Fire Department

MISSION STATEMENT

Protecting Our Quality of Life
DEPARTMENT VALUES

We value every man, woman, & child above all else.
We value our quality of life.
We value our obligation and responsibility.
We value our Department as,
"citizen owned and citizen operated"

The Department: After 50+ years as an all-volunteer agency (prior to City incorporation in 1959, fire service was provided through the Fairgrove Fire District), the Grover Beach City Council authorized the City's first full-time Fire Department with the approval of the FY 05 Budget. The Department now has four full-time Fire Captain positions, three full-time Fire Engineer positions, and continued the Paid-Call Firefighter Program. The City Council also authorized entering into a Joint Management Agreement with the neighboring community of Arroyo Grande for management and administrative services of a Fire Chief to Grover Beach. Each station retains its own personnel, equipment and identity.

Grover Beach Fire Department
Arroyo Grande & Grover Beach Fire Training - 2006

In 2005, the combined response for both stations was approximately 2,600 calls, with an average response time of 4.4 minutes. The community benefits from an effective automatic aid program between surrounding agencies for all major incidents. The Grover Beach and Arroyo Grande Fire Departments also participate in Mutual Aid assignments throughout the state.
The Fire Chief oversees administrative functions, daily operations, and response capabilities of the Grover Beach Fire Department. Fire Captains
will oversee fire prevention, fire protection systems, code enforcement, and training programs. The Fire Department also has a full-time Administrative Secretary.
The department responds to calls related to medical emergencies, public assistance requests, hazardous materials emergencies, automatic/mutual aid, vehicle accidents, false alarms and structure fires. The Fire Department is also instrumental in disaster planning and public education.

Programs

Public Education: The majority of public education activities are directed toward the children of the community. Many programs are provided at the three elementary schools, along with occasional presentations at day care facilities and at the fire station.
As part of National Fire Prevention Month, the Department hosts an annual Open House at the Fire Station. The event includes representatives from neighboring fire departments, law enforcement, state parks, and utility companies to interact and educate the community.
Fire Prevention: This program offers services to businesses and the general public. Annual visits are conducted for home health care facilities and child care facilities as well as annual inspections of existing businesses. Visits are made to businesses to ensure a fire safe building and to provide the owner with safety tips. Visits to residential areas are initiated through invitation or complaints from neighbors. These services are provided with the philosophy of minimizing potential fire hazards and preserving the business or residence.
The Grover Beach Fire Department, through the Smoke Detector Program, will be happy to install a new smoke detector or test and replace the battery in your current detector – absolutely FREE!
For more information regarding this free program, please call the Grover Beach Fire Department at 805-473-4590.

“Protect Your Family . . . Install a Smoke Detector”
Weed Abatement: The purpose of this program is to reduce the potential for the spread of fire from one property to another and to make the suppression of a fire on a particular lot achievable. It is the intent of the City to encourage property owners to maintain their property in a safe condition. Each property owner in violation is contacted via first class mail. After a public hearing is conducted, property owners are given thirty (30) days to clear their properties. After re-inspections of the properties are conducted, lots still found in violation are referred to a contract for clearing.
Code Enforcement: The purpose of this program is to reduce the inventory of community fire and life safety hazards, nuisances, and visual blight. The program is coordinated under the Fire Department and includes other City personnel as needed, including Police, Building and Safety, and Planning personnel. You may submit comments or concerns regarding a code enforcement issue to: CodeEnforcement@grover.org or call the Fire Department (805) 473-4590.

Employment Opportunities
Interested in serving your community and beginning a career in the fire service?

Check out Employment Opportunities with the Fire Department!

Paid-Call Firefighters who serve our community enthusiastically juggle personal responsibilities as spouses, parents, students, and employment pursuits with their dedication to protect our community.
While the work is often strenuous and tiring, there are many rewards as well. Paid-call Firefighters are continuously perfecting their skills through weekly training sessions, college course work, and specialty classes offered by the San Luis Obispo County Training Officers' Association. It's not all work though, members and their families also have a great deal of fun in the many activities the Firefighters' Association hosts each year.

Department Contact Information
There are several ways to contact the Fire Department:

by phone at (805) 473-4590
by e-mail to fire@grover.org
by e-mail regarding a code enforcement concern to CodeEnforcement@grover.org or
in person: the Fire Station is located at 701 Rockaway Avenue, Grover Beach (corner of South 7th Street and Rockaway Avenue). Regular business hours are Mon - Fri, 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.

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