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Pala Fire Department

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Area Served[]

The Pala Fire Department (PFD) protects the citizens and infrastructure of the Pala Indian Reservation which is home to the Pala Band of Mission Indians, located in the middle of the San Luis Rey River Valley, east of the community of Fallbrook, and north of the City of Escondido in northern San Diego County, Southern California. The Pala Indian Reservation is a 20.7 square mile, 13,257-acre federal Indian reservation with a population of approximately 1,573. The reservation is bordered by the City of Temecula in Riverside County some 10 miles to the north; by Palomar Mountain and Palomar Mountain State Park to the east; by the adjoining Pauma Indian Reservation to the southeast; by the unincorporated community of Valley Center to the south; by the unincorporated community of Pala Mesa to the west; and by the the unincorporated community of Rainbow to the northwest.

Mutual Aid[]

PFD has automatic/mutual aid agreements with eighteen surrounding fire departments, among them San Diego County Fire, the North County Fire Protection District , the Pauma Reservation Fire Department, the Valley Center Fire Protection District, the Camp Pendleton Fire Department, the Pechanga Fire Department, as well as the CAL FIRE San Diego Unit.

Department Profile[]

The Pala Fire Department is budgeted for twenty-nine (29) full-time suppression personnel, consisting of one (1) fire chief, two (2) chief officers, six (6) fire captains, six (6) fire engineers, and fifteen (15) firefighter/paramedics, providing structural and wildland firefighting, emergency medical services (EMS), advanced life support (ALS), fire prevention, and public education to the Pala Indian Reservation, out of a single six-bay fire station. The department's resources include four front-line emergency apparatus comprised of one type I ALS engine company, one type III brush engine, and two chief officer vehicles. In addition, PFD cross staffs a water tender, an OES type III wildland engine, a swiftwater rescue vehicle, an utility pickup vehicle, and has an additional type I and a type III engine on reserve status. Pala Fire responds to roughly one thousand service calls for service per year, the majority of which are medical calls.

The Pala Fire Department does not provide EMS and ambulance transport services as part of its mandate. All EMS and transport is provided under contract by American Medical Response who have a paramedic ambulance (Medic 151) permanently assigned at Pala Fire Station 15.

Dispatch[]

The Pala Fire Department contracts dispatch to 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.

History[]

The Pala Fire Department was established in 1978 with two firefighters and a 300-gallon water tank. In 1980 it became a full-time volunteer department – operating 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. In 2006 the Pala Fire Department established its Advanced Life Support (ALS) paramedic program, providing the community of Pala and surrounding areas with one of the highest levels of ALS service in San Diego County. On June 21, 2024 American Medical Response took over ambulance transport services for Pala Fire Department, ending the contract with Mercy Medical Transportation.

Apparatus Roster[]

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

Fire Station 15 - 34884 Lilac Extension Road, Pala Reservation[]

Dedicated June 2008

Retired Apparatus[]

  • 2005 International 4300 / Klein (500/1800) (Ex-Water Tender 6665)
  • 2004 Chevrolet Tahoe 4x4 (CA#5PBX280) (Ex-Battalion 6600)
  • 2004 Chevrolet Tahoe 4x4 (Ex-Command 6602)
  • 2003 American LaFrance Eagle aerial (1500/300/110' LTI rear-mount ladder) (CA#1175434) (Ex-Truck 6671) (Sold to Coralville Fire Department)
  • 200? Chevrolet Silverado 1500 SuperCab 4x4 (CA#7G66274) (Ex-Utility 66)
  • 1997 International 4900 Model 15 Type 3 wildland (500/500/10A) (CA#1043402) (Ex-Brush 6662)
  • 1992 GMC TopKick / E-One pumper (1250/750) (Ex-Engine 6611)
  • 1991 Ford / Pacific utility box (Ex-Rescue 6681)
  • 1980 Ford / 90 Sigma Equipment tanker (750/2500) (Ex-Water Tender 6665)
  • 1974 Ford C-8000 / American LaFrance pumper (1000/500) (Ex-Engine 6611 Reserve)
  • 1962 Dodge / CDF brush (250/500) (Ex-Brush 6661, ex-California Division of Forestry)

External Links[]

Station Map[]

Pala Reservation highlighted in white; San Diego County highlighted in yellow.

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