Field Operations
Field Operations Division
The SMC Fire Field Operations Division responds to all hazards within the community. Personnel must be prepared to respond to fires, explosions, medical and trauma emergencies, hazardous materials releases, transportation-related accidents, natural and man-made disasters, weapons of mass destruction (WMD) incidents, and technical rescues involving trapped victims.
The division also responds to a wide range of non-emergency calls for service, stepping in to assist residents when no other resource is available. These calls include pumping flooded basements, securing downed power lines, and investigating the source of potentially hazardous odors, among other similar requests for assistance.
Operations Command Structure
SMC Fire Field Operations runs around the clock — 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year — through a three-platoon shift system operating on a 48/96 schedule (48 hours on duty, followed by 96 hours off). Each shift is led by a Battalion Chief, who commands all suppression, rescue, and EMS activity across the department's nine stations during that rotation and reports to the Deputy Fire Chief of Operations.
Deputy Fire Chief of Operations
Anthony Agresti — oversees all suppression, rescue, and EMS field activity department-wide
Battalion Chiefs - Operations
Emergency Response by the Numbers
San Mateo Consolidated Fire Department responds to a high volume of emergency and non-emergency calls for service annually across Belmont, Foster City, and San Mateo — everything from structure fires and medical emergencies to hazardous conditions and public assistance calls.
The department's response-time goal reflects a commitment to arriving quickly when seconds matter most. Per the adopted standard in SMC Fire's Standards of Cover, the department aims to respond to 90% of all Priority 1 and first-in emergency calls in six minutes, 59 seconds (6:59) or less.
Per the 2025 SMC Fire Annual Report, SMC Fire apparatus responded to 15,759 calls for service, with an average response time of 5 minutes, 21 seconds (5:21):
- Emergency Medical Services Response: 10,808
- Fires Response: 237
- Other Response: 4,714
How We Operate
SMC Fire Field Operations personnel operate out of nine stations across our three parent cities: two stations in Belmont, six stations in San Mateo, and one station in Foster City.
We staff 12 companies — 2 truck companies and 10 engine companies — with a minimum daily staffing of 38 personnel on duty: 12 Captains and 26 firefighters.
- Engine staffing (3 personnel): 1 Captain and 2 firefighters (1 of whom is a paramedic)
- Truck staffing (4 personnel): 1 Captain and 3 firefighters (1 of whom is a paramedic)
Non-Emergency Services
In addition to emergency response, SMC Fire assists residents with select non-emergency situations, including:
- Lift assists — helping individuals who have fallen and are not injured
- Flooding — flooded basements or buildings from plumbing failures, storm water intrusion, or similar issues
- Animal rescues — animals trapped or stuck in precarious locations
For these non-emergency situations, please call our non-emergency dispatch line at (650) 368-1421 rather than 911, so emergency resources remain available for life-threatening incidents.
