Ontario Fire Department

What Ontario Fire Department does

The Ontario Fire Department (OFD) is a municipal all-risk, all-hazard fire department serving the City of Ontario, California. Established in 1893 as a volunteer fire company and transitioned to a full-time paid department in 1932, OFD currently operates 11 fire stations, employs over 215 full-time personnel, and responds to more than 24,000 calls for service annually. The department provides fire suppression, Advanced Life Support (ALS) emergency medical services, Aircraft Rescue Firefighting (ARFF) at Ontario International Airport, and specialty services including a Bomb Squad, Urban Search and Rescue Team, Hazardous Materials Team, Arson Investigation Unit, and SWAT Medic Program. ALS units are staffed with four firefighters including two paramedics per unit.

As a public agency, OFD is funded through City of Ontario tax revenues and provides services free of charge to residents and visitors, generating no commercial revenue. The department is led by Fire Chief Mike Gerken and operates as a department of the City of Ontario government. OFD recruits firefighters through a dedicated recruitment portal (joinofd.org), the Firefighter Candidate Testing Center (FCTC) for standardized written and CPAT physical ability testing, a Fire Explorers youth outreach program, social media presence across Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, and partnerships with nine regional educational institutions including community colleges and fire/EMT training academies.

OFD's operational technology consists of standard firefighting apparatus, ALS emergency medical equipment, ARFF vehicles, and specialized rescue and hazmat equipment. There are no commercial software products, APIs, proprietary technology platforms, or AI/ML capabilities associated with the department. OFD's core technology base is physical equipment deployed by trained personnel, with response effectiveness driven by strategic station placement, district familiarity accumulated over 130+ years of service, and extensive annual training in CPR, pharmacology, tactical medicine, and advanced cardiac life support.

Name

Ontario Fire Department

Legal name

Ontario Fire Department

Website

https://joinofd.org

Company type

Public

Founded year

1893

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Ontario Fire Department is a municipal all-hazard fire department serving Ontario, California, operating 11 fire stations with 215+ full-time personnel and handling 24,000+ calls annually. It provides fire suppression, ALS emergency medical services, Aircraft Rescue Firefighting, and specialty rescue and hazmat capabilities funded entirely by city tax revenues.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Safety Services

NAICS

Fire Protection (92216), Ambulance Services (62191)

akta.pro primary industry

Fire & Rescue Services (Fire Suppression, Rescue) (BPAIAGAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Fire Prevention, Inspection & Code Enforcement (Life Safety) (BPAIAGAL), Emergency Management & Disaster Response (EOC, Civil Defense) (BPAIAGAE)

Keywords

• Fire suppression services
• Emergency medical services
• Aircraft rescue firefighting
• Hazardous materials response
• Technical rescue operations

Headquarters

HQ city

Ontario

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Public Safety Services: As a municipal fire department, OFD is funded through city government tax revenues and operates as a public safety service. No revenue is generated from direct service fees to citizens.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Ontario Fire Department is an all-risk, all-hazard municipal fire department providing fire suppression, Advanced Life Support (ALS) emergency medical services, Aircraft Rescue Firefighting, Hazardous Materials response, Urban Search and Rescue, Bomb Squad, Arson Investigation, and SWAT Medic services across the City of Ontario, California, including at Ontario International Airport. It operates 11 fire stations, employs 215+ full-time personnel, and runs 24,000+ calls for service per year as a publicly funded public safety agency.

Product overview

The Ontario Fire Department (OFD) is a public safety organization, not a technology product company. It operates as an all-risk, all-hazard fire department serving the City of Ontario, California since 1893. The organization provides fire suppression, emergency medical services (ALS), and specialty services including Bomb Squad, Urban Search and Rescue, Hazardous Materials Team, Arson Investigation Unit, and SWAT Medic Program. The recruitment website (joinofd.org) is informational, designed to attract candidates to firefighting careers rather than to offer a commercial product or technology platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Fire Suppression Services Primary fire suppression and prevention services delivered across the City of Ontario through 11 strategically placed fire stations, handling over 24,000 calls for service annually. Provided free of charge as a publicly funded public safety service.
• Advanced Life Support (ALS) Emergency Medical Services ALS-level emergency medical response provided through engine and truck companies staffed with four firefighters including two paramedics each, supported by annual training in CPR, pharmacology, tactical medicine, and advanced cardiac life support. First paramedic graduates entered service in 1976.
• Aircraft Rescue Firefighting (ARFF) Specialized Aircraft Rescue Firefighting services delivered from the fire station co-located at Ontario International Airport, with firefighters receiving technical training in aviation emergency response.
• Hazardous Materials Response Specialty Hazardous Materials Team providing mitigation and emergency response for hazardous materials incidents within the City of Ontario.
• Urban Search and Rescue Specialized Urban Search and Rescue Team providing technical rescue response for incidents including structural collapse and other complex rescue scenarios.
• Bomb Squad Services Specialty Bomb Squad responding to explosive incidents and suspicious device calls within OFD's service area.
• Arson Investigation Specialty Arson Investigation Unit conducting origin and cause investigations for fire incidents within the City of Ontario.
• SWAT Medic Program Cross-trained firefighter-paramedics embedded with law enforcement SWAT operations to provide tactical medical support during high-risk police operations.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 24,000 calls for service handled annually with strategic station placement enabling minute-by-minute response times

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Fire FutureminorOthersLocal fire service training provider offering courses at 5494 Arrow Hwy, Montclair, CA 91763. One of several recommended education resources for aspiring firefighters.
• SoCal EMT/Fire TrainingminorOthersEMT and fire training provider at 1399 E Foothill Blvd Suite E, Upland, CA 91786. Recommended for EMT-B certification and fire service preparation.
• American EMT AcademyminorOthersEMT certification training at 8429 White Oak Ave #111, Rancho Cucamonga, CA 91730. Part of the recommended training institution network.
• Blue Helmet TrainingminorOthersFire service training provider at 10601 Church St #107, Rancho Cucamonga, CA 91730. One of multiple local training resources.
• Crafton Hills CollegeminorOthersCommunity college with fire technology programs at 11711 Sand Canyon Rd, Yucaipa, CA 92399. Offers Fire Technology degrees and EMT certifications.
• Victor Valley CollegeminorOthersCommunity college with EMS programs at 18422 Bear Valley Rd, Victorville, CA 92395. Offers emergency medical services training.
• Chaffey CollegeminorOthersCommunity college fire technology program at 5885 Haven Ave, Rancho Cucamonga, CA 91737. Offers Firefighter 1 certified Fire Academy and Fire Technology degrees.
• Mt. San Jacinto CollegeminorOthersCommunity college at 28237 La Pierdra Rd., Menifee, CA offering fire technology programs. Recommended as an education pathway.
• Rio Hondo CollegeminorOthersPublic safety college at 11400 Greenstone Ave, Santa Fe Springs, CA 90670 offering fire technology degree programs.
• Firefighter Candidate Testing Center (FCTC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStatewide testing organization providing written tests and the CPAT (Candidate Physical Ability Test) for firefighter candidates. OFD uses FCTC testing for candidate ranking in their selection process.
• City of OntariocoreOthersMunicipal government entity that funds and oversees the Ontario Fire Department. OFD is an official city department.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Los Angeles City Fire Department (LAFD): Large municipal fire department serving the City of Los Angeles. Directly comparable as a California municipal all-risk fire department with similar service mandate (fire suppression, ALS EMS, USAR, HazMat), but operates at substantially larger scale and a different jurisdiction.
• San Diego Fire-Rescue Department: Large municipal all-risk fire department in a major California city. Comparable service portfolio (fire, ALS, USAR, HazMat, ARFF at SAN) and training pipeline, but materially larger scale.
• Los Angeles County Fire Department: Regional fire authority serving unincorporated LA County and contract cities. Closest geographic and operational peer — both are California all-risk departments providing fire suppression, ALS, HazMat, and USAR, with comparable specialty team structures and recruitment models (FCTC/CPAT-based hiring).
• Orange County Fire Authority: Regional fire authority covering Orange County including John Wayne Airport ARFF. Comparable California all-risk service model, ALS deployment, and specialty teams; larger and structurally different (joint powers authority) but operates in the same Southern California labor and training market.

Direct peers

• Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District: Special district fire agency serving the Sacramento metro area. Comparable mid-sized California all-risk department with ALS, HazMat, USAR, and ARFF capabilities, and a similar FCTC-based recruitment and specialty team model.
• San Bernardino County Fire Department: County-level fire authority operating in the Inland Empire alongside Ontario. Most directly comparable peer in terms of service area, scale, urban-wildland interface, ARFF responsibilities (including at Southern California Logistics Airport / former Norton AFB), and population profile.
• Riverside County Fire Department / CAL FIRE Riverside Unit: Adjacent Inland Empire fire authority providing similar all-risk, all-hazard service in a comparable fast-growing metropolitan area. Comparable operating model, specialty team structure, and recruitment pipeline to OFD.

Others

• Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) / US Fire Administration: Federal agency administering USFA, AFG/SAFER grant programs, and the National Fire Academy that fund and train municipal fire departments. Not a direct service peer, but a key funding, training, and policy counterpart for any municipal fire department including OFD.

Regional players

• CAL FIRE (California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection): State-level fire agency providing wildland fire protection and operating the Office of the State Fire Marshal. Different primary mandate (wildland/state responsibility area) but a frequent mutual-aid partner for municipal all-risk departments like OFD and the dominant regulator for fire codes/inspections in California.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ontariofiredept
• Facebookfacebook.com/ontariofiredept
• Instagraminstagram.com/ontariofiredept
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ontario-fire-department

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Ontario Fire Department