Pasadena Fire Department (PFD) consists of 192.5 full-time employees: 170 shift personnel and 22.5 administrative personnel. Operations Division personnel are divided between three shifts and platoons, made up of over 50 firefighters staffing engines, trucks and rescue ambulances. The emergency units respond every day from eight strategically-located Pasadena fire stations.
Operations personnel work a 24-hour schedule that starts at 7 a.m. and ends at 7 a.m. the following day. PFD responded to over 17,000 emergency calls for service in 2021: 3,194 were fire related and 13,144 were medical related. In addition to emergency response, the Operations Division also conducts fire prevention inspections, public education demonstrations, hydrant and station maintenance, and a daily minimum of two hours of training.
The Pasadena Fire Prevention and Environmental Safety Division provides review of construction plans, both new and remodeling, and the issuance of permits as required by City code. The division also conducts periodic inspections of commercial and multi-family occupancies within the city. The division also performs annual brush surveys, hazardous waste tracking, and fire investigations to determine cause and origin, along with other required fire prevention activities.
Department management personnel provide overall planning, control and management of fire department activities and staff support for all divisions. Support includes disaster services planning, financial management, and training.