fire department

American  

noun

fire departments plural

1. the department of a municipal government charged with the prevention and extinguishing of fire.

2. the personnel in such a department.

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fire department British  

noun

1. the department of a local authority responsible for the prevention and extinguishing of fires

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• fire departments
  plural

Etymology

Origin of fire department

An Americanism dating back to 1815–25

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

fire department

The local fire department said a second-floor section collapsed, leaving multiple people trapped inside as emergency responders worked to free them.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026

When your home is burning, and the local fire department doesn’t show up, it burns down.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026

The fire department said it turned over the dog to the SPCA, which reunited the dog with its owners.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 19, 2026

Eight people were removed from the Kodiak 100 seaplane by fire department units and two had minor injures and refused medical attention.

From BBC ● Jul. 5, 2026

The repair crew had the help of the volunteer fire department and intended to work through the night, it said; all that could be done was being done as speedily as possible.

From "Snow Falling on Cedars: A Novel" by David Guterson