Fire Engines

A Fire Engine is housed at all seven Fire stations around the City of Escondido. The Fire Engine serves as the crux to the Fire Department’s daily operations playing a pivotal role in mitigating a multitude of emergencies around the City. The Fire Engine is staffed with a Fire Captain, Fire Engineer, and Firefighter-Paramedic who are all highly trained to perform life-saving skills. This crew of three will respond to all emergencies including structure fires, wildland fires, fire alarms, hazardous materials incidents, carbon monoxide detector activations, traffic accidents, medical-aids, and many more.

The Escondido Fire Department has Fire Engines manufactured from KME and Pierce with the newest engines being a 2013 Pierce at Fire Station one and seven. There are also four additional reserve Fire Engines that will be utilized while a front-line Fire Engine is being repaired or maintained by the City’s mechanics. What differentiates a Fire Engine from a Fire Truck is the Fire Engine’s water-carrying and pumping ability. The Fire Engine holds 500 gallons of water which can be pumped through various sizes of fire hose. When a Fire Engine is connected to a fire hydrant the specialized pump can move over 1,500 gallons per minute! In addition to hose the Fire Engine carries ladders, power tools, rescue rope, gas detectors, and a full complement of advanced life support medical equipment. Having a Fire Engine at each Fire Station ensures a paramedic will arrive in minutes of a 911 call to start life-saving treatment in the event an ambulance responds from a further location.

Brush Engines

A Brush Engine is a specialized fire apparatus that has unique capabilities ideal for wildland fires. Similar to a standard Fire Engine, the Brush Engine has 500 gallons of water and a pump that can move water through various sized hoses. The Brush Engine is advantageous in the wildland setting due to its off-roading capabilities. With its 4-wheel drive and higher ground clearance, the Brush Engine can traverse challenging terrain often found when accessing vegetation fires. The Brush Engine carries well over 1,000 feet of hose that may be needed to access fire far up a large hill. In addition to fire hose, the Brush Engine also carries other equipment such as a chainsaw and hand tools that are used to remove vegetation to slow the spread of fire.

The Escondido Fire Department has four Brush Engines located at Fire Stations 2, 3, 4, and 6. These engines are cross-staffed with the same three crew members that are on the standard Type 1 Fire Engine at their respective station. When a vegetation fire occurs within the city, the three members will move onto the Brush Engine for the response due to the quantity of hose and off-roading capabilities that may be needed. The Brush Engine at Fire Station #6 is also unique in that it is part of California’s Office of Emergency Services (OES). The OES engine is easily identifiable by its bright green color and is owned by the state. However, the OES engine is maintained and operated by Escondido Firefighters as part of the state’s Mutual Aid Agreement. During any large-scale emergency this engine will be requested to deploy anywhere within California with four Escondido Firefighters on board.

Ambulances

An ambulance is a medically equipped vehicle which transports patients for necessary medical treatment at a hospital. Escondido Fire staffs five ambulances 24/7 with two personnel. Four Rescue Ambulances are staffed with a Firefighter Paramedic and either a Paramedic or an EMT. One Medic Ambulance is staffed with two Paramedics. In addition to our five front line ambulances, we also have four reserve ambulances that can be used when ambulances are out or service for maintenance or repair. This fleet of ambulances ensures that we are always able to respond to medical emergencies whenever you need us!

Escondido is fortunate to have excellent ambulances. In September 2019 the city council approved the purchase two new Medix Ambulances to replace two 7-year old ambulances with high mileage and engine hours. The new ambulances were placed in service on April 28, 2020 at  Fire Stations 2 and 7. These ambulances are nearly identical to the two that were purchased in 2018 which are currently at Fire Stations 3 and 5. The Medix ambulances have proven to be very reliable and they provide a great environment for care providers and patients. Click here to see a video tour of an Escondido Fire Department Ambulance!

Ladder Truck

A Ladder Truck is an aerial apparatus that has a 100' ladder in addition to a large cache or rescue, ventilation, salvage and overhaul equipment. Our truck company is staffed with four highly trained Firefighters including a Captain, and Engineer and two Firefighter Paramedics. 

Escondido Fire Department has one front line Ladder Truck and one reserve Ladder Truck, both housed at Station #1 (Quince St.). Truck 131 was built in 2015.

Truck 131R (reserve) was built in 1997 and completely refurbished in 2020.

Battalion Chief Command Vehicle

The Battalion Chief is the overall supervisor for the 35 members across all seven fire stations during a 24-hour shift. The Battalion Chief has many administrative and operational responsibilities including managing major incidents throughout the City. Incidents such as structure fires, hazardous materials incidents, wildland fires, or multi-casualty incidents can prove to be complex and require an experienced leader with a wide array of knowledge. The Battalion Chief will respond to emergencies in a Ford F-250 that has 4-wheel drive capabilities. This specialized Command vehicle is designed to be much more mobile than a Fire Engine and is supplied with multiple radios to assist the Battalion Chief with managing large complex incidents.

Patrol

The “Patrol” is a type 6 fire engine that is on a Ford F-550 pick-up truck chassis. This apparatus is housed at Escondido Fire Station 5 and is cross staffed by Fire Station 5 personnel. The smaller profile of the Patrol allows fire crews to be more mobile and access remote areas using 4-wheel drive. The versatility of this apparatus provides firefighters with a multitude of tools for firefighting operations such as pumping water, off-roading driving, winch operations, chainsaw use, and a compliment of advanced life support medical equipment.