San José Fire Department

What San José Fire Department does

San José Fire Department, operationally represented by San Jose Fire Fighters (IAFF Local 230), is the union of full-time professional firefighters employed by the City of San José, California. The department traces its origins to 1854 as one of the West Coast's earliest paid fire services; the union was chartered in 1919 with 21 members and currently represents approximately 676 firefighters, down marginally from 662 during the COVID-19 era. The department delivers fire protection, rescue, and emergency medical services to approximately one million residents across 200 square miles, including San José's incorporated city limits and unincorporated Santa Clara County areas. Service scope spans structural and wildland firefighting, aircraft crash rescue, swift water rescue, low/high angle rescue, trench rescue, hazardous materials response, collapse rescue, vehicle extrication, open water rescue, and arson investigation, with medical care provided at both EMT and Paramedic/Advanced Life Support levels.

The department's operational technology is human-driven rather than software-driven: SCBA (now OSHA-mandated), ALS/Paramedic capabilities (interpreting heart rhythms, administering medications, intubation, defibrillation), and the Two-in/Two-out safety rule that became foundational to modern firefighter safety. The department staffs 180 firefighters on duty every day and responds to 85,000–94,500 incidents annually, with 61% of FY2017–2018 incidents being medical-related. The union is governed by an elected Executive Board serving at the will of the membership, and the workforce operates on a three-platoon 56-hour workweek negotiated in 1973. SJFF holds charter number 230 in the IAFF, is a member of AFL-CIO, California Professional Fire Fighters, South Bay Labor Council, and the Council of Professional Organizations of Firefighters of Santa Clara County.

The revenue model is non-commercial: as a labor union, SJFF is funded through member dues, and the underlying fire service is funded through municipal taxes and public budget allocations from the City of San José. No commercial pricing, product revenue, or financial disclosures exist. The union operates an ecosystem of affiliated nonprofit programs — the SJFF Burn Foundation, San Jose Fire Museum, Los Bomberos of Northern California, Explorer Post 888 youth program, Silver Spanner Newsletter, Shark Engine public relations vehicle, L.I.F.E. File medical information product, Day on the Lake adaptive sports event, and a Breast Cancer Awareness Program. Customer concentration is structurally Critical: the City of San José is the sole employer of represented firefighters, with no commercial customer base.

Name

San José Fire Department

Legal name

San Jose Fire Fighters

Website

https://sjff.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1919

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

San José Fire Department, represented by San Jose Fire Fighters (IAFF Local 230), is the union of ~676 professional firefighters delivering fire, rescue, and ALS/Paramedic emergency services to one million residents across 200 square miles of San José, California since 1854 (department) and 1919 (union).

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Safety Services

NAICS

Fire Protection (92216), Ambulance Services (62191)

SIC

Services-Health Services (8000)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Safety Administration (Fire/EMS, Emergency Management) (BPAIACAL)

akta.pro secondary industry

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

Keywords

• Fire emergency services
• Emergency medical response
• Firefighter union representation
• Rescue operations
• Hazardous materials response

Headquarters

HQ city

San Jose

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 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: The San Jose Fire Fighters union represents professional firefighters employed by the City of San José. The organization advocates for safe working conditions, competitive wages, and fair benefits. Services are funded through municipal taxes and public budget allocations.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The San José Fire Department provides fire suppression, rescue, and emergency medical services across approximately 200 square miles serving over one million residents. Services include structural and wildland firefighting, aircraft crash rescue, swift water rescue, low/high angle rescue, trench rescue, hazardous materials response, open water rescue, collapse rescue, vehicle extrication, and arson investigation, delivered through a 911 emergency response system and station-based deployment with 180 firefighters on duty daily. The organization also operates community programs including the L.I.F.E. File emergency medical information kit and the SJFF Burn Foundation.

Product overview

San Jose Fire Fighters (IAFF Local 230) is a union representing professional firefighters serving the City of San José since 1919. The organization operates primarily as a union and emergency services advocate, offering community-facing programs including the L.I.F.E. File emergency medical information system, Silver Spanner Newsletter communications, SJFF Burn Foundation survivor support, San Jose Fire Museum historical preservation, Fire Explorer Post 888 youth training, Los Bomberos fire prevention programs, Breast Cancer Awareness initiatives, Day on the Lake adaptive sports events, and the Shark Engine public relations vehicle. The core product is union representation and emergency response services for San José's third largest city in California.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• SJFF Burn Foundation: Burn survivor support, treatment, and care programs including burn camps for children, adult support groups, retreat financial support, and equipment for burn units.
• San Jose Fire Museum
• Los Bomberos of Northern California
• San Jose Fire Explorer Post 888
• San Jose Fire Fighters Shark Engine
• Silver Spanner Newsletter
• L.I.F.E. File

Products and services

• Emergency Response Services Fire suppression, rescue, and emergency medical services delivered 24/7/365 across approximately 200 square miles serving over one million residents. Capabilities include structural and wildland firefighting, aircraft crash rescue, swift water rescue, low/high angle rescue, trench rescue, hazardous materials response, open water rescue, collapse rescue, vehicle extrication, fire prevention inspection, arson investigation, and emergency medical services at EMT and Paramedic (Advanced Life Support) levels.
• L.I.F.E. File

Quantifiable outcome

• 94,500 incidents responded to in FY 2017-2018
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and flagship.

• International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSan Jose Fire Fighters is affiliated with IAFF as Local 230. IAFF was established February 28, 1918 for the sole benefit of rank-and-file firefighters. SJFF holds original charter number 230.
• AFL-CIOcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThrough IAFF membership, SJFF is a member of the American Federation of Labor – Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO).
• California Professional Fire FighterscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState-level affiliation for California professional firefighters.
• South Bay Labor CouncilminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLabor council affiliation for regional labor organization support.
• Council of Professional Organizations of Firefighters of Santa Clara County (CPOFSCC)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCounty-level professional organization of firefighters.
• The Sharks FoundationflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerProvided first donation and enthusiastically supported the Shark Engine project, authorized use of team colors and image. Major supporter of the community outreach initiative.
• Los Gatos artist Glen MarchantminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDesigned and painted the white, red, teal, and navy blue shark artwork covering the Shark Engine apparatus.
• San José Fire DepartmentflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerDonated the reserve rig for the Shark Engine project and is the employer of SJFF union members.
• City of San JoséflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerMunicipal partner for fire services and Shark Engine project supporter.
• San Jose Fire Fighter's Burn FoundationflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerDonated to Shark Engine project. Independent organization built under auspices of SJFF for burn survivor support and education.
• Learning for Life, The Boy Scouts of AmericaflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-sponsor of San Jose Fire Explorer Post 888, providing vocational and leadership training for young adults ages 14-18 preparing for fire service careers.
• Far West Wheelchair Athletic Association (FWWAA)flagshipGTM or Marketing Partner501(c)(3) nonprofit recognized by US Paralympics as Paralympic Sport Club Silicon Valley. SJFF hosts annual 'Day on the Lake' for athletes participating in Northern California Junior Sports Camp.
• Los Bomberos of Northern CaliforniaflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerNonprofit organization improving fire protection in Santa Clara County. SJFF is a proud supporter with dozens of firefighters assisting the organization. Collaborate on annual toy drive assisting hundreds of families during holidays.
• San Jose Fire MuseumflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner501(c)(3) nonprofit built by hundreds of current and past SJFF members, families, and community volunteers. Preserves history of San José Fire Department and provides fire safety education.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Sacramento Area Fire Fighters Local 522: IAFF affiliate representing Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District firefighters. Direct peer: California IAFF local with similar all-hazard response scope and municipal/labor-relations dynamics.
• Los Angeles Firefighters Local 112: IAFF affiliate representing City of Los Angeles firefighters. Direct peer as the largest CA municipal fire union, with comparable all-hazard scope (structural, wildland, hazmat, USAR, ALS) and similar political/labor dynamics.
• San Francisco Fire Fighters Local 798: IAFF-affiliated union representing San Francisco firefighters. Direct peer: same labor affiliation, similar Bay Area municipal context, comparable all-hazard response and ALS scope, and very similar collective-bargaining dynamics.
• Phoenix Fire Fighters Local 493: IAFF affiliate representing Phoenix firefighters. Direct peer: large Sun Belt US city with comparable urban fire/EMS, hazmat, and technical-rescue responsibilities and similar IAFF bargaining framework.
• San Diego Fire Fighters Local 145: IAFF affiliate representing San Diego Fire-Rescue personnel. Direct peer: large CA city, IAFF Local, similar fire/EMS response profile and member-advocacy mandate.
• Seattle Fire Fighters Local 27: IAFF affiliate representing Seattle firefighters. Direct peer: large Pacific NW US city, IAFF Local, comparable all-hazard response profile (marine, high-rise, ALS) and member-representation mandate.
• Oakland Firefighters Local 55: IAFF affiliate representing Oakland firefighters. Direct peer in the same Bay Area region, with comparable urban fire/EMS responsibilities, mutual-aid relationships, and labor-relations dynamics.

Others

• California Professional Fire Fighters (CPF): Statewide professional association of California firefighters and IAFF affiliates. Adjacent peer representing the SJFF union's interests at the state level, including legislative advocacy and training.
• International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF): International labor union of professional firefighters and EMS personnel. Ecosystem peer — SJFF is chartered as Local 230 within IAFF, making it the parent affiliate and policy/advocacy counterpart rather than a direct competitor.

Broad incumbents

• Uniformed Firefighters Association of New York City (UFA Local 94): IAFF affiliate representing FDNY firefighters. Broader incumbent peer — a much larger, established municipal fire union with overlapping scope but operating in a far larger, denser jurisdiction.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/groups/134910179880744
• Xx.com/sjfirefighters

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries6 records

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 San José Fire Department