About Us
Adopted Budget & Business Plan
Department Overview
SMC Fire is a joint powers authority (JPA) formed by the Cities of Belmont, Foster City, and San Mateo to provide consolidated fire and emergency medical services across all three communities. We operate 9 fire stations strategically located throughout Belmont, Foster City, and San Mateo to provide rapid response to fires, medical emergencies, rescues, and other emergency calls for service. SMC Fire also participates in automatic aid agreements throughout San Mateo County's Fire Service delivery system, allowing neighboring agencies to respond across jurisdictional lines when needed.
Who Runs SMC Fire, and How Is It Funded?
One of the most common questions we hear from residents and media is “who’s actually in charge of the fire department, and who pays for it?” Here’s a plain-language answer.
We are a joint powers authority. SMC Fire is not a department of any single city. We are a joint powers authority (JPA), a public agency formed when two or more government entities join together by agreement to provide a shared service. In our case, the Cities of Belmont, Foster City, and San Mateo formed the JPA to combine their previously separate fire departments into one organization.
The three cities had already been sharing fire services in a growing partnership since 2010, starting with San Mateo and Foster City and expanding to include Belmont in 2013. Building on the cost savings and service improvements from that partnership, the cities signed the Joint Powers Agreement in November 2017, and SMC Fire began operating as a single, consolidated department on January 13, 2019.
Because SMC Fire is its own legal entity created by the three cities, it operates with its own governing board, budget, and staff, separate from any one city’s government, even though our stations and crews are embedded in all three communities every day.
Read the Joint Powers Agreement
Governed by the Fire Board. SMC Fire is governed by a Fire Board made up of elected officials from the City Councils of Belmont, Foster City, and San Mateo. The Board sets policy, adopts the budget, and provides oversight of the Fire Chief and department operations, similar to the role a City Council plays for a city department.
The Fire Board meets regularly in public session, and meeting agendas, minutes, and recordings are posted online.
How SMC Fire is funded. SMC Fire is funded through contributions from its three member cities, Belmont, Foster City, and San Mateo, in accordance with the cost-sharing formula established in the Joint Powers Agreement: San Mateo contributes 60%, and Foster City and Belmont each contribute 20%. This shared funding model allows the three communities to support a larger, more capable fire department than any one city could sustain on its own, while keeping costs proportional across the member cities.
Our current and past budgets are available for public review.
Certifications
All our Firefighters are State-certified Firefighter II and Emergency Medical Technicians. One member on each Engine Company is a State-licensed paramedic, permitting the department to provide advanced life support services.
Fire Action Consensus Team (FACT)
We utilize a participatory management model, known as the Fire Action Consensus Team (FACT). FACT is made up of a cross-section of fire department employees and exists to solicit and assess input from all ranks of the organization. It is the shared responsibility of all department members, working through FACT members, Command Staff, and Union Representatives, to ensure that the collaborative management process is used properly. This team:
- Provides accurate and appropriate data necessary for making policy, procedures, plans and solutions
- Assists the Fire Chief in his duty to envision the future of the department
- Maintains a broad perspective, addressing big, department-wide issues, always with an eye to the future
Community Engagement
The San Mateo Consolidated Fire Department is committed to serving the residents of Belmont, Foster City, and San Mateo. In addition to responding to fire, medical, and other emergencies, SMC Fire participates in neighborhood and community events. Each year, we actively partake in various community events, including our annual holiday toy drive, Chili Cook-off, and Open houses. We are firmly committed to the safety and security for all residents of our beautiful cities. Our firefighters are always ready to speak with you on any topic related to fire or life safety.
