Interim Fire Chief
Scott S.G. Vermeer

Thank you for visiting our Fire Department web site. I hope that your visit will give you a better idea about the many programs and services that our department provides. The men and women of our department are very proud to provide a high level of customer service to our citizens. We are truly an “all risk” fire department. Our firefighters are on duty 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, to help you in any emergency situation.

Our 69 line firefighters are deployed strategically throughout the city in one of five neighborhood fire stations. Because of this deployment, a crew of firefighters can reach any location in the city in five minutes or less. This rapid response time is critical to successfully handling an incident, whether it be a fire, accident, or medical emergency. Each fire station is staffed with at least one paramedic at all times. This allows our fire crews to start advanced life support services, such as intravenous drug therapy or cardiac defibrillation, as soon as we arrive.

We handle many specialized emergencies as well. We have a fully trained Hazardous Materials Response team on duty every day to respond as needed to chemical emergencies, transportation accidents, or terrorist events. Our Truck and Rescue crew members receive advanced training in technical rescue. This training combined with our complement of specialized rescue equipment allows our firefighters to handle many varied types of special rescues.

Another important mission of our department is preventing fires and chemical emergencies. This is the job of our Fire and Environmental Protection Division. The 10 members of this division conduct fire prevention, chemical safety, water quality, and housing inspections. They work diligently throughout the year to address risk factors in the city that could result in fires or environmental damage. When a fire or chemical emergency does occur, members of the Fire and Environmental Protection Division conduct investigations to identify the cause and hopefully prevent similar incidents in the future. On suspicious fires, our Deputy Fire Marshals work closely with the Police Department to collect evidence and identify and arrest the responsible parties.

Our department is also responsible for Emergency Preparedness throughout the city. We work with city staff to ensure that the city’s Emergency Plan is up-to-date and exercised regularly. Our Emergency Operations Center in the basement of the Police/Fire Administration building is used by the entire city staff as a command center in case of a major emergency, such as an earthquake.

We also work with businesses, schools and neighborhood groups to encourage and facilitate community emergency preparation efforts. An important part of this outreach is our Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) training program, offered several times a year to all interested residents. Participants receive training in fire control, search and rescue, basic first aid, and principles of emergency management. Trained CERT volunteers serve as an important resource to their fellow citizens and public safety personnel in case of a major disaster.

We encourage you to provide us feedback on any of the services that we provide. We are always looking for ways to do a better job of serving you, our customer. We welcome your ideas and comments. You can email them to:scott.vermeer@mountainview.gov or through regular mail to me at 1000 Villa Street, Mountain View, California 94041.

Scott S.G. Vermeer

Interim Fire Chief