fire department

American  

noun

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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Etymology

Origin of fire department

An Americanism dating back to 1815–25

Example Sentences

The police, ambulance, fire department, cyclone-warning system and, of course, Zoël Manguillier, the guy to call when the groom drops his wedding ring in the Indian Ocean.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 24, 2026

After the sun came up, "we watched the water recede little by little" before the fire department arrived, Mikey said.

From BBC • Mar. 22, 2026

Safety controls, validated by the fire department, must be implemented for the storage of this fuel, the businessman told AFP, but "the institutions themselves are not able to clearly outline all the steps."

From Barron's • Feb. 19, 2026

Despite having all the latest safety gear and being in a group of other experienced riders, as well as the assistance of an off-duty Truckee fire department medic, who performed CPR, Thomason did not survive.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 17, 2026

Much of the fire department was still at work, even though they knew the fire was completely out of control.

From "The Great Fire" by Jim Murphy