MISSION:

We are devoted to serving our community with unwavering dedication by providing exceptional services to protect lives and property through a culture of trust, training, and teamwork.

VISION:

We serve, grow, and adapt to our community by elevating excellence and driving progress.

VALUES we serve by:

• Compassion – serving with empathy, with a desire to take action to help relieve suffering

• Dedication – commitment to courageously serving each other and the community with the highest standards

• Integrity – doing the right thing when no one is watching you

• Accountability – providing the highest form of praise to each person, that they matter and their actions matter, while serving with transparency, professionalism, and a commitment to exceeding expectations

• Trust - showing respect and having confidence that each person’s intentions are good, leading to vulnerability-based trust (able to ask for help without hesitation)

The Watertown Fire Department has been proudly serving this community since it was established in 1857. The fire department is an ISO rated Class 2 full-time department consisting of twenty-six full-time firefighters, one full-time and one part-time administrative staff members, and two part-time fire inspectors, covering 136 square miles in the City of Watertown and surrounding townships.  The coverage area extends to parts of four surrounding townships: Emmet, Milford, Shields and Watertown. The department also provides paramedic transport service for the Town of Lebanon.  The Department averages 8-9 calls in a 24 hour period, approximately 2,900 calls per year.

Watertown is an urbanized city with 68.9% being residential properties, 21.6 % Commercial properties, 6.5 % Manufacturing, and 3% making up other types of properties. The current population served by the Watertown Fire Department is 27,171. 

The Watertown Fire Department is an “All Hazards” type emergency service delivery organization and is involved in incident prevention and effective responses to incidents that do occur. The Department has accomplished a great deal in this regard in the past years and much more will be done.

The Department’s positive relationship with city departments and neighboring fire departments is maintained and enhanced in an effort to provide highly effective emergency services to Watertown residents. The Mutual Aid Box Alarm System (MABAS) (dispatch of area fire and EMS companies to an emergency incident for staffing and support), continues to serve our communities well. 

The department has one station located at 106 Jones Street, Watertown WI 53094, which houses three fire pumpers, three ambulances, one mid mount ladder truck, two water tenders, one brush truck, one rescue boat and two command cars.  The department also has a training facility located on South 12thstreet.