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1. How do I report an emergency where I need the Fire Department, an ambulance, or the Sheriff’s Department?

Always dial 911 to report any emergency. All 911 calls in Pinellas County are answered by the Pinellas County Emergency Communications Center. If the Fire Department or an ambulance is needed, the communications center dispatches the closest units to the incident. If the call is for law enforcement, the caller is transferred to the appropriate law enforcement dispatch center. In Oldsmar, that agency is the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Department. If you need to speak with a sheriff’s officer but no emergency exists, you may call the Pinellas County Sheriff's Department at 727-582-6200 and request an Oldsmar deputy.

There have been some instances when a resident has called the fire station’s non-emergency business telephone number to request assistance or driven to the fire station for treatment of a medical emergency. We want to discourage people from doing this as often times the firefighters are away from the station performing inspections, testing fire hydrants, or training.

2. When a call is made to 911, how long before emergency help arrives?

The average response time of the City of Oldsmar Fire Rescue to all types of emergencies is 4 minutes and 30 seconds with the city’s geography, the time of day, weather, and roadway configurations all affecting response times. Those residents or businesses located farther from the fire station will see a longer response time in most cases. In communities that have traffic calming devices such as speed humps, the Fire Department’s response times are slowed approximately 15 seconds for each speed hump encountered.

3. If Oldsmar Fire Rescue units are on a call and another 911 call is received, who responds?

Thanks to a long standing automatic aid agreement between all of the fire departments within Pinellas County and the centralized dispatching center, all 911 calls for service are responded to promptly by the next closest fire / EMS crew. For Oldsmar residents, that would mean units from Safety Harbor, East Lake Palm Harbor, or Clearwater would be responding when Oldsmar Fire Rescue units are on other calls or out of service for training.

4. Why do an Oldsmar fire truck and a Sunstar ambulance respond to medical calls?

The City of Oldsmar Fire Rescue staffs its emergency apparatus with cross trained firefighter paramedics who serve as the Advanced Life Support first responders to 911 calls for medical assistance, rescues and vehicle crashes. The Pinellas County ambulance service, Sunstar, is also dispatched to provide patient transport to the hospital if necessary. The ambulance is staffed with a paramedic as well and is capable of taking over patient care from the Fire Department. In serious cases, the fire rescue paramedic may ride in the ambulance to the hospital as well to lend assistance. This system provides the fastest response to those in need and allows the fire rescue unit to be available to respond to the next emergency call.

5. When I was transported to the hospital, why wasn't I taken to the hospital of my choice?

Emergency personnel try to accommodate the patient's or the patient’s family's request of hospital destination, but many times this is not an option due to the patient's condition. Pinellas County EMS system protocols may dictate that the patient be transported to the closest hospital facility or a facility capable of providing specialized treatment. In some cases, paramedics in the field will be directed by Pinellas County EMS medical control staff to transport to a different hospital due to emergency department closures caused by patient overloading. In all instances where the hospital transport destination is not what the patient or family desired, the paramedics will discuss these issues with the patient and family.

6. How do the firefighters know when they have an emergency call?

Every firefighter on duty is assigned a pager which is activated by the Pinellas County Emergency Communications Center when there is an emergency call. Inside the fire station, an alerting device is activated and computer aided dispatch printouts are generated. The firefighters hear the verbal information from the dispatcher and take the printed call information with them as they respond. There are also mobile data computers in the emergency apparatus that also have received the emergency call information and display the incident location on a map for the crew to reference.

7. How many people work for the City of Oldsmar Fire Rescue?

The department is staffed with 20 personnel filling various roles and responsibilities. They include an administrative staff of the fire chief, administrative assistant, 1 fire inspector,1 training officer,  and a paramedic EMS coordinator. The administrative staff works a standard Monday through Friday 40-hour work week.

The rest of the staff is comprised of firefighter paramedics, firefighter EMTs, and officers. The firefighters work a 56-hour work week shift schedule of 1 24-hour work period followed by 2 days off. There are a total of 5 personnel assigned to each shift.

8. What type of education or certification is needed to become an Oldsmar firefighter?

Employment candidates must be a State of Florida certified firefighter and also hold a state EMT certification. Visit the Fire Department Employment website for a full description of the certifications required, the job descriptions, and testing procedures. For those just starting out and in need of educational opportunities, both St. Petersburg College and Hillsborough Community College offer firefighter and EMT course offerings.

9. Does the fire department have any volunteer firefighting opportunities?

The City of Oldsmar does not have a volunteer firefighter program.

10. Is it possible to get a tour of the fire station and see the fire trucks?

We are pleased when we get visitors to the fire station, and we are very proud to provide a tour of our fire station and the fire apparatus. We encourage families, scouting troops, and day care groups to schedule a tour in advance to ensure that staff will be available to guide the tour and answer any questions that you may have. Just call 813-749-1200 to schedule your tour.

11. Will you inspect my fire extinguisher?

If you are a resident and would like us to take a look at your home fire extinguisher to see if it needs replacing, just give us a call at 813-749-1200, and we will schedule a time to meet with you at your home or at the fire station. If you are a business, Florida law requires that your fire extinguishers be inspected annually by a licensed fire extinguisher company. During routine fire inspections, Oldsmar fire inspectors will check the fire extinguishers tag for compliance.

12. Does the Fire Department offer any public education courses such as CPR?

Yes, the City of Oldsmar Fire Rescue offers several educational opportunities to help residents and businesses better able to cope with emergency situations. They include CPR, First Aid, fire extinguisher use, and babysitting safety. If you do not see a convenient class offered, visit our calendar often as new courses may be posted. If you have a group and would like to schedule a course, please call us at 813-749-1200, and we will coordinate with your group on a training date.

13. Do you inspect the installation of baby car safety seats?

Yes, 1 of our technicians trained in safety seat installation can assist you on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 8 to 9 a.m. and 3 to 4 p.m. Since these same firefighters may be called away to an emergency, we request that you please call ahead at 813-749-1200 to check their availability. We do not make appointments, so you must call shortly before the designated times. There is no fee for this service, but we do ask that you consider donating some canned goods for the Oldsmar Cares Food Pantry.

14. Does the Fire Department do home fire safety inspections?

Absolutely! Call the fire station at 813-749-1200 to schedule an appointment for a free courtesy inspection.

15. What is the city's ISO Public Protection Classification?

The City of Oldsmar has received a Class 3 Public Protection Classification from the Insurance Services Office, Inc. (ISO). This puts the city's fire suppression capabilities in the top 3% of all fire service agencies nationally. The ISO utilizes its Fire Suppression Grading Schedule to examine 3 major features of a community's ability to provide fire suppression services, including fire alarm and communications capabilities; Fire Department staffing and equipment; and the water supply system, including water storage, pumps, mains, and hydrants.