Fire Station Numbering

[mcjones94]

I don't know if this really belongs here but I've been wondering this for a while.

How does fire station numbering work? Meaning how do stations get assigned their numbers?

I live in Sacramento and the highest station is 117. There are alot of stations skipped though. Why are some numbers skipped?

Thanks!

 

[code3cowboy]

It depends entirely on the agency.

 

[byndhlptom]

FD Station numbers

I can think of several reasons that station numbers may not be sequential or have number gaps

1) The agency has a "grand" plan that is not complete, ie, as money comes available they will add the missing stations.

2) consolidation of existing stations may require both retiring of old numbers, and assigning new

3) combining of jurisdictions will often have you end up with non-sequential station assignments, ei, annexing a new area.

4) new "management" doesn't like the old assignments, is changing to a "new, better" system

I'm sure that other reasons exist.....

tom

 

[n5ims]

Some station numbers were skipped due to limitations in the old signalling equipment used to alert the stations that they had a call. For example, some used a series of chimes to notify the station, e.g. for station 21 it sent out a series of two chimes, a pause, and then a single chime. Since there wasn't a way to indicate a 0, there generally wasn't a station that included one (it went from station 19 to station 21, skipping station 20). Modern equipment has eliminated this restiction, of course so departments have often added them into their systems as new stations were added.

 

[PCTEK]

Station Numbers

Just when you think you know where the fire apparatus comes from based on their numbers, the recent budget short falls have forced counties to consolidate city fire stations into "South County Fire", Central County Fire" etc. Apparatus from different cities are now rotated throughout the "fire district". Here in San Mateo California, 3 cities, Foster City, Hillsborough and San Mateo have consolidated into "Central County" fire. The various apparatus, which previously had painted numbers on them that corresponded to their home station, have had the numbers covered by removable cards that now lists the apparatus number. So when listening to a fire dispatch, it tougher to tell what station the apparatus is coming from.

 

[clanusb]

sac metro and cosumnes both have the removable unit ids. but thats to keep the unit number consistent when they have to swap apparatus every now and then when a rig goes to the shop, or stations swap the rigs.

sac city has the numbers placed on permanently, and i believe folsom does as well. ive never understood why one would do that, because when you get a different rig in its place, or it needs to go to another station assignment, you gotta peel the number off and then repaint it. its alot easier to use the drop in cards or magnets.

 

[Eng74]

sac city has the numbers placed on permanently, and i believe folsom does as well. ive never understood why one would do that, because when you get a different rig in its place, or it needs to go to another station assignment, you gotta peel the number off and then repaint it. its alot easier to use the drop in cards or magnets.

The life span of an engine is in the range of 20 years. The books say 10 years in frontline service and another 10 as reserve. Magnets are fine for a temporary use. We use them when a reserve unit is serivce. Most departments use decals for the numbers. Unless a new engine is replaceing an older one most departments have learned that that it is better to not move units around all the time to "even out" miles and time. You get some station that will not care of them because they will always get the new ones first and then send it on to a "slower" station. If a unit is going into reserve it will normaly go into the shop and get a full check out before being sent back out to the field. This almost a start for radio call signs then for the CAD.

 

[clanusb]

The life span of an engine is in the range of 20 years. The books say 10 years in frontline service and another 10 as reserve. Magnets are fine for a temporary use. We use them when a reserve unit is serivce. Most departments use decals for the numbers. Unless a new engine is replaceing an older one most departments have learned that that it is better to not move units around all the time to "even out" miles and time. You get some station that will not care of them because they will always get the new ones first and then send it on to a "slower" station. If a unit is going into reserve it will normaly go into the shop and get a full check out before being sent back out to the field. This almost a start for radio call signs then for the CAD.

and yet that is exactly what one department here does. once a rig hits a certain mileage, it gets sent to a slow station, while the slower station's engine gets swapped to the more busy house. its dumb, but thats what they are doing. all they have to do is tell dispatch to log them out of unit number XXXXX and into XXXXX, swap gear and unit placards, and they are good to go. Its just different everywhere. not saying one is right and one is wrong. most of our rigs go to the shop routinely, or have the on duty mechanic come do their thing at the station.