Locations & Operations

West Vancouver Fire & Rescue has been serving the municipality for almost a century. With four fire stations and a fleet of seven trucks, the Fire & Rescue Services is committed to protecting life, property, and the environment.

Fire & Rescue Services is comprised of six functions: Administration, Emergency Response, Fire Prevention, Public Education, Mechanical and Training.

Fire & Rescue Services works jointly with both the City and District of North Vancouver fire departments to provide shared services across the North Shore with the goals of:

improving fire and rescue service levels to residents, businesses and industry
improving the safety of responders at mutual aid incidents
improving resource coordination between the three departments

Fire & Rescue also respond to medical calls, but they do so in support of BC Ambulance. BC Ambulance makes the determination whether to call on Fire & Rescue support or not.

West Vancouver Fire & Rescue is honoured that Xwalacktun OBC of the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw has contributed artwork on their new tower truck.

A blessing and push-in ceremony was held at Fire Hall No. 1 in April 2022 to welcome the tower truck into the fleet.

“We are grateful to have this opportunity to promote reconciliation, equity, diversity, and inclusion by collaborating with the Squamish Nation,” said Jeremy Calder, Assistant Chief, Fire Prevention. “We strive to strengthen and further build the bonds and communication between West Vancouver Fire & Rescue and the Squamish Nation.”

The tower truck, also known as a mid-mount aerial platform, is a valued piece of equipment, assisting the fire department in fighting fires from an elevated vantage point and performing rescues.

“I felt very honoured to hear that the West Vancouver Fire Department wanted this design work on their new truck. I see this as a powerful act in Truth and Reconciliation. Many elders and chiefs have said that ‘we are invisible on our own land’ and having Indigenous artwork visible on a service vehicle will bring pride to them and the community,” said Xwalacktun OBC. “A quote that always stuck with me is, ‘My people will sleep for one hundred years, but when they awake, it will be the artists who give them their spirit back’—Louis Riel.”

The artwork features a Thunderbird and Longhouse on the large roll-up door on the rear of the truck. The Thunderbird is rising in the smoke from a long house. The Long House represents family and the Thunderbird represents protection and strength.

Located on the side body upper sign boards is a West Coast Canoe with Coast Salish paddles up, holding the Lions Gate Bridge. The canoe symbolizes pulling together and paddles up is a sign of peace and respect. The Lions Gate Bridge represents building connection between our communities.
Number of trucks in fleet: 7
- Fire Station No. 1: one engine, one rescue, one tower
- Fire Station No.2: one engine
- Fire Station No.3: one engine
- Fire Station No.4: one engine, one reserve engine
West Vancouver Fire & Rescue has been serving the municipality for almost a century. In that time, much has changed with the approach to firefighting. From new safety standards to improved technology, the history of firefighting can be very interesting.

The West Vancouver Fire Service Museum and Archives Society is dedicated to protecting and preserving antiquated and archival firefighting items—trucks, newspaper clippings, hoses, reports, uniforms—so that past West Vancouver firefighters are remembered for the bravery and commitment to public safety they exhibited in their jobs.

Learn more about the Fire Department’s history at the West Vancouver Fire Museum:

604-913-1836

Commonly asked questions and answers

Fire, police, and ambulance staff are aware of the noise disturbance to local residents and do their best to mitigate this while ensuring they are best prepared to respond to an emergency.

Although they may provoke a sense of anxiety, or occur at an early hour in the morning, or late at night, the sirens are a necessary part of our emergency response. They are an indication that a member of the community truly requires emergency assistance and our first responders are doing their absolute best to provide assistance in a prompt and safe manner.

Our first responders try to not activate sirens when they are not required, however, “Code 3” responses (lights and sirens) are required immediately for priority calls. Section 122 of the BC Motor Vehicle Act provides exemptions for emergency vehicles, such as proceeding past a red traffic control signal or stop sign without stopping. When doing this, they are required to do so as safely as possible, which will often involve the use of our vehicle’s emergency equipment (lights and sirens).
In emergencies, seconds count—often helping to save a life. The time saved responding in emergency mode saves precious seconds responding to someone’s call for help. If you had to call for help in an emergency, you would want help to arrive as quickly as possible.

The fire department responds to a wide range of emergencies, including medical calls, motor vehicle accidents, structure, vehicle, or forest fires, and water rescues. We are prepared to respond and proud to serve our community. Responding as quickly and safely as possible enables us to keep our community safe.