About Us

Mission Statement
The Waltham Fire Department is dedicated to protecting life, property and the environment for the citizens and businesses in the City of Waltham.
While this core mission has not changed much since the creation of the department, our day to day tasks have transformed dramatically with particular emphasis on life safety issues.  The role of the fire service has grown beyond putting out fires to include emergency medical service, hazardous materials response, vehicle extrication, technical rescue, fire education, inspections, fire prevention and much more. 
 

Divisions
The Waltham Fire Department operates with three main divisions:

• Fire Suppression
  Suppression consists of the line fire fighters who respond to emergency calls.
   
• Fire Prevention
  Prevention officers handle permits, review building plans, conduct inspections and coordinate education efforts to stop fires before they start.
   
• Training
  The training officer arranges department sponsored education of personnel and makes sure each member has and maintains the skills necessary to perform their assigned tasks.
   

Chain of Command
To effectively achieve our mission the Waltham Fire Department is set up as a paramilitary organization.  This forms a chain of command necessary for carrying out operations on the fire ground where every second counts and lives depend on orders clearly delivered and executed.  This system also proves effective for managing our fire prevention and education efforts.

The command structure at the Waltham Fire Department flows as illustrated below:
Chief of Department
Deputy Chief
Captain
Lieutenant
Private
 

Word from the Chief
In today's world, the modern Fire Department must respond to a wide variety of emergencies beyond smoke and flames. Medical emergencies, hazardous materials incidents, terrorism, technical rescues, and water & ice emergencies are just some of the other kinds of problems we handle. Our Department also places a strong emphasis on preventing emergencies through fire and life safety education, building inspections and enforcement of fire laws and codes. The dedicated members of the Waltham Fire Department are here to serve the citizens, business people, visitors, travelers and property owners of this growing city, 24 hours per day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. We hope this web site will help you understand what we do, how we do it and why our mission is so critical to the success of Waltham.

MullinChief Andrew
Email: rmullin@fire-dept.waltham.ma.us