History of the Nevada City Fire Department

The Nevada City Fire Department was organized in June 1860 as a Volunteer Fire Department and has been in continual operation since then. According to historical records, it was the women of Nevada City who took the first step toward the organization of a permanent Fire Department by holding a ball at the court house and later a theatrical show. Monies earned from these events went into a fund to be held in trust toward the formation of the Fire Department.

The department was broken into three companies, with one of these companies not lasting long. Two companies were in operation for many years. The buildings that housed these two companies are still standing today in down town Nevada City. The Nevada Hose Company 1 located on Main Street was in use until 1938 and is used today to house the Nevada County Historical Museum. The other was the Pennsylvania Engine Company 2 located on Broad Street. The engine bay of this building is still in use today and houses our reserve engine, a 1951 FWD Type 2 Engine.

In 1860 the City of Nevada City was roughly one square mile. Today the city has grown to around two square miles. We have a population of 3,008 people living permanently in the city. The population increases quite a bit in the daytime and evening hours by the draw of tourists to our beautiful Historical District, students and merchants. We are also the county seat for Nevada County and house many county services including the Courts, Jail, Social Services, Planning and Building Departments, the Tax Assessor, and the Board of Supervisors, so many of our county citizens visit Nevada City on a regular basis.

With a current staff of 16 volunteers, a part-time paid Chief and two full-time Engineers, the fire department responds to around 550 calls for service a year. A majority of these calls are of the medical type so most of our volunteers are Emergency Medical Technicians. We have a minimum of three trainings a month.

The fire department currently has three engines, one brush engine, and two utility vehicles to cover the city. We also respond to calls in other jurisdictions under a mutual aid agreement. Our volunteers have been out on numerous wild land fire and other disasters with the US Forest Service, the California Department of Forestry, and the Office of Emergency Services.

Our funding comes from general fund revenues generated by taxes including sales tax and fees charged by the city. These funds are shared with Public Works, Water and Waste Water, and the Police Department. Our firefighters Association also raises funds to supplement our budget and has purchase special pieces of equipment such as heart defibrillators and radios.

All content © 2010 Nevada City Fire Department.