Encinitas Fire and Marine Safety Services provides a wide array of public safety services. These services include fire protection, emergency response, medical aid, fire prevention, disaster preparedness, search and rescue, lifeguard services and community education programs.

The Encinitas Fire Department responds to an average of approximately 3,500 calls a year involving fire and medical emergencies, including structure fires, brush fires, car fires, and medical aids, such as heart attacks, car accidents, seizures, and respiratory difficulties.  

All Encinitas Firefighters are Emergency Medical Technicians, some of which receive training as paramedics. Our firefighter/paramedics are able to administer lifesaving treatment at the scene, such as CPR, drug therapy, IV’s and cardiac monitoring.

CALLING THE FIRE DEPARTMENT DURING AN EMERGENCY (911)     [back to top]

To report an emergency or request medical assistance please dial "911". Our units will be immediately dispatched to the emergency scene as quickly as possible. The closest unit will be sent to ensure that help arrives as soon as possible.

When calling 911 please speak in a clear, calm voice and remain on the phone until the dispatcher at the 911 center has released you from the conversation. Children should be taught how to properly use the 911 system, as well as their home address and telephone number, as early as possible.

AMBULANCE SERVICE     [back to top]

Ambulance service is provided to residents through a contractual agreement with San Diego Medical Services Enterprise.  The City of Encinitas does not charge residents for transportation in an ambulance since each property owner in Encinitas pays an annual subscription fee of $23.10 to cover ambulance transportation costs.  Ambulances are dispatched via the 911 system.

TO PREVENT UNNECESSARY DELAYS     [back to top]

• Make sure your address is clearly visible from the street, so that firefighters do not waste critical time finding the correct address. The numbers should be three or four inches in height and be reflective.

• If you are driving and hear or see an emergency vehicle, carefully move your vehicle to the right of the road and stop. If you are in an intersection, or stopped in traffic, and see emergency lights or hear a siren, remain stopped and wait until the emergency vehicles have passed. Remember that drivers must yield the right-of-way to an emergency vehicle at all times. The cooperation of all vehicles in the roadway is necessary to prevent delays.

• Make sure fire hydrants are kept clear of debris and obstructions. Hydrants that are blocked by fencing, tree branches, bushes, weeds or brush may cause a delay as firefighters try to extinguish a fire.

FIRE HYDRANTS     [back to top]

To report a leaking, broken or malfunctioning fire hydrant please contact the San Dieguito Water District at 633-2650 (633-2922 after hours), or the Olivenhain Municipal Water District at 753-6466.

SMOKE DETECTORS     [back to top]

Fires kill an estimated 4,000 Americans annually and seriously injure an additional 30,000 people each year. More than 90 percent of fire deaths in buildings occur in residential dwellings, with the majority of fatal fires happening at night when people are asleep. Inexpensive household smoke detectors sound an alarm, alerting you to a fire. By giving you time to escape, smoke detectors cut your risk of dying in a home fire nearly in half. The Encinitas Fire Department encourages the proper use of smoke detectors and recommends that each home have one installed outside each sleeping area and on every level of the home.

Remember, test smoke detectors monthly and change all smoke detectors batteries at least once a year. If your detector is more than 10 years old, replace it with a new one.

PROTECTION FROM WILDFIRES     [back to top]

Many of our City’s homes are in serious danger of destruction by fire because of their proximity to brush- covered canyon areas. During the months of May through October, the fire problem is most critical due to a number of factors. We seldom have rain during this period, and the summer sun and Santa Ana winds can create an explosive condition in dense brush areas. Any home that has brush growing around it or near it is in danger.

To protect yourself and your property from wildfires, clean away all brush and trash—anything that will readily catch fire—for a minimum of 30 feet from your home. This includes removing dead leaves and pine needles from roofs and rain gutters and trimming trees and shrubs away from buildings and chimneys. For at least another 70 feet, remove all brush except trimmed specimens you wish to retain. Keep weeds and grass from growing higher than 2 inches.

To further protect your property in future years, plant ground cover in cleared areas, such as ivy, ice plant, or perennial grasses. Quail Botanical Gardens in Encinitas has a demonstration garden consisting of fire-resistive plants that can be viewed 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. by visiting the gardens located at 230 Quail Gardens Drive. Also, a row of trees or tall shrubs (well irrigated) will form a green barrier to deflect winds and help prevent burning.

If you have any questions or concerns about your exposure to wildfires and how you can protect yourself and your home from them, please call the Encinitas Fire Department at 633-2800. The California Department of Forestry (CDF) also provides information on vegetation management in urban-wildland interfaces to help property owners. 

For more safety information on wildfires click here to view the brochure on Wildfires in PDF format.

EXIT DRILLS IN THE HOME (E.D.I.T.H.)     [back to top]

Once a fire has started, there is no time to plan how to get out. Sit down with your family today and make a step-by-step plan for escaping a fire in your home. For a brochure in PDF format on E.D.I.T.H. that includes important tips and information on planning an escape, click here.