Oil City Fire Department

OCFD — There in Times of Emergency

The Oil City Fire Department, led by Fire Chief Tim Alex, has 2 stations located at 404 Central Avenue (Station 1) on the South Side and 332 Bissell Ave (Station 3) on the North Side. Each station is staffed with a minimum of 2 firefighters per station. Aside from emergency services, the Oil City Fire Department also provides services including traffic signal maintenance and ice device maintenance. The OCFD can be reached at (814) 678-3061. In case of emergency call 911 immediately. 

Station 1 houses an engine, ladder truck, medical rescue, 2 boats, and a technical rescue unit, which is part of the Pennsylvania Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) team. Station 3 houses 2 engines and a light rescue. Personnel are on duty 24 hours a day, 7 days per week.

Fire Department Staff

The full-time, career staff of the Oil City Fire Department belong to the International Association of Firefighters Local 700. All firefighters receive new recruit training upon hiring. Advanced training continues throughout the firefighter's career. All firefighters have achieved varying levels of National Fire Protection Association(NFPA) certifications including Firefighter 1, Firefighter 2, Fire Officer, Inspector, and Driver Operator certifications. All of our personnel are also certified to a minimum level of Emergency Medical Technician.

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Water Rescue

The Oil City Fire Department has two boats to respond to river and flooding emergencies. Both boats are housed at the Central Avenue station. The department also has several members that are certified SCUBA divers that respond to incidents in town, as well as with mutual aid companies.

Emergency Medical Services

The Oil City Fire Department operates two Advanced Life Support (ALS) certified Quick Response Service (QRS) vehicles. This is the only ALS QRS in Venango County and one of very few in the Commonwealth. Staffed with Paramedics and EMTs, the OCFD responds to any and all medical emergencies in the city, as well as provides paramedic backup to our neighbors. We work hand in hand with our local ambulance service to provide the highest level of medical care to the community. EMTs are certified in areas such as CPR, oxygen administration, assisting with medications, and trauma care. Paramedics are certified in EKG interpretation, IV and medication administration, and advanced airway procedures.

Technical Rescue by the OCFD

The Oil City Fire Department has members who are part of the Pennsylvania Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) team, PA Strike Team 1. These members are part of a statewide element that responds to varying disasters. These members receive specialized training in all aspects of technical rescue alongside firefighters from all around Western PA. USAR members have also trained with personnel from all around the US in places including New York City and Virginia Beach. The Oil City Fire Department's Rescue 4 is the special rescue/USAR unit that is fully equipped to respond to incidents including trench rescue, confined space rescue, rope rescue, high angle rescue, and structural collapse. OCFD also provides standby services to several of our local industries.

The Oil City Fire Department has certified fire inspectors which work closely with the Oil City Department of  Code Administration to ensure that our businesses are safe for our community members. Inspectors conduct routine fire safety inspections of all city businesses on a regular basis. While most people think of fire prevention as one week in October, it is the majority of our job. The OCFD provides fire prevention training all year long, including safety talks to civic groups, fire extinguisher training, and fire prevention programs in our schools.

The Oil City Fire Department provides programs to the public on request in the areas of CPR, first aid, and stop the bleed. Several members of the fire department are also certified fire instructors for the PA State Fire Academy, training firefighters from throughout the commonwealth. For information on any of these programs, contact the OCFD online or at 814-678-3061.

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Requirements

1. Inspected prior to burning
2. 50 feet from any structure unless in an approved container
3. Means to extinguish on-site (garden hose, extinguisher, etc.)
4. The fire must be tended to at all times

Approved Containers

Open burning that cannot meet the minimum requirement of 50 feet may be permitted in an approved container, i.e. a burn barrel. In this case, all other requirements must be met, however, the property owner must have 15 feet of clearance from any structure.

Exceptions: Recreational Fires

Fire Prevention Permits are not needed for recreational (cooking) fires. Small fires in a ring are required to be 25 feet from any structures, provided that the pile is less than 3 feet in diameter and less than 2 feet in height.

Extinguishment Authority

The fire department is authorized to order for the extinguishment of fire for reasons including fire code violations, permit violations, or hazardous conditions created by open burning.

In Case of Emergency

Address Placement

In an emergency, seconds count. Help us help you by clearly displaying your house number on the front of your house. If we can't find you, we can't help you. Even residential buildings in town can vary greatly. We have everything from single-family homes, multi-family homes, to duplexes, up and down apartments, side by side apartments, half addresses, alley addresses, etc. In an emergency, we need to know exactly where we are going. Remember, you know where you live, but we don't. When we arrive, we are looking for the number on your house. Simple, 4-inch numbers on the front of your house saves the time that you may need. Not to mention that a large number of emergencies these days are called in via cell phone. In this event, an address does not automatically show up at the 911 center. This means someone who is not familiar with the town or a passerby may be the one calling in the emergency. Again, help can't get to you if we don't know where you are. People often think that when reporting a fire, it will be easy to find even without an address. While this may be true because a fire is usually quite obvious, we use the address as means to plan our travel route, truck placement, and, most importantly, our water supply, i.e. what hydrant to use. We literally have seconds to think about these things. Help us and your neighbors by clearly posting your address.

Understanding the Siren System and Weather Warnings

Unsettled weather patterns carry with them a unique set of warnings and watches. In Oil City, an emergency siren mounted on the roof of City Hall is used to alert local residents of an impending weather issue. The siren system is activated for specific hazards that could seriously affect city residents. Different types of emergencies prompt different siren tones.

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