Fire Department

Fire Trucks in front of Sign Hill

Welcome to the South San Francisco Fire Department website. Our goal is to provide our communities with easy access to essential information, ensuring our site is both informative and educational.

We are committed to making South San Francisco a safer place to live, work, and play. Continuously improving our training, equipment, and facilities to meet the evolving needs of the citizens and communities we serve is our priority. The strength of our organization lies in the unwavering commitment to excellence demonstrated by the men and women of our department.

 

 



Mission

The South San Francisco Fire Department exists to protect the members of our residential and business communities, our neighbors and visitors, their property and our environment. We will work to prevent injury and damage through education, fire prevention and to respond to the impact of fire, medical emergencies, natural and human caused disasters and the release of hazardous materials.


Department Head

Fire Chief Matthew SamsonMatthew Samson was appointed as Fire Chief on 8/2/2024. 

Chief Samson joined the South San Francisco Fire Department in January of 2005 as a Paramedic Firefighter and has made significant contributions to the department’s growth over the past 20 years.  He has served as Captain, Battalion Chief, and as the Deputy Fire Chief.

Chief Samson has been actively involved in significant efforts throughout his career, helping the department to continue meeting its mission while addressing new and emerging threats faced by the organization. These include the development of a rescue boat program, support of the department’s technical rescue program, procurement and management of numerous federal grants for equipment, infrastructure, and training, and helping to modernize the department through both operational and facilities improvements. Chief Samson helped to lead the department through the COVID-19 Pandemic and some of the most challenging wildland fire seasons the department has ever experienced.

Prior to joining the South San Francisco Fire Department, Chief Samson started his emergency services career in 1998 working as an emergency medical technician before attending the fire academy in 2000.  He then worked for the Marinwood Fire Department from 2001 until he was hired by our City. Chief Samson holds an Associates Degree in Fire Technology from Allan Hancock College, a Bachelor of Arts Degree from the University of California at Santa Barbara, and has completed the National Fire Academy’s Executive Fire Officer Program. Additionally, Chief Samson is a registered instructor under the California State Fire Marshal’s Office.

 

 

Location and Hours

Location

480 North Canal St.
South San Francisco, CA
94080

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Contact Us

Fire Administration

650-829-3950

 

Fire Prevention

650-829-6645

FirePermitsGroup@ssf.net