fire department

noun

1. the department of a municipal government charged with the prevention and extinguishing of fire.
2. the personnel in such a department.

fire department

noun

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of fire department¹

An Americanism dating back to 1815–25

Example Sentences

In Montgomery County, most crashes involved one vehicle — cars into guard rails, jersey barriers and trees — in the southern part of the county on and near the Capital Beltway, said Pete Piringer, spokesman for the county’s fire department.

From Washington Post

Collins said he was worried for his friends, first responders in the largest combination municipal fire department in the country who had been confronting this virus for nearly a year in the county hit harder than any other in Maryland.

From Washington Post

City leaders here asked the police and fire departments to start by looking for at least 2 percent in cuts.

From Voice of San Diego

The police and fire department will need to suggest 2 percent in cuts, while other city services like parks and recreation, the library department and the city auditor’s office are being asked to suggest 8 percent cuts to their budget.

From Voice of San Diego

Across the country, 911 calls are answered by a patchwork of nonprofit, for-profit, hospital-affiliated, fire department and municipal-run services.

From Washington Post

Craig-Lewis was an 11-year veteran of the Philadelphia Fire Department, a position she had aspired to since grade school.

From The Daily Beast

The New York City Fire Department had lost seven hundred and seventy-eight men from its founding in 1865 until September 10, 2001.

From The Daily Beast

One was the Parks Commissioner, and the other the Fire Department Commissioner, who had a personal stake in the races.

From The Daily Beast

The same is true with a fire department when a firefighter is critically injured.

From The Daily Beast

The Fire Department put out all these physical and visceral burnings.

From The Daily Beast

In Buffalo is a woman who runs a street-cleaning bureau; in Kansas City a woman is at the head of a fire department.

From Project Gutenberg

"Call out the fire department, probably," said Eleanor flippantly.

From Project Gutenberg

He served in the volunteer fire department of Walla Walla for twenty-two years, six of which he was chief.

From Project Gutenberg

In many towns and cities there is much of interest connected with the fire department.

From Project Gutenberg

He was to be appointed by the board of trustees of the fire department, and confirmed by the Board of Aldermen.

From Project Gutenberg