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 man was found under a car in the Nea Makri rural area early on Thursday, according to the fire department.

From BBC • Apr. 2, 2026

The fire department received 674 calls for assistance from Wednesday through the early hours of Thursday.

From BBC • Apr. 2, 2026

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

Twenty-nine people were in the four-story building, which also housed apartments and a cosmetic clinic, at the time of the early morning collapse, according to the Minas Gerais state fire department.

From Barron's • Mar. 6, 2026

I was seeing myself as the fire department and June as the raging inferno.

From "The Secret Life of Bees" by Sue Monk Kidd