Overview & History

Mission Statement

It is the mission of the Avalon Fire Department to preserve life, property and the environment through leadership, management and actions, as an all risk life safety response provider.

Core Values

  • Service: The Avalon Fire Department continues its unwavering call to protect and serve.
  • Bravery: Bravery is the ability to overcome fear through fortitude, instinct, compassion for others and training.
  • Safety: We strive to keep our citizens free from danger. With equipment and training, the Department can reduce the risk to the public and its members at fires, emergencies and medical incidents.
  • Honor: The enormous commitment necessary to perform the Avalon Fire Department's tasks requires excellence of character. We inspire each other through pride in our unit, which is a belief that every action reflects on all the members of the unit, both past and present.
  • Dedication: A commitment to the objectives of our mission is an essential part of our code of conduct. The faithful observance of duty calls for us to fulfill our obligations professionally and honestly.
  • Preparedness: By combining all of the components of our core values, the Avalon Fire Department will maintain its constant state of readiness to meet all threats and challenges.

History

The Avalon Fire Department has served the citizens and visitors of Avalon and Catalina Island since the city was incorporated in 1913. The City of Avalon is approximately 3 square miles, while Catalina Island is 76 square miles (47,354 acres) and has 55 miles of coastline.

The City of Avalon is comprised of high density residential and commercial properties with tourism as the primary industry; the city is surrounded on three sides by wildland interface areas. The City of Avalon has approximately 4000 year round residents with more than a million visitors a year. The Avalon Fire Department provides fire, rescue and emergency medical services within the city supported by our partnered agencies: City of Avalon Harbor Patrol, Los Angeles County Fire/Baywatch and Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department Search and Rescue. The Avalon Fire Department receives and provides mutual aid within the city and outward to the interior sections of the island.

Responding on average to just under 1,000 calls for service each year, including a significant number of helicopter medical transports, SCUBA diving related emergencies as well as fire and rescue responses.

The Avalon Fire Department's two most historically significant fires have been the 1915 fire that destroyed most of the western side of Avalon causing the destruction of 2 million dollars in property (1915 values). The "Island Incident" wildland fire began May 10, 2007 totaling 4,700 acres with multiple structures lost taking a solid week to contain and numerous off-island resources to fully control.