Fire

Department Overview

The Williamsburg Fire Department is a combination career and volunteer department. The career staff consists of roughly 43 members divided among administrative staff and operations personnel.

Operations personnel are assigned to three shifts of 11 members per shift. Each shift is comprised of a Battalion Chief, a Captain, a Fire Inspector, several Paramedic/Firefighters, and Firefighter/Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs).

Additionally, Monday through Friday, 8:00 am to 4:30 pm there is an Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Chief, Community Risk Reduction (CRR) Chief, and Mobile Integrated Healthcare (MIH) Coordinator on duty.

Mission Statement

The mission of the Williamsburg Fire Department is to ensure a prompt, safe, and timely response to emergencies of an all-hazardous nature. To diligently enforce all life safety measures to ensure a safe and livable community for citizens and visitors.

In order to accomplish such a broad mission, members of the Williamsburg Fire Department are trained to respond to a variety of situations including fires, hazardous materials releases, medical emergencies, structural and confined space rescues, and other situations that may arise. Additionally, members are trained and certified in fire code compliance and plan review.

Emergency Management

The Fire Chief, the Deputy Fire Chief, the EMS Chief, and the CRR Chief play an integral role in Emergency Management. Each member performs specific tasks on the Emergency Management Team where they are tasked with the responsibility for preparation, maintenance, and execution of the city's Emergency Operation Plan. Additionally, the Fire Department houses the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) where all community resources coordinate large-scale event responses.

Operations

Services provided by the Williamsburg Fire Department include:

• Emergency Medical Services (EMS)
• Emergency Management
• Community Risk Reduction and Education
• Fire Suppression
• Special Operations Teams
• Mobile Integrated Healthcare (MIH)
• Safety Seat Installations 
• Special Event Medical and Fire Support

Volunteer Department

The department also maintains a volunteer organization consisting of roughly twenty-five members that serve the city through EMS and Fire response support and staffing. The volunteer organization also raises funds to support career operations. The Williamsburg Volunteer Fire Department has its own command structure that reports directly to the career Fire Chief.

Response Area

The dedicated men and women of the Williamsburg Fire Department provide twenty-four-hour emergency services to approximately ten square miles. Included within the city boundaries are Colonial Williamsburg, a 1.5 square mile outdoor museum of 18th-century structures; and the College of William and Mary.

Each of these areas presents unique hazard potential within the city limits. The department also maintains an extensive and comprehensive automatic mutual aid program with James City County and York County Fire Departments.