Area Served[]
The Redwood City Fire Department (RCFD) provides fire protection and emergency medical services for the City of Redwood City, the county seat of San Mateo County, located along the western shore of San Francisco Bay on the San Francisco Peninsula in Northern California. Redwood City is approximately 27 miles south of the City of San Francisco, and 24 miles northwest of the City of San Jose. Redwood City FD also provides fire service under contract to the neighboring city of San Carlos and to the unincorporated community of North Fair Oaks. Incorporated on May 11, 1867, the city encompasses an area covering 34.74 square miles and serves a population of approximately 84,292. Redwood City is bordered by the City of San Carlos to the northwest, the San Francisco Bay to the north, the unincorporated community of North Fair Oaks to the northeast, the City of Menlo Park to the east, the City of Atherton to the southeast, the City of Woodside to the southwest, and the City of Belmont, as well as the unincorporated community of Palomar Park, to the west.
Mutual Aid[]
RCFD has mutual aid agreements with the San Mateo County Fire Department, the Menlo Park Fire Protection District, the San Mateo Consolidated Fire Department, the South San Francisco Fire Department, and the Woodside Fire Protection District.
Department Profile[]
The Redwood City Fire Department is budgeted for over 90 staff members consisting of battalion chiefs, fire captains, firefighters, firefighter/paramedics, fire prevention staff, training staff, and administrative staff, working out of seven fire stations which house seven engine companies, one truck company, and one battalion chief vehicle. Daily staffing consists of 26 personnel; 8 fire captains, 9 firefighters, 8 firefighter/paramedics and a battalion chief. RCFD cross staffs a breathing support unit, a Type 5 wildland unit, and three fire/rescue boats.
California Task Force 3[]
The Redwood City Fire Department is a member agency of California Task Force 3 CA TF-3)
History[]
On September 23, 1861, the “Redwood City Fire Company No. 1” was founded with twenty-three volunteer members. Meetings were to be held monthly and the company was to consist of not less than twenty members or more than sixty-five members. On March 3, 1862, a Fire Company Committee was empowered to order a Piano Style Fire Engine (hand pumper, drawn by manpower) from Cowing and Company of Seneca Falls, New York. W. T. Coleman and Company of San Francisco were handling the transaction. On September 1, 1862, the Fire Company purchased its first two-wheel hose cart for $100 and 200 feet of hose for $252. The first fire house was built on Main Street and completed in November, 1862. A fire bell was purchased for the fire house on January 6, 1864. As the town grew (some 2,000 population) fires became more frequent. In 1889 the members of the Fire Company asked the town trustees to take over the maintenance of the Fire Company as they were unable to maintain such an organization. The town trustees agreed to take over and maintain the organization. They immediately ordered a hook and ladder and a hose cart. This was the beginning of the Redwood City Fire Department as known today. The Redwood City Fire Department hired its first firefighter/paramedics in the spring of 1997. The Redwood City Fire Department has maintained an ISO Class 1 rating since 2018. They are the only fire department in San Mateo County to receive such a rating.
Fire Stations[]
| Station | Address | In Service | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1044 Middlefield Road | 1921 - 1984 | Closed and demolished after suffering structural damage from the 1984 Coalinga earthquake. Now the Redwood City Main Library |
| 3/11 | Bay Road & 2nd Avenue | 1929 - 1955 | Closed, demolished and replaced by current Fire Station 11 |
| 4 | 3700 Jefferson Avenue | 1969 - ? | Renumbered to current Fire Station 12 |
| 3 | 2190 Jefferson Avenue | 1982 - ? | Renumbered to current Fire Station 10 |
Apparatus Roster[]
All pump/tank measurements are in US gallons.
Fire Station 9 (Headquarters) - 755 Marshall Street[]
Dedicated June 15, 1987
- Battalion 3 - 2012 Chevrolet Suburban 4x4 (CA#15Z7442)
- Engine 9 (8058) - 2018 Spartan Gladiator MFD / Hi-Tech (1500/500/20F) (SO#16418)
- Truck 9 - 2020 Pierce Arrow XT 6710 (-/-/107' Ascendant tractor-drawn) (SN#34008)
- Breathing Support 9 - 2016 Freightliner M2 106 / Spartan ER walk-around
- Truck 109 (Reserve) - 2006 Seagrave Marauder (-/-/100' tractor-drawn)
- Squad 409 - 2023 Ram 2500 4x4 / Skeeter walk-around (SN#S14695-01)
Fire Station 10 - 2190 Jefferson Avenue[]
Dedicated March 20, 1982
- Engine 10 - 2007 Spartan Gladiator / Hi-Tech (1500/500/20F)
- Engine 110 (Reserve) - 1998 Spartan Gladiator / Hi-Tech (1500/500/20A)
Fire Station 11 - 1091 Second Avenue[]
Dedicated January 2001
- Engine 11 - 2012 Spartan Gladiator (1500/500/20F)
- Boat 11 - 2008 20' Zodiac center console inflatable on single axle Pacific trailer
- Utility 11 -
- Antique - 1926 Seagrave
Fire Station 12 - 3700 Jefferson Avenue[]
Dedicated September 21, 1969
- Engine 12 - 2007 Spartan Gladiator / Hi-Tech (1500/500/20F)
- Patrol 12 - 2023 Ford F-550 4x4 / Skeeter (150/400/10F)
Fire Station 13 - 525 Laurel Street, San Carlos[]
- Engine 13 - 2012 Spartan Gladiator (1500/500/20F)
- Engine 113 (Reserve) - 2007 Seagrave Marauder (1250/500/20A) (Ex-Engine 11)
- Battalion 3 (Reserve) - 2012 Chevrolet Tahoe 4x4 (CA#1333234)
Fire Station 16 - 1280 Alameda de las Pulgas, San Carlos[]
- Engine 16 - 2018 Spartan Gladiator MFD / Hi-Tech (1500/500/20F)
Fire Station 20 - 680 Redwood Shores Parkway, Redwood Shore[]
Dedicated March 17, 1998
- Engine 20 - 2006 Seagrave Marauder (1500/500/20F)
- Boat 20 - 2010 12' Zodiac w/ single outboard
- Engine 120 (Reserve) - 1996 KME Renegade (1250/500/20A) (Ex-Engine 113 Reserve)
Blu Harbor Marina - 1 Blu Harbor Boulevard[]
- Fireboat 9 "Sequoia Guardian" - 2012 36' MetalCraft Marine Firestorm 36 (1500/-)
Station/Assignment Unknown[]
- 2006 Seagrave Marauder (1500/500/20F) (Ex-Engine 16)
- 2002 Ford F-550 4x4 / FD-built brush (150/400/10F) (Ex-Patrol 12)
- Spartan Gladiator (1500/500/20F)
Retired Apparatus[]
- 1997 Pierce Dash (1500/500/30B) (SN#EA574) (Ex-Engine 10)
- 1991 Pierce Arrow (1500/500) (SN#E6615) (Ex-Engine 9)
- 1990 Pierce Arrow (1500/500) (SN#E5767) (Ex-Engine 12)
- 1989 Ford F-476 / Colet (Ex-Air 9)
- 1988 Pierce Arrow (1500/500/25B) (SN#E4647-02) (Ex-Engine 11)
- 1987 Pierce Arrow (1500/500/15A) (SN#E4073) (Ex-Engine 20)
- 1987 Seagrave HT-08DH aerial (-/-/100' tractor-drawn) (Ex-Truck 9)
- 1963 Coast Custom pumper (1250/250) (Ex-Engine 4)
- 1953 Maxim 141LA75 aerial (200/150/75' mid-mount) (SN#1869) (Sold to Boise City Fire Department (Oklahoma))
- 1949 Seagrave pumper (1000/?)
- 1947 Seagrave pumper (1000/?)
- 1947 Seagrave pumper (1000/?)
- 1930 American LaFrance aerial (-/-/65' mid-mount)
- 1926 Seagrave pumper (1000/?)
- 1921 Seagrave pumper (750/?)
- 1915 Schnerr Company chemical engine
- 1862 Cowing & Company piano-style hand pumper