, 75% of which were medical calls.

Dispatch[]

The Carlsbad Fire Department is a member of a regional fire and emergency services communication system called the North County Dispatch Joint Powers Authority, commonly referred to as "North Comm", located in Rancho Santa Fe, which provides dispatch services for 15 fire agencies in North San Diego County.

California Task Force 8[]

The Carlsbad Fire Department is a member agency of California Task Force 8 (CA-TF8)

History[]

Built in 1942, the north sector office of the California State Parks system was the first fire station in northern San Diego County. The California Division of Forestry (CDF) occupied the building until 1973 when California State parks acquired it. From 1942 until 1952 the station's crews and volunteers were the primary, sometimes sole responders to fires in the city of Carlsbad and along the coast between Oceanside and Del Mar to the south. Much of the area then was rural and unincorporated, and forest and brush fires were an ever-present danger. Carlsbad's own fire service began in 1952, as a volunteer fire department. Members met at the state forestry fire station located on the corner of Carlsbad Boulevard and Beech Avenue. Volunteer fire fighters learned their craft by attending California State Forestry fire fighting classes. Volunteer fireman Bob Hardin was hired as Carlsbad's first fire chief in 1955. He oversaw a $27,000 budget and 21 volunteer firemen. Chief Hardin gradually converted those volunteer positions to fulltime firemen. Carlsbad's first permanent fire station shared space with the police and city hall on Pio Pico Drive. In 1968, the station was moved to Carlsbad Village Drive when Interstate 5 was widened and the original building demolished. In 1972, the separate town of La Costa was annexed to the City of Carlsbad and fire service was extended to the newly acquired area.

In 2017, the Carlsbad Fire Department initiated a lifeguard program that covers a roughly ¾-mile stretch of beach on the northern border of the city, commonly referred to as “North Beach.” Lifeguard staffing is based on seasonal demand and beach conditions with the minimum being one lifeguard/paramedic lieutenant or lifeguard/paramedic supervisor on duty daily. The three staffing models are summertime, offseason shoulder, and offseason winter. Daily staffing during the summertime, which typically lasts from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend, consists of at least five lifeguards, and as many as seven on duty. Regular staffing consists of a lifeguard supervisor or lifeguard/paramedic lieutenant, three tower seasonal lifeguards, and a lifeguard in a Fire Department utility task vehicle. Additionally, during periods of expected heavy beach attendance or large surf, another seasonal lifeguard may be patrolling in the water on a rescue personal watercraft. Also, on an as-needed basis, seasonal lifeguards will staff one position on the joint police/fire boat in the Agua Hedionda lagoon.

Fire Stations[]

Station	Address	In Service	Notes
3	3701 Catalina Drive	1976 - 2016	Closed, purchased by private citizen, and remodeled into residence. Replaced by current Fire Station 3 at 3465 Trailblazer Way
2	1906 Arenal Road	1969 - 2022	Demolished and replaced by current Fire Station 2 at same location

Apparatus Roster[]

All pump/tank measurements are in US gallons.
Shop number in brackets.
California License Plate denoted by CA#

Fire Station 1 - 1275 Carlsbad Village Drive[]

Dedicated 1968

Engine 101 - 2023 Seagrave Marauder (1500/500/30A/30B)
Rescue Ambulance 101 (ALS) - 2024 Ford F-450 / Life Line Superliner Type I
Engine 101 (Reserve) (F518) - 2017 Seagrave Marauder 141" TB50CS (1500/500/30A/30B) (CA#1376299) (VIN#1F9EM28T2HCST2052)
Antique - 1947 Seagrave pumper (750/300) (Preserved by Carlsbad Fire Fighters Association)

Fire Station 2 - 1906 Arenal Road / La Costa[]

Dedicated October 22, 2022

Engine 102 (ALS) (F517) - 2018 Seagrave Marauder (1500/500/30A/30B)
Rescue Ambulance 102 (ALS) - 2019 Ford F-450 / Life Line Superliner Type I (SN#5119)

Fire Station 3 - 3465 Trailblazer Way[]

Dedicated February, 2016

Engine 103 (ALS) - Seagrave Marauder
Rescue Ambulance 103 (ALS) (F1037) - 2019 Ford F-450 / Life Line Superliner Type I (SN#5169)
Cal OES 6305 - 2015 International WorkStar 7400 / HME Ahrens-Fox Model 34D Type 3 wildland (500pto,150aux/500/20A) (SN#22672 to 22683) (CA#1467355) (VIN#1HTWEAZR7FH563501)^[1] (Ex-OES 8640)

Fire Station 4 - 6885 Batiquitos Drive[]

Dedicated 1986

Engine 104 (ALS) - 2021 Seagrave Marauder 141" TB50CT (1500/500/30A/30B) (SO#78L01)
USAR 104 - 1999 Freightliner FL 70 / E-One walk-around (Ex-USAR 103, ex-Heavy Rescue 2290)
Engine 104 (Reserve) (F604) - 2011 Seagrave Marauder (1500/500/30A/30B) (CA#1266073) (VIN#1F9EU28T6BCST2028) (Ex-Engine 104, ex-Engine 2214)

Fire Station 5 - 2540 Orion Way[]

Dedicated 1989

Engine 105 - 20? Seagrave Marauder (1500/500) (CA#1266073)
Rescue Ambulance 105 (ALS) (F032) - 2021 Ford F-450 / Life Line Superliner Type I
Battalion 105 - Chevrolet Silverado Crew Cab 4x4 w/ canopy
Brush 604 (Reserve) - 2003 International WorkStar / Master Body Works Type 3 wildland (1000/500)
(Reserve) - 2006 Ford Type I ambulance (Ex-Rescue Ambulance 2291)

Fire Station 6 - 7201 Rancho Santa Fe Road[]

Dedicated 2008

Engine 106 (ALS) (F1068) - 2015 Seagrave Marauder 141" TB50CT (1500/500/30A/30B) (SO#78K28)
Brush 106 (F829) - 2015 International WorkStar SFA 4x4 / Spartan ER Type 3 wildland (500/500) (SN#213151) (CA#1266190) (VIN#1HTWEAZR2FH638492)
Rescue Ambulance 106 - 2021 Ford F-450 / Life Line Superliner Type I

Fire Station 7/Lifeguard Headquarters - 4600 Carlsbad Boulevard[]

Truck 107 (ALS) (F1169) - 2022 Seagrave Marauder 131" TT45CT (1500/300/10A/100' tractor-drawn) (SO#76440)
Rescue Ambulance 107 - 2023 Ford F-450 / Life Line Superliner Type I (CA#1663177) (VIN#1FDUF4GT9PDA04067)
Lifeguard - 2019 Toyota Tacoma 4x4 CA#1564923) (VIN#3TMCZ5AN3KM247717)
Lifeguard (F1017) - 2017 Toyota Tacoma 4x4 (CA#1376290) (VIN#3TMCZ5AN6HM085476)
Lifeguard - Yamaha Waverunner FX PWC
Lifeguard Rescue Boat - 17' Boston Whaler (permanent vessel# CF 6008 XC) (Jointly operated with Carlsbad PD in the Agua Hedionda Lagoon)

Reserve[]

(F084) - 2007 Seagrave aerial (-/-/100' tractor-drawn) (CA#1260300) (VIN#1F9FD38T57CST2006) (Ex-Truck 105, ex-Truck 2275)

Joint First Responders Safety Training Center - 5750 Orion Street[]

Mobile Command Unit - Freightliner M2 112 6x4 / LDV walk-in communications/command center (Jointly operated with Carlsbad PD)

Station / Assignment Unknown[]

Chief 1001 -
Chief 1002 -
Chief 1003 - 2016 Chevrolet Tahoe (CA#1376209) (VIN#1GNSKAKC1GR411288)
Chief 1004 - 2022 Ford F-150 Crew Cab 4x4 w/ ARE canopy (CA#1637302) (VIN#1FTFW1E5XNKD77207)
Chief (F469) - 2016 Ford F-150 Crew Cab 4x4 w/ canopy (CA#1376206) (VIN#1FTEW1E81GKD19026)
Chief - 2013 Chevrolet Tahoe (CA#1266075) (VIN#1GNSK2E00DR203387)
Kawasaki 4x4 UTV
2021 Ford F-450 / Life Line Superliner Type I ambulance
(F1190) - 2020 Ford F-250 Crew Cab 4x4 w/ ARE canopy (CA#1577514) (VIN#1FT7W2BT1LEE22527) (Ex-Battalion 105)
2019 Ford F-450 / Life Line Superliner Type I ambulance (CA#1563531) (VIN#1FDUF4GT8KDA11469)
2015 Ford F-450 / Life Line Superliner Type I ambulance (SN#4683) (Ex-Rescue Ambulance 101)
(F032) - 2015 Ford F-450 / Life Line Superliner Type I ambulance (SN#4686) (Ex-Rescue Ambulance 105, ex-Rescue Ambulance 2295)
2014 Ford F-450 Road Rescue Type I ambulance (CA#1266141) (VIN#1FDUF4GT7EEA80572)
(F830) - 2013 Seagrave Marauder 141" TB50CS (1500/500/60F) (SO#78J55) (CA#1266139) (VIN#1F9EM28T5DCST2041) (Ex-Engine 103, ex-Engine 2211)
(F109) - 2007 Ford E-450 / Road Rescue Type III ambulance (CA#1260330) (VIN#1FDXE45P47DB01070) (Ex-Medic 2293)
2005 Seagrave Marauder pumper (CA#1193972) (VIN#1F9ED28TX5CST2098)
(F995) - 2005 Seagrave Marauder pumper (CA#1193973) (VIN#1F9ED28T85CST2097) (Ex-Engine 102)
(F876) - 2002 Seagrave pumper (CA#1123427) (VIN#1F9E828T42CST2064) (Ex-Engine 2213)
(F840) - 2001 Seagrave pumper (CA#1090470) (VIN#1F9E828T01CST2027) (Ex-Engine 2211)
(F069) - 200? Ford E-Series / Road Rescue Type III ambulance (CA#1247325) (Ex-Medic 229?)
(F606) - Seagrave pumper (CA#032239) (Ex-Engine 2212)
(F996) - Seagrave Marauder pumper

Retired Apparatus[]

(F621) - 1996 International 4900 4x4 / Master Body Works Type 3 wildland (500/500/30A) (Ex-Brush Engine 602, ex-Brush Engine 2265)

1990 Ford F-series / Collins Type I modular ambulance (Ex-Medic 9)

1990 Ford F-series / Collins Type I modular ambulance (Ex-Medic 8)

1989 Ottawa / Beck pumper (1500/600/20) (Ex-Engine 11)

1989 Chevrolet Suburban (Ex-Battalion Commander)

1989 Ford C-8000 / Beck pumper (1000/600/20) (Ex-Engine 16)

1988 Ford C-8000 / Beck pumper (1000/600/20) (Ex-Engine 14)

1986 Duplex / Grumman pumper (1250/600/30) (Ex-Engine 15)

1986 Duplex / Grumman pumper (1250/600/30) (Ex-Engine 13)

1981 Duplex / Grumman pumper (1250/500/30) (Ex-Engine 12)

1979 GMC / E-One Type 3 wildland (250/500) (Ex-Brush 15)

1971 American LaFrance pumper (1250/500) (Ex-Engine 14 Reserve)

1965 Ford utility box (Ex-Rescue 15)

External Links[]

Carlsbad Fire Department

References[]

↑ Carlsbad gets first state fire truck. The Baltimore Sun. Oct. 20, 2015. Accessed Jan. 5, 2021.

Station Map[]

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[1] Carlsbad gets first state fire truck. The Baltimore Sun. Oct. 20, 2015. Accessed Jan. 5, 2021.

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