Fort Bidwell Volunteer Fire Department
Fort Bidwell Fire Protection District - Operation Areas
The Fort Bidwell Volunteer Fire Department normally operates within the Fort Bidwell Fire Protection District. The Fire Department responds to home, ranch, and wildland fires, as well as vehicle and health emergencies, and is dispatched by calls to 911.
The District contains Federal, State, and Local responsibility areas for wildland fires. The Department responds to all fires in our district but will turn over incident command to higher authority on their arrival (BLM, USFS, Cal Fire).
Our Local Responsibility Areas (White) are generally East and South of County Road 1 (Main Street) and around the lake. We are primary there, but can ask for mutual aid from other fire districts, BLM, and Cal Fire.
State Responsibility Areas (Yellow, Orange, Red) are the responsibility of Cal Fire (executed under contract by BLM in Surprise Valley) for wildland fire protection only. Cal Fire does not fight structure fires in Surprise Valley, but Cal Fire in Alturas has structure fire training, and will respond from Alturas (1 hour) if called. Cal Fire will give basic medical assistance until other medical resources arrive. The Department will assist Cal Fire, and may also provide some water under contract. Yellow areas are Moderate Hazard, Orange High Hazard, and Red Very High Hazard.
Federal Responsibility Areas (Green Slashed) are split between the BLM and USFS both based in Cedarville. BLM is responsible for wild land fires on Federal land, except for the National Forest. Neither BLM or USFS will fight a residential fire except to the extent it threatens wildland. Both will give basic medical assistance until other medical resources arrive. The Reservation is the responsibility of the BIA but The Reservation has no resources and is apparently covered by BLM. The Reservation pays no taxes to the District. However the Department will respond as said above. The Department will assist BLM and may also provide some water under contract.