1904
Spooner
Avenue, Altoona, WI 54720
(715)
839-2970 | Fax: (715) 839-3763
Click the links below to learn more about the safety education programs that AFD offers:
The Altoona Fire Department is committed to balancing emergency response with emergency preparedness. As such, AFD prioritizes education of the public through carefully-designed trainings, classes and social media campaigns. These events are designed for various age groups & topics and are free-of-charge to the public as AFD staff volunteer their time to run these programs. Examples of events held in the past include:
To arrange an education event or training with AFD, please fill out this form and you will be contacted by a staff member promptly. For more specific questions, please contact Public Education Coordinator Brooke Thornock.
The Explorer Program is a vocationally oriented division of the Boy Scouts of America that
is open to young people aged 14-21, interested in exploring future career opportunities. The
Altoona Fire Department established the Explorer Post 800 to assist our young adults in
“exploring” a career in the fire service while installing and developing core
values, self-responsibility, and life skills. The Altoona Fire Department and the City of
Altoona supports and encourages the activities of the Explorer Post.
Explorers may
perform functions for the Fire Department within the limits established by this guideline.
They may participate in a wide range of fire and rescue functions as well as fire prevention
and other support work that are in compliance with this guideline. Explorers are not members
of the Altoona Fire Department but are members of the Boy Scouts of America. The Explorer
Post 800 is governed by the Explorer Guidance Committee, the Boy Scouts of America, and the
Fire Officers of the Fire Department. To get more information about the Explorer program,
please contact the program coordinator here.
Altoona Firefighters and EMTs are considered paid on-call employees. This means that while firefighting is not their primary profession, they wear pagers and when a 911 dispatch is issued for the Altoona Fire Department, they proceed to the fire station and respond in the appropriate AFD Fire Apparatus. Often times, this means that AFD members leave their families and work duties to respond to calls. To achieve 24/7 emergency services coverage, there are always 2 AFD personnel scheduled at any one time to respond to emergencies in Altoona.
AFD operates and maintains three engines, one squad vehicle, one brush truck, one support vehicle, one Chief's vehicle, one heavy rescue trailer, one UTV and a rescue boat to provide comprehensive and complete community protection. To learn more about our vehicles, please visit our apparatus page.
In 2018, AFD responded to 1,084 calls. Of these, approximately 80% were medical emergencies and the remaining 20% consisted of fire emergencies, public assists and rescue calls. Our annual call volume has steadily increased over the past few years and as the City of Altoona grows, so will the number of calls that AFD responds to.
Altoona Fire/Rescue is credentialled as a First-Responder group. This means that when a medical emergency call is placed to 911, AFD is dispatched to respond to the scene and begin patient care. However, as Altoona Fire/Rescue does not have an ambulance service, Eau Claire Fire/Rescue is contracted to conduct ambulance transports for the City of Altoona.
Burning permits can only be obtained by submitting an application in-person at the Altoona Emergency Services Building located at 1904 Spooner Ave. For more information about Burn Permits, please click here.
AFD offers various forms of public education and training opportunities. For further information please visit our page on public education. For specific questions, please contact Brooke Thornock.
Tours of the AFD Fire Station fall under Public Education events. For more information please visit our page on public education. For specific questions, please contact Brooke Thornock.
AFD employs staff from all backgrounds and abilities. While experience in firefighting or EMS is preferred, it is not a requirement. To apply to join AFD, carefully consider the commitments and requirements here, and submit an application to us.
Serving as a Firefighter takes commitment and effort. As such, those who succeed in firefighting are driven by a passion to serve their communities and to continuously improve their skills. For more specific requirements, please visit our recruitment page.
The Explorer Program is a vocationally oriented division of the Boy Scouts of America that is open to young people aged 14-21, interested in exploring future career opportunities. The Altoona Fire Department established the Explorer Post 800 to assist our young adults in “exploring” a career in the fire service while installing and developing core values, self-responsibility, and life skills. The Altoona Fire Department and the City of Altoona supports and encourages the activities of the Explorer Post. Explorers may perform functions for the Fire Department within the limits established by this guideline. They may participate in a wide range of fire and rescue functions as well as fire prevention and other support work that are in compliance with this guideline. Explorers are not members of the Altoona Fire Department but are members of the Boy Scouts of America. The Explorer Post 800 is governed by the Explorer Guidance Committee, the Boy Scouts of America, and the Fire Officers of the Fire Department. To get more information about the Explorer program, please contact the program coordinator here.
AFD is charged with performing biannual fire inspections on every commercial structure in the City of Altoona. These inspections occur to ensure that businesses are in accordance with Fire Code and that fire prevention practices are being adopted. For example, AFD will check to see that fire extinguishers are up to date and that all fire exits are in proper functioning condition. If violations are found, a re-inspection may be ordered and/or a fine may be assessed.
