SERVICES

Below is a comprehensive list of the services and activities provided by City departments to internal and external customers, which describes the City’s operations throughout the Oakland community, including collaborative efforts with other governments and community partners. Internal customers include other City departments and elected officials, while external customers are comprised of residents, businesses, visitors, and similar persons.

Build Community Resilience

​The Emergency Management Services Division builds community resilience through outreach efforts to engage and inform community members and partners about preparedness, response, and recovery. EMSD supports community organizations to create resilience hubs and partners with community organizations to implement special projects and build community resilience. EMSD is working to build community-level resilience by empowering neighborhood organizations and Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) members to lead their own city-developed and approved trainings to reach new audiences in all the communities of Oakland.​ 

Code Compliance & Enforcement

The Fire Prevention Bureau conducts fire safety inspections of the City’s buildings, structures, vacant lots, and cannabis operations. The Bureau also performs, what are termed state-mandated inspections, which include buildings used for public assemblies, educational purposes, institutional facilities, multi-family residential dwellings, and high-rise structures.

Community Emergency Training

The Emergency Management Services Division delivers preparedness, response, and recovery training to community members and partners which provides an enhanced pathway to a stronger and more resilient jurisdiction.

Community Outreach and Information

Conduct community outreach to engage, inform and train community members and partners in preparedness and response activities, mange the volunteer program, and disseminate public information and warnings for all hazards.

Disaster Council

The Emergency Management Serivces Division facilitates the Disaster Council and supports working groups as established by the Council. An accredited disaster council is required to approve disaster plans, enter into the California Master Mutual Aid Agreement, and certify Disaster Service Workers Volunteers.

Disaster Service Worker Volunteer Program and Volunteer Management​ 

​Disaster Service Worker Volunteers are an integral part of the City of Oakland's Emergency Operations Plan to respond and recover from disasters. DSW-Vs expand the capability of the City to support essential activities during emergencies and disasters. Outside of disaster operations, volunteers augment EMSD capacity to deliver outreach and training to community members and partners.

Emergency Response

The Emergency Management Services Division activates the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) for emergencies, disasters, and planned events. EMSD ensures proper processes and procedures are followed during activations as required by the Emergency Operations Plan. EMSD develops and maintains a common operating picture for situational awareness and interdepartmental collaboration. EMSD provides structure for communication flow within and across City departments and partners during activations.

Emergency Response and Communication 

Develop and maintain emergency mitigation, response, recovery plans, and inventory while participating in county and regional planning and preparedness activities. Activate the EOC for emergencies and planned events. Ensure proper processes and procedures for efficient communication within and across City departments during emergencies.

Emergency Response and Recovery Training and Exercises

The Emergency Management Services Division develops and executes the city-wide training and exercise program to build emergency response and recovery capability and capacity. EMSD facilitates development and participates in execution of County and regional training and exercise programs.

Emergency Response and Suppression

The Field Operations Bureau is responsible for emergency medical response, fire suppression, mitigation of disasters and rescue activities. All Risk Mitigation.

Emergency Response, Recovery, and Mitigation Planning

The Emergency Management Services Division develops, coordinates, and maintains all City of Oakland emergency mitigation, response, and recovery plans in coordination with internal and external stakeholders. EMSD collaborates on county, regional, and state emergency planning efforts to ensure a strategic, holistic, and sustainable approach. Every 5 years, EMSD develops the Local Hazard Mitigation Plan and updates it annually. This is a requirement for the City to receive certain types of mitigation and recovery funding in a disaster and it is used as reference in the application for other grants.

Fire Dispatch and Communications

The Fire Dispatch Center serves as the first point of contact for 9-1-1 callers needing fire or medical services in the City of Oakland. Approximately 77,882 calls are processed each year by highly trained staff.

Investigations and Inspections

Investigate suspicious fires, fires resulting in injury or death, and incidents involving hazardous materials, bombs, or incendiary devices. Lead threat and hazard identification efforts to prevent, protect against, mitigate, and respond to hazards. Plan review and approvals of hazardous materials business plan inspections, underground storage tank inspections, and building plans for new construction and improvements to have required fire safety components.

Local Support (Airport Rescue Fire Fighting)​

​Provides Aircraft Rescue Fire Fighting (ARFF) to San Francisco Bay Oakland International Airport to comply with FAA requirements.​

Local Support (Fireboat and US&R)

FEMA-sponsored Search-and-Rescue Team when requested by FEMA or CAOES, maintains the Sea Wolf and other Fire Department rescue boats. Special Operations Battalion Chief handles multi jurisdiction response with internal/external stakeholders such as (BART, Port of Oakland) Part of the county mass mutual aid system.

MACRO

The Mobile Assistance Community Responders of Oakland (MACRO) Program is a community response program for non-violent, non-emergency 911 calls. The purpose of MACRO is to meet the needs of the community with a compassionate care first response model grounded in empathy, service, and community.

Medical Services (MSD) 

The Medical Services Division (MSD) is responsible for providing Oakland Fire Department personnel and Mobile Assistance Community Responders of Oakland (MACRO) responders with continuing education and training that meets the state-mandated minimum requirements for Emergency Medical Technicians (EMT) and Paramedics (EMT-P).

Procure and Maintain Emergency Resources

The Emergency Management Services Division identifies, procures, distributes, and maintains emergency resources and supplies for first responders, emergency responders, and disaster service workers.

Public Information and Warning​ 

​​The Emergency Management Services Division develops Alert and Warning protocols to provide timely and actionable information to the public in an emergency. EMSD disseminates public information and warnings for all hazards in coordination with first responders, dispatch centers, and the City Communications Team. EMSD manages all alert and warning technology (including the city-wide siren system) in coordination with county, state, and federal partners.​  

Recruit and Training

Provide in-service training for the Fire Academy recruits. Coordinate mandated fire-specific training for all existing and recruit personnel, including state required hours of continued education to maintain certifications and licenses.

Support Services

​Support Services is responsible for a broad array of administrative, financial, and programmatic service areas that are essential for maintaining operational readiness. These areas include Fleet Management, utilities, apparatus maintenance and repair, facilities, and other vital services.

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PERFORMANCE MEASURES

Performance Measures are metrics that collect information about operational activities, achievement of goals, community conditions, or other environmental factors to better understand present conditions and inform operational, managerial, policy, and community decisions. Performance Measures are composed of Service Output Measures, which describe a specific service measurement and the numerical value of that service on an annualized basis; and Equitable Service Delivery Success Standards, which describe the “gold standard” target service level for every customer/area of the City, including those who have been historically underserved, and is sometimes expressed as a percentage of the service delivery meeting a specific threshold. Service Levels are designated parameters of City operations, such as weekly facility hours, standard response times for emergency services, and standard response times for requests through OAK311.

Performance measures should identify, track, and improve access to City services for Oakland residents with a goal of continuous improvement in equitable outcomes over time through data collection and analysis. The annualized measurement provided against the Equitable Service Delivery Success Standard will be used to analyze and address areas needing improvement, including racial disparities, for equity purposes. The initial metrics chosen have a particular focus on assuring equitable service delivery to Oakland’s Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) residents, and selected for their potential to advance systemic change and close racial disparities in policy outcomes.

Administration will provide updated performance measures in the FY25-27 Adopted book.

ORGANIZATIONAL CHART

BUREAUS/DIVISIONS

Office of the Fire Chief

Directs overall policy, planning and management of the fire department. Responsible for providing effective leadership for the Department’s operations through strategic planning, financial reporting, performance measures, staff development and training; serves as the liaison to the Oakland community, Department staff, City management, the Mayor and City Council. 

Fiscal & Administrative Services

Manages entry level and promotional recruitments, performance management, worker’s compensation, labor relations; provides training in labor law and practices to supervisory and executive-level staff; provides fiscal administration and analysis, grant management, and payroll and benefits services. 

Support Services

The Support Services Division manages the timely and cost-effective purchase, acquisition, coordination, maintenance and/or repair of Fire Department facilities, fire apparatus, personal protective safety gear, and tool and equipment. In addition, it oversees the Operations of the Fire Dispatch Center which provides dispatch service support for emergency calls and non-emergency calls throughout the City. Coordinates with the Department of Information Technology and Oakland Police Department to implement and maintain the City’s Integrated Public Safety System (IPSS). 

Field Operations

Responsible for emergency medical response, fire suppression, mitigation of disasters and rescue activities. The Field Operations Bureau is the Department’s largest division employing 12 Battalion Chiefs and over 482 suppression personnel. The Field Operations Bureau handles nearly 80,000 emergency incidents a year, which includes fire, rescue, medical aid and other calls for service. 

Fire Prevention

Under the direction of the Fire Marshal, the Fire Prevention Bureau (FPB) provides overall fire code regulatory compliance functions for the City of Oakland. The FPB serves to directly benefit the health and life safety well-being of the entire community, through comprehensive fire protection engineering review and approval of new construction and tenant improvement plans, for fire and life safety comportment, and through comprehensive inspection and enforcement of the CA Fire Code. Annual inspection programs include: State-mandated and operational permit inspections conducted by FPB code inspectors, with non-permitted and multi-unit residential inspections performed by engine company personnel. Vegetation Management inspections in the Very High Fire Danger zones of Oakland Hills are conducted by FPB suppression district inspectors, with residential lots inspected by engine company personnel. The FPB also directly manages hazardous building referrals from engine companies for a thorough compliance enforcement follow-up; and coordinates fire cause investigations with three sworn investigators. The FPB has a very robust Public Fire Education Program (ages pre-school to seniors) that reaches thousands of citizens annually. 

Emergency Management Services

Medical Services

Ensures voter-mandated emergency medical services to the citizens, businesses and visitors of Oakland; manages programs related to continuous paramedic training in accordance with local, state and federal guidelines; maintains inventory of equipment for Basic/Advanced Life Support and tracks and manages all licenses and certifications for all paramedics and EMTs; develops preventive health programs for the community; provides EMT and Paramedic-related classes, such as CPR, First Aid and Automated External Defibrillation. Medical Services also is home to the Mobile Assistance Community Responders of Oakland (MACRO) Program, which is a community response program for non-violent, non-emergency 911 calls. MACRO’s purpose is to meet the community's needs with a compassionate care first-response model grounded in empathy, service, and community. MACRO's goal is to reduce police responses, resulting in fewer arrests and negative interactions and increased access to community-based services and resources for impacted individuals and families, most especially for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC). 

DEPARTMENT FACTS

Established in 1869, the Oakland Fire Department (OFD) has a rich history of dedicated men and women providing the highest quality and highest level of courteous and responsive service to the residents and visitors of Oakland. This is accomplished by implementing comprehensive strategies and training in fire prevention, fire suppression, emergency medical services, and all risk mitigation, including: human-caused and natural disasters, emergency preparedness, 9-1-1 services and community-based fire services.

OFD includes:

• 493 authorized sworn personnel for fire suppression and emergency response (24-hour shifts or 40-hour position assignments)
• 136.7 authorized (full and part-time) civilian personnel
• 30 authorized trainees
• 25 Fire Stations, which includes equipment and resources such as:
  • 24 engine apparatus
  • 7 aerial apparatus
  • Hazardous materials response team
  • Technical rescue team
  • Airport rescue company
  • Water rescue team
  • Specialized wildland response apparatus
• Over 60,000 response calls annually, of which 80% are calls for emergency medical services