Merced Fire Department

Area Served

The Merced Fire Department provides fire protection and emergency medical services to the City of Merced, the county seat of Merced County, located in the northern San Joaquin Valley, approximately 110 miles south of Sacramento, 114 miles east of San Jose, and 55 miles northwest of Fresno, in northern California. Incorporated as a city on April 1, 1889, its name was derived from the Spanish word for "Mercy". The city, known as the "Gateway to Yosemite", encompasses an area covering 23.25 square miles, and serves a population of approximately 86,333.

Mutual Aid

The Merced Fire Department has mutual aid agreements with the Merced County Fire Department, the Atwater City Fire Department and the Los Banos Fire Department.

Department Profile

The Merced Fire Department is budgeted for 63 full time fire suppression employees and 5 civilian employees in support roles providing structural firefighting, emergency medical services (EMS), fire prevention, fire investigation, code enforcement, disaster preparedness, and public education to the citizens of Merced. Daily staffing consists of nineteen on-duty personnel (one battalion chief, six fire captains, six fire apparatus engineers, and six firefighters), working two 24-hours shifts or days in a row followed by 96-hours or four days off, out of five fire stations. The department's resources include seven front-line emergency apparatus comprised of five engine companies, one tiller operated ladder truck company and one battalion chief vehicle. Merced FD cross staffs an aircraft fire fighting rescue (ARFF) unit, one technical rescue squad, a swift water rescue team, one OES Type-1 and one OES Type-6 wildland unit. The Department responded to 11,579 emergency calls in 2021, approximately 75% of those are for Emergency Medical Services (EMS).

California Regional Task Force 5

The Merced Fire Department is a member agency of California Office of Emergency Services Regional Task Force 5 (CA-RTF-5)

History

On April 14, 1873, a group of Merced business and property owners began meeting for the purpose of creating a volunteer fire department. Consequently, on November 3, 1873: Merced Engine Company No. 1, a volunteer fire company, was formed. On April 3, 1874, the Merced Fire Department purchased its first fire engine, a 1859 Jeffers fire engine built in Pawtucket, Rhode Island for $1,800 from the Stockton Fire Department and used for over 30 years. It was a new end-stroke hand engine that the Stockton Fire Department purchased in 1860 for $4,000. The engine, later named "Old Betsy," had two hose carts and 1,500 feet of 2 1/2" fire hose and had to be pumped by hand. It is now on permanent display at the Merced County Courthouse Museum. On April 18, 1874, the Merced Engine Company No. 1 was renamed the Eureka Engine Company No. 1 of Merced, California, while the Merced Fire Department now had 27 charter members. On July 16, 1879, a hook and ladder truck was purchased, followed in June 1883 by a Silsby steam engine named "Old Steamer." On July 3, 1889, the Eureka Engine Company Number One of the Town of Merced consisted of one hand engine; one hose cart; 500 feet of rubber hose; four nozzles, one hook & ladder truck; two fire hooks; five fire ladders; seven rubber fire buckets; and one old bell. In 1907, the fire department, now known as the El Capitan Hose Company No. 1, moved to a new combination city hall and firehouse, which was built out of limestone, on the southeast corner of 18th and M Streets. In 1948, the Merced Fire Department consisted of two parts: a regular uniformed full-paid, full-time contingency of 13 members (1 Fire Chief, 2 Captains, 1 Lieutenant, 7 Drivers and 2 Hosemen), and the El Capitan Hose Company Number 1 Volunteer Fire Department consisting of 25 members. In 1949, The El Capitan Hose Company No. 1 Volunteer Fire Department with 25 members became part of the Merced Fire Department.

Fire Stations

Station	Address	In Service	Notes
1	18th Street between Canal and M Streets	1885 - 1907	Closed and demolished / Replaced by new Fire Station 1
1	18th Street / M Street	1907 - 1952	Closed and demolished / Replaced by new Fire Station 1 at same location
2	11th Street / L Street (McNamara Park)	1951 - 1977	Closed / Replaced by current Fire Station 52
3	27th Street / K Street	1957 - 1977	Closed and used as a training and storage site / Replaced by current Fire Station 53
1	18th Street / M Street	1952 - 1997	Closed / Replaced by current Fire Station 51

Apparatus Roster

All pump/tank measurements are in US gallons.

Fire Station 51 - 99 East 16th Street

Dedicated October 24, 1997

Engine 51 - 2016 Pierce Quantum PUC (1500/550/?) (SN#29357)

Truck 51 - 2018 Pierce Quantum (-/-/107' tractor-drawn) (SN#31631) (CA#1505089)

Squad 51 - 1999 International 4900 / Pierce (250/350) (SN#ED007)

Battalion 507 - 201? Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD 4x4

Engine 251 (Reserve) - 2002 Pierce Dash 2000 (1500/500/20A/20B) (SN#12998-01) (CA#1117322) (Ex-Engine 51)

Truck 251 (Reserve) - 2001 Pierce Dash (2000/300/85' rear-mount platform) (SN#12166) (CA#1090973) (Ex-Truck 51)

Cal OES Brush Patrol 5601 (6042) - 2020 Ford F-550 4x4 / HME Ahrens-Fox AF622 Type 6 wildland (500pto,180aux/280/20A) (SN#23426) (CA#1606259) (VIN#1FD0W5HT5LED22954)

Antique - 1919 American LaFrance Type 75 pumper (750/?) (Ex-Engine 1)

Fire Station 52 - 1400 Falcon Way (Merced Yosemite Regional Airport)

Dedicated December 9, 1975

Engine 52 - 2008 Pierce Quantum (1500/500/?) (SN#20680-01 or 02) (CA#1300065)

ARFF 52 - 2000 E-One Titan 4x4 crash tender (1250/1500/500B/350 lbs. DC) (SN#E-1-121176)

Engine 252 (Reserve) - 2002 Pierce Dash 2000 (1500/500/20A/20B) (SN#12998-02) (CA#1117321) (Ex-Engine 52, ex-Engine 55)

Fire Station 53 - 800 Loughborough Drive

Dedicated 1977

Engine 53 - 2018 Pierce Quantum PUC (1500/550/?) (SN#31627) (CA#1520039)

Fire Station 54 - 1425 East 21st Street

Dedicated June 8, 1959

Engine 54 - 2014 Pierce Quantum PUC (1500/550/?) (SN#27231) (CA#1409980)

Cal OES Engine 5104 - 2017 HME Ahrens-Fox 1871-SFO SMFD Model 18 Type 1 (1250/850/20F) (SN#22925) (CA#1530507) (VIN#44KFT4285HWZ22925) (Ex-OES 393)

Fire Station 55 - 3520 Parsons Avenue

Dedicated February 10, 2006

Engine 55 - 2008 Pierce Quantum PUC (1500/500/?) (SN#20680-02 or 01).

Station/Assignment Unknown

2022 International HV507 4x4 / BME Model 34 Type 3 wildland (500/500/20A)

Cal OES Brush Engine 5309 - 2008 International WorkStar 7400 4x4 / Rosenbauer Type 3 wildland (500pto,180aux/500/20A) (SN#14126) (CA#1300483) (VIN#1HTWEAZR78J553417) (Ex-OES 8634)

2006 Pierce Dash 2000 pumper (1500/500/?) (SN#17555) (Ex-Engine 54)

200? Ford F-350 4X4

Retired Apparatus

1997 Freightliner FL 112 / KME pumper (1500,150/650/20A) (SN#GSO-3207) (Ex-Engine 52)

1996 Freightliner FL 112 / KME pumper (1500,150/650/20A) (SN#GSO-3206) (Ex-Engine 54)

1993 Pierce Arrow aerial (-/-/105' rear-mount) (SN#E7749) (Ex-Truck 351 Reserve, ex-Truck 53) (Sold on December 21, 2020 at city auction for $18,795 to Beauregard Fire District No. 3 (Louisiana))

1991 Ottawa C-118TSB / Beck pumper (1500/500) (SN#324) (Ex-Engine 53)

1990 Ottawa C-118TSB / Beck pumper (1500/500) (SN#257) (Ex-Engine 51)

1986 Hahn HCC / Beck pumper (1500/500) (SN#106) (Ex-Engine 253)

1980 American LaFrance Century pumper (1500/500) (SN#CE-6804) (Ex-Engine 252)

1979 American LaFrance Century tandem aerial (1500/200/85' Snorkel) (SN#CE-6361) (Ex-truck 51) (Sold April 2002 at city auction for $700.00 to L.A. Power Systems Ltd., Lethbridge, AB, Canada)

1972 American LaFrance triple combination pumper (1500/?)

1971 American LaFrance triple combination pumper (1500/?)

1968 American LaFrance triple combination pumper (1500/?)

1961 Ford half-ton pickup / John Bean high pressure unit (-/100)

(F-68) - 1959 American LaFrance triple combination pumper (1250/?)

1951 GMC 630 / Van Pelt triple combination pumper (1000/?)

1951 American LaFrance aerial (-/-/75' mid-mount) (Ex-Truck 1)

1949 American LaFrance triple combination pumper (1000/?)

1928 American LaFrance quadruple combination pumper (750/?)

1918 Garford Motor Truck Company combination chemical and hose truck

1908 Ahrens Continental steam pumper

1906 Ahrens Continental steam pumper

1883 Silsby steam pumper

1859 William Jeffers & Co hand drawn pump (on display at the Merced County Courthouse Museum)

External Links

• Merced Fire Department
• Merced Fire Department Facebook page
• Merced City Firefighters (IAFF Local 1479)

Station Map

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