San Antonio Fire Department

The department got its start on June 6, 1854, when a group of 20 San Antonians met to organize an all volunteer fire department.[4] The company, initially called the Ben Milam Fire Company No. 1, consisted only of a bucket brigade.[4] In 1856 the first hand pumped fire engine and hose real was purchased. On February 8, 1858, Fire Company No. 1 received its official charter from state naming it “The Fire Company of the City of San Antonio."

On December 22, 1859, the Alamo Fire Association No. 2 was placed in service after the Ben Milam Fire Company was deemed too small to handle major fires in city of greater than 8,000 residents. Fire Company No. 2 operated on the Eastside of the river. Alamo No. 2 was chartered by the state on February 11, 1860 and was the first fire company in the city to receive a horse dawn steamer.

During the American Civil War, fire protection was provided by slaves and the Confederate Army leading to the founding of the Colored Fire Companies in 1865 and 1866. Fire Company No. 3 and Fire Company No. 4 received zero funding from the city while providing fire protection to the city with nothing but hand pumps and buckets. Both fire companies were disbanded by 1881.[5]

After the Civil War, a need for additional fire companies and capabilities was recognized. The San Antonio Turn Verein Athletic Club organized the 5th Fire Company which was charted the following year as the Turner Hook & Ladder Company.

Over the course of several years, fire companies continued to grow and new equipment began to be purchased. By 1873, the city funded horses and paid drivers to haul the steam pumper to the scene of fires. In the spring of 1878, the city officially founded the San Antonio Volunteer Fire Department.[6]

As the city of San Antonio continued to expand and grow, so did the volunteer fire companies. During the early 1880s, three new fire companies were established. The first was the Second Ward Hose Company which was founded on April 14, 1883. The Sunset Hose Company No. 1 was established in early 1885 then on October 16, 1885, the Mission Hose Company No. 4 was formed.[7]

In March 1891, the department transitioned to a paid department to keep up with the growing city. "San Antonio Fire Department History". MT Publishing. January 1, 2011. p. 128. ISBN 978-1-934-72960-1.

The San Antonio Fire Department operates out of 54 stations strategically placed across the city. Below is a listing of all stations and their assigned apparatus. Eight Battalion Chiefs oversee day-to-day operations for the city’s 54 firehouses with a Fire Shift Commander overseeing the eight BC's each shift. There is a Medic Shift Commander that is responsible for overseeing the six Medical Officers. Each Medical Officer (MOF) is responsible for overseeing five to six Medic units and supporting their daily operations. Battalion Chief 8 is the “Special Operations Command” (SOC) Battalion Chief and is responsible for overseeing operations for the Technical Rescue, Hazardous Materials, Wildland/Urban Interface,Hazardous Materials Teams and other teams while Medic Officer 6 is the SOC MOF who is responsible for overseeing Medic 1 and Medic 45; the two Medical Special Operations Unit (MSOU) units in the city.

February 18, 2021 – TPC Parkway Fire – 5th alarm fire at a five-story apartment building. SAFD responded mutual aid to assist the Bexar-Bulverde Fire Department. Fire crews were hampered by a lack of water due to the 2021 winter storms.

January 30, 2019 – Galm Road Rollover – First time low titer O + whole blood (LTOWB) was used successfully for a traumatic arrest in the field.[8]

May 18, 2018 – Ingram Square Fire – 4th alarm fire in a CrossFit gym inside a strip mall that resulted in the Line of Duty Death of Firefighter Scott Deem and injured two other firefighters. The fire was ruled an arson fire.[9]

November 5, 2017 – Sutherland Springs church shooting – STRAC EMTF-8 Ambus and Medical Task Force were deployed and responded to the church to assist with transportation. The Crisis Response Team also responded and provided peer support to the numerous responding agencies and families.

December 28, 2014 – Wedgewood Fire – 3rd Alarm fire at a high-rise senior living facility in Castle Hills, Texas. Five People were killed and 18 others injured after a fire broke out on the third floor. San Antonio Fire responded mutual aid to assist. A Medical Task Force was also dispatched to assist in relocating the dozens of rescued senior citizens.[10]