The York Beach Fire Department (YBFD) responds to approximately 1000 calls per year ranging from a magnitude of incidents including building fires, fire alarm activations, emergency medical calls, motor vehicle accidents, carbon monoxide alarms, brush fires, forest fires, chimney fires, vehicle fires, water rescues, search and rescues, weather related emergencies, citizen assists as well as mutual aid to surrounding towns as needed.
The staffing consists of 3 full time firefighters/emergency medical providers and approximately 30 call/volunteer firefighters that are paid by call or volunteer. A private ambulance service provides ALS transport services for the town. The fire and ambulance services are dispatched by York Communications center which is a division of York Police Department.
York Beach and York Village Fire Departments cooperatively work together in providing the citizens and visitors of York professional, experienced, educated levels of life safety and property protective services. The two fire departments respond together to all building fires, smoke in the building, fire calls at the four schools, hospital, or nursing facilities in the Village District, as well as assisting each other on an as needed or multiple call basis. The departments also work together in the event of a lost, missing, overdue or injured hiker or biker who is exploring the countless number of scenic trails throughout the wooded sections of town.
If you are interested in becoming a call firefighter in York Beach, please fill out an application. Once your application has been submitted and reviewed a representative from the York Beach Fire Department will contact you.
A Brief History
The York Beach Fire Department was established in 1890 by a few local citizens and businessmen after concern of the lack of fire protection in the quickly growing vacation destination. The first fire station was a stable that was purchased and moved to a lot on Bay Street behind where the current fire station stands. The original station was destroyed by fire on September 25th, 1916. This fire originated in the York Beach Arcade theatre and destroyed several buildings. Although a notable fire without the established fire department and its firefighters, it would have surely been more devastating to the town of York Beach.
After the fire the members of the department were given a new plot of land where the current fire station sits today. The original mid portion of the building was constructed in 1917. In 1965 a two-bay addition was added onto to the existing fire station which also provided space for a police station and a meeting room. In 1987 the town approved the purchase of an aerial ladder truck, and an addition was constructed of two additional larger bays for apparatus on the right-hand side of the existing fire station.
Today the station houses 2 class A pumpers, 2 rescue trucks, a combination class A pumper/tank truck and a 110’ aerial ladder. The station has living quarters for its full-time staff, a meeting room, several administrative offices, and a function hall.