Job Opening ... The San Luis Obispo County Regional HazMat Team is looking for a Hazardous Materials Team Business Manager  -

Salary - $23 - $30 per hour, NO BENEFITS,

Filing Deadline 5/2/08.

                              Click here for more information     

Dear Residents and Visitors,

Thank you for visiting the website of the San Luis Obispo Fire Department. The men and women of this department recognize our responsibility to help ensure the safety of all the people in our city.  We look at public service as a privilege and value the trust we are given by the people we serve. 

For more than 130 years, our Department has worked hard to adapt and change as the challenges to the fire service have changed. We have now moved into the 21st century and provide a full-service fire department to a very special community.  I believe our greatest asset is our team of employees who consistently go above and beyond in delivering vital services.

As your Fire Chief, I take it as my personal responsibility to make this city as safe as possible through Suppression, Emergency Medical Service, Prevention and Public Education.  I encourage you to browse through our web pages, especially the “Disaster Prep” pages, to see the work of this highly respected department. Through a partnership with the people of the City of San Luis Obispo, we intend to make this unique city an even more attractive place to live, work, and visit.

John Callahan
Fire Chief

Fire Chief Callahan's Biography

Fire Chief John Callahan assumed command of the San Luis Obispo City Fire Department on November 1, 2005.  Prior to his service here, he served for over 32 years with the Los Angeles City Fire Department, rising through the ranks to the level of Deputy Chief.  During his career in Los Angeles, Chief Callahan served in all areas of the City and in all capacities.  He saw action in the Sesnon, Old Topanga, and Calabasas brush fires, the Texaco Refinery explosion and fire, the 1992 Los Angeles Riots and the Northridge Earthquake.  Chief Callahan was assigned to Operations Control Dispatch, the Arson Investigation Section, as the Operations Executive Officer, the Commander of the Bureau of Support Services, the Chief of Staff, and for the last 5 ½ years of his service, as Deputy Chief and Commander of Operations, the second ranking position in the Department. 

Since joining the San Luis Obispo Fire Department, Chief Callahan has made community service and safety his highest priorities.  To better serve the residents of the City and the surrounding wildland area, he recently obtained authorization to purchase the City’s first Type III fire engine.  Currently, efforts are underway to expand the Training and Prevention programs in the Department.  With the anticipated high number of retirements, work is ongoing to hire, train and promote the very best individuals available.  Succession Planning is underway to ensure quality individuals at all levels will manage and lead the Department in the future. 

Chief Callahan is committed to leading this extraordinary fire department in providing the best service possible to the citizens we serve.  He recognizes that the Central Coast is a unique area where people come to enjoy the advantages of this wonderful environment.  Public safety is something they should never doubt and the San Luis Obispo Fire Department is ready to assure that.

Mission Statement

We shall protect the lives and property of the citizens and visitors of our City from the adverse effects of fires, medical emergencies and other dangers caused by man or nature. We shall fulfill our mission with Courtesy & Service by motivated, productive individuals who value their profession, co-workers and the community they proudly serve.

We value:

• Our People
• Straightforward Communication
• Teamwork
• Getting Results
• Creativity, Risk Taking, Initiative
• Tough Decisions
• Our Traditions

Respectful Behavior

We commit to treat co-workers in a manner that most people would desire and consider acceptable. Respect, dignity, honesty, compassion, understanding, and trust are fundamental to the health of the San Luis Obispo City Fire Department.

“Courtesy & Service”