North County Fire Protection District (San Diego County, California)

== Area Served ==
The North County Fire Protection District (NCFPD) provides fire protection and emergency medical services to an unincorporated area in the northwest corner of San Diego County, Southern California, including the unincorporated communities of Fallbrook, Bonsall, Rainbow, Pala Mesa, De Luz, and Winterwarm, as well as an additional 40 square miles of unincorporated land outside its primary service area. The district is situated along Interstate 15 in the foothills of the Peninsular Mountain Range, some 40 miles north of downtown San Diego, has a population of approximately 52,000, and encompasses an area covering approximately 90 square miles. Interstate 15 transects the district on a north-south trajectory connecting San Diego to southwestern parts Los Angeles and on to Las Vegas. Along the southern part of the district is Highway 76 that creates an east-west corridor between Pala Mesa and Oceanside. The district is described as a semi-rural area with a series of hills, valleys, and drainage areas. It is bordered by the Santa Ana and Santa Margarita Mountains, the Agua Tibia Wilderness area, as well as Riverside County to the north, the Pala Indian Reservation and the unincorporated hamlet of Lilac to the east, the City of Vista and the unincorporated community of Hidden hills to the south, and the City of Oceanside as well as Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, along with the unincorporated communities of Camp Pendleton South and Camp Pendleton Mainside, to the west.
=== Mutual Aid ===
The North County Fire Protection District has mutual aid agreements with the CAL FIRE San Diego Unit, the Camp Pendleton Fire Department, the Oceanside Fire Department, the San Marcos Fire Department, the Vista Fire Department, the Pala Fire Department, the Valley Center Fire Protection District, and the Pechanga Fire Department
== Department Profile ==
The North County Fire Protection District is budgeted for 78 full-time employees, both sworn and non-sworn/support staff to provide structural and wildfire firefighting, emergency medical response, fire investigation, fire prevention, and public education to the citizens of the district. The district operates on a three platoon system, working 48 hours on and 96 hours off. Staffing for each shift is twenty-two personnel, including a battalion chief. Its resources include five fire stations, and nine front-line emergency apparatus comprised of five Type 1 paramedic assessment engine companies, three paramedic ambulances and one battalion chief vehicle. Engine companies are staffed with three personnel. Paramedic rescue ambulances are staffed with 2 personnel, while the platoon commander vehicle is staffed with 1 battalion chief. In addition. NCFPD cross staffs three Type 6 wildland engine companies and an OES Type 1 engine company. North County Fire also has a number of unstaffed (12) and reserve (7) units. North County FPD does not have a dedicated training facility. The district responded to 1,470 calls for service in 2020, 69% of which were medical responses
===Dispatch===
The North County Fire Protection District is a member of a regional fire and emergency services communication system called the North County Dispatch Joint Powers Authority, commonly referred to as "North Comm", located in the City of Rancho Santa Fe, which provides dispatch services for 15 fire agencies in North San Diego County.
==History==
Back in the fall of 1888, the only firefighting organization in Fallbrook was a bucket brigade. The only water supply was from well windmills and tanks. When a fire was discovered, a church bell rang out the alarm and everyone within hearing distance would join in to fight the fire. The first piece of firefighting equipment, a hose cart, was acquired in 1926. It was pulled to a fire by available manpower and used in conjunction with the newly installed water system on Main Avenue. In 1928, a county-owned Model "A" Ford fire truck was stationed in Fallbrook under the auspices of the California Division of Forestry. It was stored at the Tax May's Fallbrook garage. Vic Westfall was Fallbrook's first volunteer Fire Chief. On April 26, 1947, the Fallbrook Volunteer Fire District was recorded with the San Diego County Recorder's Office from a certificate signed by thirteen volunteer firemen. In in 1948 the Fallbrook Volunteer Fire District was one of the first fire agencies to use short wave radios between units, units to station, and from units to aircraft. In 1949, a group of citizens formed a committee to establish a local fire district and in 1953 the Fallbrook Local Fire District was formed. Following changes in the state law, the Fallbrook Local Fire District was reorganized as the Fallbrook Fire Protection District. A new station was eventually constructed on East Ivy Street with another station on Winterwarm Drive. In 1987 the Fallbrook Fire Protection District reorganized again with the Rainbow Volunteer Fire District (CSA-7) to form the North County Fire Protection District. The community of Rainbow was fully absorbed into District operations in 2018. In 2004, the NCFD began participating in the ‘boundary drop’ program with other northern San Diego County fire agencies. Under this program, the closest available unit is dispatched to emergencies, regardless of jurisdictional boundaries. On March 22, 2022, the board of directors of the North County Fire Protection District agreed to deploy a BLS ambulance staffed with two single-role emergency medical technicians to Vista Fire Station 6 at 651 East Vista Way to assist with the increasing medical call volume. 
===Fire Stations===
Station	Address 	In Service	Notes
3 	4157 Olive Hill Road, Fallbrook 	2008-2018 	Closed and replaced by former Rainbow VFD Fire Station 1
5 	31403 Old River Road, Bonsall 	1982-2015 	Closed and replaced by new Fire Station 5
6 	6395 Rainbow Heights Road, Fallbrook 	2000-? 	Ex-Rainbow VFD Fire Station 2
7 	2309 Rainbow Valley Boulevard, Rainbow	2000-2018 	Ex-Rainbow VFD Fire Station 1 / Re-designated as North County Fire Station 3
==Apparatus Roster==
All pump/tank measurements are in US gallons.
===Fire Station 1 - 315 East Ivy Street, Fallbrook===
Dedicated 1963
*Medic 110 (ALS) - 2021 Ford E-450 Type III (CA#1611767) (VIN#1FDXE4FN8MDC00533)
*Engine 111 (ALS) - 2019 Pierce Arrow XT 6710 PUC (1500/500/30A) (SN#32815-01) (CA#1450164) (VIN#4P1BAAFF6KA020426)
*Medic 111 (ALS) - 2017 Ford E-450 / Life Line Superliner Type III (CA#1481460) (VIN#1FDXE4FS4HDC21357)
*Battalion 111 - 2017 Ford F-250 4x4 w/ Leer canopy (CA#1526569) (VIN#1FT7W2B64HEC86069)
*Reserve Battalion - 2007 Chevrolet SIlverado 2500 4x4 (CA#1251291) (VIN#1GCHK23D57F118804) (Ex-Battalion 111)
===Fire Station 2 - 2180 Winterwarm Drive, Gird Valley===
Dedicated 1963 / Rebuilt 2008
*Engine 112 (ALS) - 2012 Pierce Saber (1500/500/30A) (SN#25220) (CA#13711XX) (Ex-Engine 1511, ex-Rainbow Volunteer Fire Department)
*Brush 112 - 2002 International 4900 4x4 / Pierce Hawk initial attack (1000,120aux/500/?A/?B) (SN#6001-03050746) (CA#1138730)
===Fire Station 3 - 2309 Rainbow Valley Boulevard, Rainbow===
Dedicated 1976 / Rebuilt 2008
*Engine 113 (ALS) - 2012 Pierce Arrow XT 7010 PUC (1250/500/30A) (SN#25046) (CA#1298951)
*Brush 113 - 2002 International 4900 4x4 / Pierce Hawk initial attack (1000,120aux/500/?A/?B) (SN#6001-03050753) (CA#1138731) (VIN#1HTSDADR52H549972) (Ex-Brush Engine 1561, ex-Rainbow Volunteer Fire Department)
*Water Tender 113 - 2005 International 4400 / Pierce Contender elliptical (500/2100/20A) (SN#16281) (CA#1184706) (VIN#1HTMKAZR55H141189) (Ex-Water Tender 1551, ex-Rainbow Volunteer Fire Department, ex-Elko Fire Department (Nevada))
*Engine 117 (Reserve) - 2008 Pierce Arrow XT PUC pumper (1500/500/30A) (SN#20446) (CA#1176104) (Ex-Engine 113)
*DRAFTS Unit - tandem-axle trailer (CA#1619573)
===Fire Station 4 - 4375 Pala Mesa Drive, Pala Mesa===
Dedicated 1979 
*Engine 114 - 
*Brush 114 - 2017 International 7400 4x4 / BME Type 3 wildland (500/500/20A) (CA#1516575) (VIN#3HAWETAR5JL631644)
*Rescue Ambulance 114 (ALS) - 2018 Ford E-450 / Life Line Superliner Type III (CA#1423439) (VIN#1FDXE4FS0GDC55908)
*Engine 116 (Reserve) - 2006 Pierce Dash 2000 (1500/500/30A) (SN#18200) (CA#1371178) (Ex-Engine 115)
*Water Tender 116 (Reserve) -
*Medic (Reserve) - 2009 Chevrolet Express 4500 / Life Line Type III (CA#1367422)
*Medic (Reserve) - 2017 Ford E-450 / Life Line Superliner Type III (Ex-Medic Ambulance 114)
===Fire Station 5 - 5906 Olive Hill Road, Bonsall===
Dedicated March 20, 2015
*Engine 115 (ALS) - 2019 Pierce Arrow XT 6710 PUC (1500/500/30A) (SN#32815-02) (CA#1450165) (VIN#4P1BAAFF8KA020427)
*Medic 115 (ALS) - 2018 Ford E-450 / Life Line Superliner Type III (CA#1516582) (VIN#1FDXE4FS7JDC33122)
*Cal OES 6121 - 2019 HME Ahrens-Fox 1871-SFO SMFD Type 1 (1250/800/20F) (CA#1562262) (VIN#44KFT428XKWZ23219) (Ex-OES Engine 419)
===Station/Assignment Unknown===
*Chief 1101 (Fire Chief) - 2020 Ford Explorer AWD (CA#1604793) (VIN#1FM5K8AB3LGC13322)
*Chief 1102 - 2021 Ford F-150 4x4 w/ canopy (CA#1635398) (VIN#1FTFW1E89MKE68476)
*Chief 1103 -
*Chief 1104 - 2022 Ford F-150 4x4 w/ canopy (CA#1655815) (VIN#1FTFW1E82NKE92054)
*BLS 116 -
*2022 Ram 5500 (CA#1645716) (VIN#3C7WRNBL6NG255732)
*2008 International 7400 4x4 / Placer Type 3 wildland (500/500/20A/CAFS) (Ex-Brush Engine 1164)
*2008 International 7400 4x4 / Pierce Type 3 wildland (500/500/25A) (CA#1298967) (Ex-Brush Engine 1521, ex-Rainbow Volunteer Fire Department)
*2008 Ford Expedition (Ex-Battalion 111)
*2002 International 4900 4x4 / Pierce Hawk initial attack (1000,120aux/500/?A/?B) (SN#6001-03261875) (Ex-Brush Engine 114)
==Retired Apparatus==
:2018 Ford E-450 / Life Line Superliner Type I ambulance (CA#1554343) (Ex-BLS Ambulance 116) (Involved in a MVA on December 24, 2022, sustaining major damage)
:2017 HME-Ahrens Fox 1871-SFO SMFD Model 18 Type 1 pumper (1250/800/20F) (Cal OES Engine 402 - Returned to OES)
:2003 Pierce Dash 2000 pumper (1500/500/30F) (SN#14388)
:2002 International 4900 4x4 / Pierce Hawk initial attack (1000,120aux/500/?A/?B) (SN#6001-03163076) (Sold to Ripon Fire District (California))
:2002 International 4900 4x4 / Pierce Hawk initial attack (1000,120aux/500/?A/?B) (SN#6001-02508518) (Sold to University of California Santa Cruz Fire Department)
:2001 HME 1871-SFO SMFD / Westates Type 1 pumper (1250/750/20F) (Cal OES Engine 306 - Returned to OES)
:1997 Ford F-Super Duty 4x4 / Becker (port./280/10A/10B) (CA#022237) (Ex-Squad 1591, ex-Rainbow Volunteer Fire Department (California)
:1994 HME 1871 / Central States pumper (1250/750) (Ex-Engine 117 Reserve)
:1990 International / Central States (100/200) (Ex-Rescue 1190)
:1990 Spartan / General Safety pumper (1500/500/100F) (Ex-Engine 117 Reserve, ex-Engine 1111)
:1990 Spartan / General Safety pumper (1500/500/100F) (Ex-Engine 1115)
:1990 Spartan / General Safety pumper (1500/500/100F) (Ex-Engine 1114)
:1989 Ford C-8000 / Ward 79 pumper (1000/750/20B) (CA#261253) (Ex-Engine 1512, ex-Engine 1511, ex-Rainbow Volunteer Fire Department)
:1988 Ford C-8000 / G. Paoletti Type 3 wildland (500/1100) (CA#094733) (Ex-Brush 1165)
:1988 Ford C-8000 / G. Paoletti Type 3 wildland (500/1100) (Ex-Brush 1161)
:1988 Chevrolet Suburban (Ex-Squad 1581, ex-Rainbow Volunteer Fire Department)
:1987 Ford C-8000 / Ward 79 pumper (750/500) (Ex-Rescue 1561, ex-Rainbow Volunteer Fire Department)
:1976 GMC / E-One Type 3 wildland (250/500) (Ex-Brush Engine 1162) (Ex-Fallbrook Fire Protection District)
:1975 International 2050A / Van Pelt pumper (1000/800/20A) (SN#724635) (Cal OES Engine 191 - Returned to OES)
:1973 International / Van Pelt pumper (1000/600) (Ex-Engine 1113) (Ex-Fallbrook Fire Protection District)
:1971 Crown CP-125-85D Firecoach pumper (1250/500) (CA#81246) (Ex-Engine 1112, ex-Engine 1111, ex-Fallbrook Fire Protection District) (Restored and preserved by private owner)
:1971 GMC / Central pumper (1250/750) (Ex-Engine 1514, ex-Rainbow Volunteer Fire Department)
:1957 Dodge W-500 Power Wagon / Howe wildland (CA#68002) (Ex-Brush 12, ex-Fallbrook Fire Protection District) (Restored and preserved by private owner)
:1956 Crown Firecoach pumper (1250 Waterous/500) (SN#F1064) (Ex-Los Angeles County Fire Department)
==External Links==
*North County Fire Protection District
==Station Map==
Category:San Diego County
Category:California departments operating Becker apparatus
Category:California departments operating BME apparatus
Category:California departments operating Pierce apparatus
Category:Departments operating Placer apparatus
Category:Former operators of Crown apparatus
Category:Former operators of Paoletti apparatus
Category:Former operators of Ward 79 apparatus