Fire Department
Santa Clara County Fire Department provides emergency response, fire prevention, wildfire preparedness, and public education in the communities it serves. This article explains its service area, the difference between emergency and administrative contacts, where to begin a fire safety or records request, and how to identify the appropriate office for a property or program.
Service Area and Department Role
Santa Clara County Fire Department is a California fire protection district. It serves Campbell, Cupertino, Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, Los Gatos, Monte Sereno, Saratoga, San Martin, and surrounding unincorporated communities. Its official website provides entry points for emergency response, fire prevention, education, wildfire information, fire stations, incidents, and department contacts.
The department’s name does not mean it provides every fire service throughout Santa Clara County. For example, its community education page directs people in cities outside County Fire’s service area to their local fire department. Before seeking a station tour, safety presentation, inspection, or other nonemergency service, identify the city and address involved. A Santa Clara mailing address, for instance, is different from the County Fire communities named above.
The department’s South County fire services page explains a more recent change in responsibility. Effective July 1, 2025, County Fire became the fire and emergency medical service provider for areas formerly covered by the South Santa Clara County Fire District. Those areas include San Martin and portions of unincorporated Gilroy and Morgan Hill. The distinction between a city and nearby unincorporated land matters when identifying the agency responsible for a particular property.
South County Response Locations
County Fire reports that firefighters serving the affected South County area respond from the Treehaven and Masten fire stations and two temporary stations. The temporary sites are on Vineyard Boulevard in Morgan Hill and Pacheco Pass Highway in Hollister while permanent facilities are secured. County Fire also states that South County fire and emergency medical calls to 9-1-1 are dispatched directly by Santa Clara County 9-1-1 Communications. A station’s physical location may differ from the community it serves, so a station address alone is not a reliable way to decide which agency covers an incident.
Emergency Calls and Administrative Questions
Dial 9-1-1 to report a fire or another emergency. County Fire specifically says its main administrative phone line is not covered after hours or on weekends. Do not use that line to report an active fire, urgent rescue situation, or medical emergency. Administrative Headquarters is open Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Pacific time, and closes for the observed holidays identified on the department’s contact page.
For a nonemergency question, first decide what the question concerns. An incident in progress belongs with 9-1-1. A construction plan, inspection, or brush abatement question concerns Fire Prevention. A class or safety presentation concerns Community Education. A copy of an incident report belongs with the public records and incident report process. Sorting the request this way helps avoid sending a records question to an emergency response unit or treating an administrative contact as an emergency dispatch line.
The Administrative Headquarters contact page identifies the department’s general contact information and its public records and incident reports request form. It also provides the email address publicrecords@sccfd.org for records requests. When writing about a past event, identify the type of report you seek and provide the incident date, location, and any incident details you already have so the department can identify your request. The reference page does not specify a required set of fields or a processing time.
Fire and Rescue Response
County Fire organizes its emergency response services into Fire Suppression/Rescue, Fire Investigation, Emergency Medical Services, Special Operations Task Force, Fire Prevention, hazardous materials, and the wildland urban interface. These are different functions within the department. An emergency caller should still use 9-1-1 rather than trying to select a unit or fire station.
For fires, the Fire Suppression Operations Division operates across three battalions. County Fire describes responses to confirmed structure fires and vegetation fires that draw on different combinations of engines, trucks, rescue personnel, hazardous materials resources, and command staff. Firefighters are also trained for incidents where developed areas meet wildland vegetation. The resources sent to a particular event depend on the nature of the incident and the department’s response procedures; a resident does not need to determine the alarm assignment before calling for help.
The department’s fire suppression and rescue page also describes specialized rescue equipment used for situations such as traffic collisions and industrial accidents. All emergency response personnel receive basic motor vehicle rescue training, while more complex emergencies may involve the Special Operations Task Force. This is another reason to report the location and circumstances clearly to 9-1-1 instead of seeking a particular specialized team through an office number.
Emergency Medical First Response
County Fire provides advanced life support paramedic first response in the unincorporated county and in Campbell, Cupertino, Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, Los Gatos, Monte Sereno, and Saratoga, according to its Emergency Medical Services page. The department describes its fire apparatus as staffed with paramedics and emergency medical technicians. Its role as a first responder should not be confused with the ground ambulance transport system: the department states that Santa Clara County EMS contracts for ground ambulance transportation.
Emergency medical incidents also create a different kind of record from general fire and rescue incidents. County Fire’s medical services page points readers to an Emergency Medical Services incident report request, while its administrative contact page provides the broader public records and incident reports request information. If you seek a past report, identify whether the event involved medical care, fire response, or another incident rather than assuming every report follows the same route.
Fire Prevention and Building Projects
The Fire Prevention Division handles fire and life safety work that takes place before an emergency. Its Fire Prevention overview describes hazardous materials inspections and regulation, building construction services, annual building inspections, and plan review. Projects subject to its review can include land development, new construction, interior remodels, fire suppression systems, and fire alarm systems. The division also conducts construction inspections to assess whether completed work conforms to applicable state and local fire safety regulations.
For a proposed project, the relevant question is more specific than “Do I need the fire department?” Identify the property location and the work involved, such as a new building, interior remodel, alarm system, extinguishing system, or fire access roadway. County Fire publishes standards and guidelines for matters such as these and lists plan submittals, applications, forms, municipal codes and fees, and standards and specifications in its Fire Prevention navigation. Consult the applicable department materials before preparing a submittal; the overview alone does not establish a single requirement for every project.
Commercial Inspections and Special Events
For existing commercial buildings, the division runs an annual inspection program delivered by Fire Prevention and fire station personnel. The inspections assess compliance with general and occupancy-specific fire safety regulations in the adopted Fire and Building Codes. A construction inspection and an annual inspection serve different purposes: one concerns work on a project, while the other concerns fire safety in an existing commercial occupancy.
Fire Prevention also provides plan review and inspection services for special events, including carnivals, fairs, festivals, fireworks shoots, and haunted houses. Organizers should identify the proposed event, site, and activities when approaching the division. A prior inspection of a building does not, by itself, describe the review needed for a separate event held there.
Brush Abatement and Wildfire Readiness
County Fire manages a hazardous brush abatement program for hillside areas within its jurisdiction. Its Fire Prevention overview says homeowners are reminded in January to remove native brush and vegetation around their homes to create defensible space. Fire crews begin inspecting hillside properties in early April. Properties that do not comply with the vegetation clearance regulations described by the department receive a notice of violation.
The overview further explains that, if compliance has still not been achieved by approximately the end of June, a contractor may perform the necessary work and the abatement costs are placed on that parcel’s property tax bill. These dates describe the department’s stated program sequence; they should not be read as a universal deadline for every property. For a question about a notice, identify the property and the specific notice when contacting Fire Prevention. Do not confuse a brush abatement charge on a tax bill with a payment for a fire department class or another service.
The department’s wildfire page covers community education, preparedness, and fuel reduction efforts. It describes wildfire workshops, school programs, and tailored presentations about preparing homes and families. It also says residents may sign up for a complimentary defensible space inspection through the Fire Prevention Division. A defensible space inspection is distinct from the brush abatement enforcement sequence: the former is presented as a service residents can request, while the latter includes property inspections, violation notices, and possible contracted work within the program area.
County Fire’s wildfire materials emphasize preparing before a fire starts. Its website also points readers to Ready, Set, Go information and emergency preparedness material. For a property question, keep the street address and jurisdiction in view while reading those materials. County Fire’s wildfire page directs readers to information specific to their jurisdiction, recognizing that local conditions and responsible agencies can differ across the county.
Community Education and Safety Programs
County Fire’s Community Education page describes fire and life safety and preparedness programs in Campbell, Cupertino, Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, Los Gatos, Monte Sereno, and Saratoga. Its Community Education Office helps individuals, organizations, schools, businesses, and community audiences locate programs and services. The department’s menu includes CPR/AED training, fire extinguisher information, fire station tours, school safety programs, emergency preparedness, and wildfire preparedness.
Program interest does not necessarily mean an event is open for immediate enrollment. County Fire’s homepage displays upcoming events with individual registration details, and the Community Education Office accepts requests for information or a community education program. Review the particular event or program description for its date, location, audience, and registration instructions. A posted event may have a price, while another may have different arrangements; do not assume one listing’s terms apply to every class.
If a school or business is outside the cities served by County Fire, the department directs it to the local fire department for a program or further information. This jurisdiction check is especially useful for a station tour or presentation, where the nearest County Fire station may not be the agency assigned to the school or business location.
Fire Stations and Office Visits
The department publishes a facilities and fire stations directory with administrative facilities, the County Fire Marshal Office, training and maintenance sites, and individual fire stations. These sites serve different purposes. Administrative Headquarters handles general department business during office hours; the Fire Marshal Office is identified separately at the Santa Clara County Government Center; and fire stations house response personnel and apparatus.
Use the directory to identify a facility, not as a substitute for emergency dispatch or as evidence that every location handles walk-in requests. If your matter concerns a plan, inspection, records request, or education program, use the relevant department process and contact information before traveling. The directory’s station listings include places outside the principal cities named in County Fire’s general service description because station placement and service boundaries are separate questions.
Relevant Department Office
Santa Clara County Fire Department Administrative Headquarters — 1315 Dell Avenue, Campbell, CA 95008 — (408) 378-4010
Fire Department FAQs
Did the South County fire service change raise local taxes?
No. Santa Clara County Fire Department says the July 2025 reorganization added no new local taxes or fees. It took over fire and emergency medical service in San Martin and parts of unincorporated Gilroy and Morgan Hill previously covered by the South Santa Clara County Fire District. The department also says the transition did not reduce fire service or close stations. Its South County fire services page explains the change and includes a jurisdiction map if you need to check whether a particular area was affected.
Where can I check the department’s incident numbers?
The department’s official homepage has an Incident Statistics section with a monthly report download and an annual report. Check the reporting period before using a figure: a monthly count and an annual total answer different questions. The reports describe department activity; they are not a way to look up the details of one person’s emergency.
How do I find firefighter job openings?
Start with the Employment & Careers section of the department website. It separates firefighter career information from current openings, job descriptions, salaries and benefits, and volunteer opportunities. Read the current posting for its qualifications, application instructions, and deadline. General career information may explain the role, but it does not establish that applications are open for a particular position.
How can I receive emergency alerts?
Use the “Register for AlertSCC Emergency Notifications” entry on the department’s homepage. Complete the registration steps shown there and keep your location and notification details current so the alerts you receive remain relevant. For an immediate emergency, follow current instructions from responding authorities rather than waiting for a notification.