Willows Fire Department

== Area Served ==
The Willows Fire Department (WFD) provides fire protection and emergency medical services for the city of Willows, formerly Willow, as well as for the Willows Rural Fire Protection District, located 75 miles northwest of the City of Sacramento in the Sacramento Valley region of Glenn County, Northern California. The city's name honors a tree that grows quickly, whose branches bend but do not break. Incorporated as a city on January 16, 1886, it encompasses an area covering 2.9 square miles (city) and 78 square miles (district), and serves a population of approximately 7,000 (city) and 3,000 (district). The city of Willows is bordered by the unincorporated Glenn County communities of Bluegum and Artois to the north, Bayliss to the northeast, and Glenn to the east, the Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge to the south, and the unincorporated community of Fruto to the west-northwest. 
=== Mutual Aid ===
The Willows FD has mutual aid agreements with the Orland Volunteer Fire Department, the Bayliss Volunteer Fire Department, the Artois Volunteer Fire Department, the Kanawa Fire Protection District, the Glenn-Colusa Fire Protection District, the Glenn-Codora Fire Protection District, the Maxwell Fire Department, and the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.
== Department Profile ==
The Willows Fire Department is a mixed paid/volunteer department budgeted for five paid staff, which includes the fire chief, a fire prevention captain and three fire engineers, supplemented by approximately 30 plus volunteer firefighters. The department has a daily staffing of 6 firefighters, including the fire chief and one reserve FF. WFD's response area is made up of two districts, one being the Willows City district and the other being the Willows Rural Fire Protection District. Willows' resources include a single fire station and seven front-line emergency vehicles comprised of one Type 1 engine company, one quint aerial ladder truck company, and one battalion chief vehicle, working three 24-hour rotating shifts. In addition. Willows cross staffs one Type 6 and two Type 3 wildland companies, one OES Type-1 engine company, one tactical water tender, and one air cascade trailer. WFD responded to 1087 incidents (both city and district) in 2021, 75% of which were medical calls.
== History ==
The Willows Fire Department was organized in 1887 with two hose companies, each equipped with carts holding various fire equipment, including axes, ladders, nozzles and hose. It wasn’t until 1914 that the city purchased their its first motorized apparatus, a pumper. Prior to this time, fire protection for Willows consisted of a volunteer bucket brigade. The Fire Hall was located at City Hall on North Butte Street at the location of the present day "Willow Walk Mall" and would stay at that location until the rise of the present day downtown developed in the 1960’s. In 1974 the Willows Rural Fire Protection District was formed to provide services to the unincorporated area surrounding the city. The Willows Fire Department has provided services under contract to the Willows Rural Fire Protection District since it was created.
=== Fire Stations ===
Station 	Address 	In Service 	Notes
Fire Hall / HQ	North Butte Street	1914 - 1962	Closed and replaced by current central fire station; currently Willow Walk Mall
==Apparatus Roster==
All pump/tank measurements are in US gallons.
===Central Fire Station - 445 South Butte Street===
Dedicated 1962
:Chief 1 - 2018 Ford F-250 4x4
:Engine 2 (Reserve) - 1994 HME 1871-SFO / 1996 Central States (1250/750) (SN#1125696)
:Engine 3 - 2019 HME Ahrens-Fox 1871-SFO SMD Model 18 Type 1 (1250/850) (SN#23282)
:Truck 4 - 2004 HME 1871 / Ferrara (1500/400/77' rear-mount) (SN#H-2015) 
:Utility 7 (Reserve) - 2002 Chevrolet 2500 4x4
:Engine 12 - 2006 Ford F-series 4x4 Type 6 wildland 
:Engine 14 - 2004 HME 1871 / Westates Type 3 wildland (500/800/20A) (SN#03-941-04) 
:Water Tender 15 - 2016 
:Engine 16 - 2000 International 4900 / Central States Type 3 wildland (500/750) (SN#101384) 
:Cal OES Engine 370 - 2012 HME Ahrens-Fox 1871-SFO SMFD Model 18 Type 1 (1250/750/20F)
:Air Cascade Trailer - 2007 trailer
==Retired Apparatus==
:1995 Chevrolet V3500 / Stahl rescue (Ex-Rescue 9)
:1985 GMC TopKick / Van Pelt pumper (1250/750) (SN#831265) (Ex-Engine 3)
:1979 Ford C / Westates Type 6 wildland (500/500) (SN#5294) (Ex-Engine 12) 
:1978 International CO1950B / American LaFrance pumper (1250/500/50' Tele-Squrt) (SN#1-6107) (Ex-Engine 4) 
:1978 Freightliner / Dietz tanker (250/3500) (Ex-Water Tender 15)
==External Links==
*Willows Fire Department
==Station Map==
Category:Glenn County
Category:California departments operating Central States apparatus
Category:California departments operating Ferrara apparatus
Category:California departments operating HME Ahrens-Fox apparatus
Category:California departments operating Westates apparatus
Category:Former operators of American LaFrance apparatus
Category:Former operators of Van Pelt apparatus