Welcome to the San Luis Fire Department!
Serving the San Luis, Arizona Community 24 hours a day, 365 days a year!
The San Luis Fire Department’s mission is to provide for the safety and security of all lives and property in the community. We are committed to serving and protecting our residents with quality and timely services, high standards of professionalism, dedication and compassion.
Our core values include:
Compassion, Bravery, Integrity, Honesty, Pride, Trust, and Excellence.
Frequently Asked Questions
All City of San Luis Fire Department apparatus are staffed with at least one Advanced Life Support (ALS) and one Basic Life Support (BLS) personnel, regardless of their operational classification; Fire Engine, Ladder Truck, Rescue Squad, Special Operations or Ambulance. All apparatus carry the necessary equipment to provide ALS treatment at the scene of medical events. Personnel assigned to apparatus other than ambulances may be utilized to assist ALS (MEDIC) ambulances with critical patients.
There may be times when all of the SLFD ambulances are committed to transporting medical patients to Yuma Regional Medical Center; sending a Fire Engine or other SLFD apparatus to a medical emergency will ensure the timely arrival of needed medical attention prior to the arrival of a distant ambulance.
Fire extinguishers, when used properly, are effective in controlling and extinguishing small fires that have not spread beyond their point of origin. It is recommended that you purchase a fire extinguisher that is rated for use on A, B and C type fires. This will ensure that the extinguisher that you purchase will effectively extinguish fires that can occur in your home even on charged electrical appliances.
A fire extinguisher rated as 2A:10B:C is a size that most people can operate. It allows the operator to discharge the extinguisher from a safe distance, allowing them to move closer as the fire is knocked down. Please remember that this type of fire extinguisher should not be used in grease fires, as it may spread the fire further.
Yes, you can schedule a tour of the fire station or request fire department personnel to provide a presentation. Please contact Fire Administration at 928-341-8550. Our personnel will explain our abilities to fulfill your request, obtain the necessary information and schedule your request.
Generally, Fire Station tours for elementary school children will be about 45 minutes and focus on the facilities, apparatus, and a short (age appropriate) fire safety presentation. Fire Station tours for children and school classes must be accompanied by enough chaperones to facilitate the tour and movement of children. You may want to consider several visits with smaller groups to ensure the effectiveness and impact of the visit.
Other specific topics geared toward career orientation, such as fire extinguisher use or home safety, may be possible for adult audiences. Please indicate your desired topic to staff so we can evaluate whether we can accommodate your request.
Yes. The National Fire Protection Association’s National Fire Alarm Code requires home smoke detectors to be replaced when they fail to respond or have exceeded ten years from the date of manufacture. Most smoke detectors have the date of manufacture printed on the back of the detector. Working smoke detectors are the most important element in the protection of your family from fire. As a reminder, smoke detectors should be tested monthly, and their batteries should be replaced at least once a year.
The San Luis Fire Department does not service, inspect, or recharge portable fire extinguishers. For these services, please contact a local vendor.
An ISO Rating (sometimes called an insurance rating) gauges the local fire department's fire protection capability to respond to structure fires based on housing densities and the distance of structures from (usually 3 to 5 miles) a fire station. The ISO rating for the City of San Luis is 3.
County islands within the city limits may have a different rating.
Yes. We will be more than happy to assist you with changing the batteries in a smoke detector if the smoke alarm is too high for the resident to reach, or if the resident is disabled or elderly and unable to climb on a ladder to replace the batteries. Please make sure you have the correct battery type for your smoke detector.
This is done for everyone's safety, primarily for the safety of our patients, fire department personnel and to maximize our personnel’s effectiveness attending to an emergency. By blocking traffic lanes with our Fire Apparatus, personnel at the scene can focus on patient care, extrication, patient packaging and movement.
No, burning of household trash is not permitted within City Limits of San Luis. Open burning of tree limbs, paper and wood material is allowed but you must obtain a burning permit. Open burning for cooking and warmth are permitted and do not require a permit.
The City of San Luis Fire Department cautions residents against open burning because of the potential of the fire spreading by either windblown fire brands or unattended and unintended fire spread to other materials or structures.
Burn Permits are required and must be obtained from the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality. Please refer to the ADEQ websites for additional information.
ADEQ Burn Permits
AQD | Open Burn Permit | ADEQ (azdeq.gov)
ADEQ Burn Permit Brochure
ADEQ Burn Permit Application
ARIZONA DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY (azdeq.gov)
If you have any questions, please call the City of San Luis Fire Department offices at (928) 341-8550.
The Fire Department does not provide this service. Please contact the Injury Prevention Program at the Yuma County Public Health Services District by calling 928-317-4680.
The Fire Department will unlock your vehicle if a child or pet is inside or if the engine is running. When a child or pet is locked inside and temperatures put them at risk for heat exposure or heat-related injuries, our response will be under emergency response criteria (with lights and sirens).
If there is no life threat, our response will be under normal traffic criteria (no lights, no sirens, and obeying all traffic flow laws. Should the assigned apparatus be needed at an emergency event, it will be reassigned to that event and will either be reassigned to your event upon completion of the emergency event or another apparatus will be assigned to your request.
The fire department will assist depending on the circumstances. If it is safe for our personnel to rescue the cat, we will. Please understand that our response to your request will not be with lights and sirens and may be delayed if our personnel are needed for a higher-priority emergency event.
Cats generally climb up in a tree because they feel threatened. Once the circumstances change, they usually come down on their own. You might try coaxing them down by opening a can of tuna and waiting for the cat to come down on its own.
If the cat is on a power pole, we will respond to evaluate the situation. We may determine that it is better to call the power company to retrieve the cat safely.
When an emergency vehicle is heard and/or seen, drivers should carefully pull to the right of the road and stop. If they are at an intersection or stopped in traffic when the emergency vehicle is approaching, drivers should remain stopped and wait until the emergency vehicles have passed. Do not make quick or erratic maneuvers. Arizona law is very specific; drivers must yield the right-of-way to emergency vehicles. Drivers also should stay 500 feet behind emergency vehicles.
Make sure your address is visible from the street. The numbers should be three or four inches in height and be reflective.
When the fire department responds to a given location, it may be delayed in arriving if the address is not seen from the street. Although it is easy to spot a column of smoke from a house fire, medical emergencies are not. Personnel may spend critical time searching for the correct address.
Fire Department units are dispatched according to information received by the 9-1-1 operator. The City of San Luis Fire Department is prepared to deal with the worst that could happen at any given incident.
Our 9-1-1 dispatchers will send sufficient fire apparatus to the reported event based on what they are told. Many times, the first arriving apparatus can resolve the issue and will release unneeded equipment and personnel. Dispatched equipment and apparatus may be on scene, and appear to be unused, unneeded and a waste of resources for what appears to be a “simple” incident. However, without a complete evaluation by the first arriving crews, we cannot assume the extent of the emergency. If we are mistaken, the citizen and their property may be at risk.
There are two basic reasons for this practice. Dangerous gases and dark smoke accumulate in a burning building, making it almost impossible for firefighters to see in those conditions. When a hole is made in the roof, the smoke and gases escape as heat and smoke rise through the opening, making it much easier for the firefighters in the building to see. It also reduces the possibility of backdrafts and flashovers.
Another reason to cut a hole in the roof is to see how far the fire has progressed. One of the fastest avenues through which fires spread is the attic. Firefighters may forestall a fire on a roof by cutting holes to access the attic and stop the fire from spreading through the attic.
The State of Arizona permits the sale of “safe and sane” fireworks for citizens to use. This class of fireworks is available from retail stores. Aerial display devices are prohibited.
The City of San Luis has prohibited using, displaying, or discharging all fireworks within city limits. This is to protect you and your property from reckless and irresponsible use.
The City of San Luis Fire Department recommends that you leave fireworks displays and celebrations to the professionals. This allows you to safely enjoy the celebrations without concern of injury or fire.
The San Luis Fire Code requires a key box on every occupancy (except private residences R-3) where off-site monitoring notifies the fire department. Private residences may install a key box and provide the key to their local fire station for citizens who may not be able to get to the door in case of emergency. For more information, contact the Fire Department.
The KNOX-BOX® Rapid Entry System was specifically developed for the fire department. With one master key, Fire personnel can gain access to commercial and residential property. Over 11,500 departments nationwide use Knox key boxes, vaults, Haz-Mat cabinets, key switches, locking FDC caps, and padlocks. Please call the Fire Department at 928-341-8550 with any questions or to obtain an application for a KNOX-BOX®.
Make sure fire hydrants have a three-foot area clear of debris and obstructions. In case of a structural fire, firefighters will need to quickly access the hydrant for water supply. An obstruction of fencing, tree branches, bushes, weeds, or brush may cause a delay as firefighters try to get water to extinguish a fire.
Do not block a fire hydrant by parking a vehicle next to it. Vehicles cannot be parked any closer than 15 feet to a fire hydrant from any direction. This space is required to be kept clear of vehicles, even if the curb IS NOT PAINTED RED.
Remember, your actions may delay the ability to supply water to an emergency that continues to grow until intervention is taken.
Sometimes, several units are dispatched to the same incident. The first unit may have arrived on the scene, surveyed the situation, and informed the dispatcher that it was under control and that additional resources were no longer needed.
The adopted Fire Code contains regulations for the use and storage of barbecues on specified balconies, patios and decks of residential structures having more than two dwelling units. These include apartments, condominiums and townhouses (except for townhouses located on individual parcels).
The following are the applicable sections from the Fire Code:
308.1.4. Open-Flame Cooking Devices. Charcoal burners and other open-flame cooking devices shall not be operated on combustible balconies or within 10' (3,048 mm) of combustible construction.
Exceptions:
One- and two-family dwellings.
Where buildings, balconies and decks are protected by an automatic sprinkler system.
LP-gas cooking devices having LP-gas container with a water capacity not greater than 2-1/2 pounds [nominal 1 pound (0.454 kg) LP-gas capacity].
Summary of the above code:
Charcoal Barbecues—It is acceptable to store the barbecue unit on a combustible balcony (i.e., wood) but it is not acceptable to operate it on a combustible balcony or within 10' of combustible construction (which includes the surrounding walls and overhangs above). It is acceptable to operate the barbecue on a balcony if the balcony, deck, overhangs and adjacent walls are of noncombustible construction or if the buildings, balconies, decks and overhangs are protected by an automatic fire sprinkler system.
Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG/Propane) Barbecues—It is not acceptable to store or operate an LPG barbecue with a propane fuel container size greater than one pound on a combustible balcony or within 10' of combustible construction (which includes the surrounding walls and overhangs above). It is acceptable to operate the barbecue on a balcony if the balcony, deck, overhangs and adjacent walls are of noncombustible construction or if the buildings, balconies, decks and overhangs are protected by an automatic fire sprinkler system.
