Fire Department · Career
Victoria Fire Department
Victoria, TX · Victoria County
The Operations Division deploys 117 uniformed personnel across six 24-hour stations (48/96 shift schedule); the department's EMS Division separately cites 126 uniformed employees holding EMT/paramedic certification.
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Department careers page ↗Victoria Fire Department (VFD) traces its roots to an 1869 volunteer bucket brigade and became a professional, salaried department in 1910 with its first five paid firefighters. Today VFD operates as an all-risk department, running roughly 11,000 calls a year (about 71% medical) from six stations spread across the city, with EMS and firefighting merged into a single unit since 1995. The department fields four engine companies, a ladder truck, a Quint, brush trucks, a water tender, boats, a wildland UTV, a hazmat rig, and a rescue (light and air) truck, and staffs six MICU-level ambulances daily (with surge capacity for a seventh and eighth).
Beyond structural firefighting, VFD maintains dedicated Hazardous Materials Response, Technical Rescue, and Water Rescue (swiftwater/dive) teams, and every firefighter is trained to at least EMT-Basic. The department's Fire Marshal's Office handles inspections, plan review, fire investigations, and public education under the newly adopted 2024 International Fire Code. VFD also runs its own Fire Academy, community programs like the Citizens Fire Academy and Shattered Dreams, and the volunteer Victoria Fire Corps.
MissionTo Preserve Life and Property with a Dedicated and Caring Service.
The City of Victoria hires firefighter/EMS personnel through the citywide Human Resources job portal (NEOGOV/governmentjobs.com), which lists current openings including Fire Department positions. VFD also runs its own in-house Fire Academy for recruits: a 15-week, roughly 500-hour basic firefighter academy (Firefighter I & II, HazMat Awareness/Operations, Basic Wildland) combining online coursework, lecture, and hands-on skills days, culminating in state certification through the Texas Commission on Fire Protection.
VFD's in-house Fire Academy runs 15 weeks (roughly 40-50 hours/week, 500 total training hours, 100 firefighting skills) and includes Firefighter I, Firefighter II, HazMat Awareness, HazMat Operations, and Basic Wildland certification, taught by VFD personnel with department-provided coordinators.
Why is a fire engine sent when I call an ambulance?
Nearly all Victoria Fire Department staff are certified as EMT-Basic, EMT-Intermediate, EMT-Paramedic, or Licensed Paramedic. Certain critical medical calls automatically dispatch a fire company alongside the ambulance so more help is on scene, treatment starts sooner, and scene times are reduced. Fire companies also respond to medical calls when the assigned ambulance is unavailable.
How do I request a tour of a fire station?
Submit a Special Events Request Form - Education. Tours may be interrupted, delayed, or canceled without notice due to emergency calls.
What if I have a question about my ambulance bill?
Ambulance billing is handled by a third-party contractor, Emergicon. Billing questions should be directed to Emergicon rather than the Fire Department directly.
What is the best kind of fire extinguisher for my house?
A multi-purpose extinguisher rated at least 2A:10B:C (often labeled A-B-C) is best for the home, since it can be used on any type of fire commonly found there.
Why does the Fire Department tear open walls when there's no visible fire in the room?
Fire can travel unseen through voids, and embers or heat transmitted along wiring or pipes can smolder inside walls or ceilings. Crews open walls to make sure there isn't hidden fire that could reignite as a larger structure fire later.