Operations

Live Fire training

The Pasco Fire Department is an all-hazards career response force that provides Fire (urban structural, wildland and vehicle), Advanced Life Support Emergency Medical Services (EMS), Hazardous Materials, Technical Rescue (High and low angle rope, confined space, trench, swift-water, structural collapse and vehicle/machinery), and Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting services to the community. The department responds to an average of 5100 calls for service per year, 78% of which are EMS calls.

PFD has earned a Public Protection Class 5 from the Washington Surveying & Rating Bureau (WSRB) in 2016. The rating is the benchmark for many insurance companies in determining their insurance premiums for privately insured properties. The higher the rating, the greater likelihood of insurance premium increases.

The department is comprised of 66 career firefighters that are assigned to one of three shifts. Each shift operates on a 48/96 hour rotating schedule and is managed by an on-duty Battalion Chief who is supported by the administrative staff. All firefighters are trained and certified as either Basic or Advanced Life Support providers. Many firefighters are also additionally trained and qualified in technical rescue, aircraft rescue and firefighting, or incident management.

The fire department functions in the scalar command structure for emergency operations and is functionally project-oriented for day to day routine operations. The functional program management structure is circular in that the process owner (administration) is in the center, surrounded by the many routine program activities required to maintain emergency operational readiness. Senior and mid-level managers are typically assigned to program and project management and have authority of scope, schedule and budget for the program/project.