The Wilmington Fire Department is made up of four main divisions: Administration, Operations, Support Services and Fire & Life Safety.

The Office of the Fire Chief is the administrative component of the fire and EMS operations.
 
The Operations Division provides fire suppression and first response emergency medical services (EMS) within the city. The department also responds to motor vehicle incidents, water rescues, and specialized fire and EMS emergencies.

The Support Services Division provides the following services clerical support, Firefighters Safety, Health and Wellness, Logistics, Information Technology, Public Information, Human Resources, Training, and Apparatus Repair Services.

The Fire & Life Safety Division of the WFD ensures the safety and well being of our community by promoting fire and life safety prevention through inspections and investigations of the origin and causes of fire. Inspectors issue permits and conduct inspections in all new and existing commercial occupancies. Investigators are notified if a fire is considered to be suspicious, cause a large dollar loss or include an injury or fatality. 

The Wilmington Fire Department maintains a Class II ISO Rating. ISO Ratings range from Class I (highest) to a Class 10, which generally means no fire protection.

The ratings process takes into consideration the community's water distribution system, 911 center communications and the fire department's resources and ability to utilize these resources at the scene of a structure fire. Incident records, maintenance records and training records are also evaluated.

For more information, contact the ISO or the North Carolina Fire Marshal's Office. 

Wilmington is currently seeking to become a National Accredited Fire Department so that we can deliver the best possible service to our citizens. In order to achieve this goal, the department has to undergo an extensive evaluation of its performances and best practice policies.

If you would like to learn more about this process, please visit the Center of Public Safety Excellence.

For more than 150 years, the innovative and courageous men and women of the Wilmington Fire Department have been working to keep citizens, businesses and visitors safe. Much has changed since horse drawn steamers ran the streets of our city, but the one thing that hasn't changed is our members' commitment to service above all else.

Over the years, our citizens and elected leaders have remained committed to making sure our trucks, facilities and manning are "state of the art." The results of these efforts mean we are one of only six cities in North Carolina to achieve and maintain an ISO Class Two rating.

Today the community is much safer because of advancements in code enforcement and our efforts in fire prevention and education. Thus, modern firefighters are more versatile than ever as they spend as much or more time responding to medical emergencies as they do fire calls. We are also faced with the constant challenges of responding to and preparing for natural disasters, weapons of mass destruction and specialized rescue calls like trench, hazardous materials, confined space, vehicle extrication and rope rescue calls.

I invite you and your family to learn more about the Wilmington Fire Department and the services we provide. Should time allow, we also invite you to visit any of our stations.