The purpose of the Operations Division of the Fire Department is to extinguish fires and mitigate other emergency incidents with a minimum loss of lives and property through the efficient, effective and timely response of personnel and equipment and programs that promote fire and life safety.

The Operations Division makes up the largest portion of the department. The division utilizes a three-shift system to provide 24-hour fire department staffing. Current shift strength varies from a high of 43 to a minimum daily staffing of 39. Overtime callback is utilized to maintain minimum shift staffing. The fire protection area served consists of two fire districts, subdivided into seven fire station response zones. The division employs 129 full time response personnel. The Division Chief in the Operations Division is responsible for fire operations management. A District Chief supervises each shift and provides overall incident command throughout the City. There is a Fire Captain assigned to supervise each engine and ladder truck.

The primary objective of the Operations Division is to maintain a state-of-the-art emergency response force, capable of handling a wide range of situations. Continued professional development training, community safety education programs and regular fire prevention inspections, help to maintain their level of readiness for any emergency. Requests for service include the control and extinguishment of fires; the treatment of those individuals who experience medical emergencies, the rescue of trapped or endangered persons and the control of hazardous material leaks and spills.

Personnel assigned to the Operations Division maintain a rigorous training program. In order to maintain the highest level of readiness, all personnel are scheduled to participate in regular in-service training and professional development. Subjects such as emergency medicine, fire suppression, special tactical rescue, hazardous materials along with classes in employee relations are provided on a regular basis. Operations personnel strive to ensure a state readiness by performing both daily and weekly performance evaluations on all division equipment. Maintenance projects include the in-house testing of all fire hose, flow testing of fire hydrants and the testing of pumping apparatus.