IAFF Local 935, is a labor organization that represents the men and women of the San Bernardino County , Big Bear City , Big Bear Lake, Colton, Loma Linda , and Montclair Fire Departments. Its members are dedicated to the protection and safety of the Communities they serve. The firefighters of Local 935 are committed to the well being of the public through our humanitarian efforts, donations, and events.
For more information, Visit:
https://www.iafflocal935.org/community
#photooftheday | PUBLIC EDUCATION
November 18, 2025 | San Bernardino County
A Local 935 member demonstrates structural firefighting protective equipment during a school visit, helping young students understand what firefighters may look and sound like during an emergency.
Station visits, school demonstrations and community events are an important part of the all-risk mission. Meeting firefighters before an emergency builds familiarity, reduces fear and creates an opportunity to reinforce lifesaving lessons at an early age.
SAFETY MESSAGE FOR FAMILIES: Practice two ways out of every room. If there is smoke, crawl low, get outside, stay outside and call 911 from a safe place. Children should know never to hide from firefighters.
SERVICE • PROFESSIONALISM • DEDICATION
Website: www.iafflocal935.org
X: @SBCoFFLocal935 | Instagram/Facebook: @Local935
YouTube: San Bernardino Co FFs
#Local935 #SBCoFD #photooftheday #publiceducation #firesafety ... See MoreSee Less
0 CommentsComment on Facebook
ONE MONTH AGO MARKED 10 YEARS OF REGIONAL FIRE SERVICE IN SAN BERNARDINO
July 1, 2026 marked ten years since the City of San Bernardino joined the San Bernardino County Fire Protection District.
After 138 years of service by the San Bernardino City Fire Department, the City transitioned fire and emergency medical services to County Fire on July 1, 2016. This was more than an administrative change. It brought City firefighters and employees, their experience, their traditions, and their commitment to the community into a larger regional fire-service system.
During the decade that followed, firefighters, paramedics, dispatchers, and professional staff answered more than 400,000 calls for service within the City of San Bernardino. Those calls included emergency medical incidents, structure fires, vegetation and wildland fires, technical rescues, hazardous conditions, major emergencies, and public-service calls.
The Fire District has committed to investments throughout the City, including new fire stations, new apparatus, expanded staffing, innovative technology, wildfire mitigation, and stronger community partnerships.
For Local 935, the anniversary demonstrates the operational value of annexation and regionalization, especially when paired with the FP-5 funding mechanism. A regional Fire District can govern, train, equip, and deploy resources as parts of one system. Engines, ladder trucks, ambulances, medic squads, hand crews, wildland assets, special-operations personnel, dispatch, training resources, and command staff can move across service zones according to incident needs.
During a major fire, rescue, or extended emergency, the system can send additional companies into the affected area while repositioning other District resources to help maintain coverage. That creates depth beyond the first-alarm assignment and provides more flexibility than relying only on separate automatic-aid or mutual-aid agreements between independent agencies.
Mutual aid remains an important part of California's emergency-response system. Regionalization adds another layer of capability because resources within the District share common leadership, communications, training expectations, operational policies, and deployment practices. Personnel can reinforce one another more seamlessly, regardless of which service zone houses a particular engine, truck, hand crew, specialty team, or piece of equipment.
The benefits extend beyond emergency incidents. A regional system can coordinate training, apparatus planning, station construction, technology, wildfire preparedness, specialty programs, and long-term capital improvements across multiple communities. It can also provide a broader platform for recruiting, developing, and retaining firefighters and paramedics.
Local 935 recognizes the members who served with the San Bernardino City Fire Department and continued protecting the community as County Fire employees. Their knowledge and dedication helped carry the City's fire-service history into the regional system.
We appreciate the elected leaders, community partners, and residents who supported investments over the past decade. At the same time, progress must continue. Calls for service, community risk, and operational demands continue to grow. Local 935 will keep advocating for adequate staffing, modern apparatus, resilient stations, specialty resources, and sustainable funding throughout the Fire District.
Ten years of progress is worth recognizing. The next decade requires the same commitment to the firefighters, paramedics, dispatchers, professional staff, facilities, and equipment that protect San Bernardino every day.
SERVICE • PROFESSIONALISM • DEDICATION
iafflocal935.org
X: @SBCoFFLocal935
Instagram, Facebook, and Threads: @Local935
YouTube: San Bernardino Co FFs
#Local935 #SBCoFD #SanBernardino #RegionalFireService #FP5 #PublicSafety #AllRisk #Firefighters #Paramedics ... See MoreSee Less
0 CommentsComment on Facebook
#VideoVault | #Throwback
ORIGINAL INCIDENT: August 29, 2025 | Hemlock Avenue near Main Street, Hesperia
Our members arrived shortly after midnight to a smoke-filled home with a resident unable to escape. Firefighters joined a sheriff's deputy at a bedroom window, entered, closed the door to limit fire spread and lifted the resident to safety.
Interior crews and truck-company members coordinated fire attack and roof operations, largely containing the fire to a rear room. A second resident escaped, and six dogs were successfully accounted for and survived. Four engines, three ambulances, a ladder truck, battalion chief and investigator responded.
This rescue is a reminder that structure-fire response is simultaneously fire suppression, search and rescue, EMS, ventilation and incident command. Adequate staffing puts each critical function in place when minutes matter.
SAFETY MESSAGE: Working smoke alarms, a practiced escape plan and closed bedroom doors can provide lifesaving time. Once outside, stay outside.
SERVICE • PROFESSIONALISM • DEDICATION
Website: www.iafflocal935.org
X: @SBCoFFLocal935 | Instagram/Facebook: @Local935
YouTube: San Bernardino Co FFs
#Local935 #SBCoFD #Hesperia #FireRescue ... See MoreSee Less
0 CommentsComment on Facebook
BALD EAGLE RESCUE UPDATE | FAWNSKIN / BIG BEAR LAKE
INCIDENT: JULY 17–18, 2026 | UPDATE: AUGUST 2, 2026
Over the past two weeks, people across the country have followed the story of the adult bald eagle found grounded near Dana Point Park in Fawnskin—an eagle believed by Friends of Big Bear Valley to be Jackie, one of Big Bear Valley’s beloved nesting pair.
On July 17, a community member reported the grounded eagle to San Bernardino County Fire Station 96. Captain Dennis Jones and the Station 96 crew responded and remained with the eagle for several hours, protecting her from other wildlife and human interference while specialized wildlife rescuers made the more than two-hour trip to Big Bear.
At approximately 2:00 a.m. on July 18, the San Dimas Raptor Rescue Team—part of the County of Los Angeles Department of Parks and Recreation—arrived, safely captured the eagle, provided initial stabilization and coordinated her transfer to Ojai Raptor Center for specialized veterinary care.
Video recorded before the rescue showed the adult eagle involved in an altercation with two subadult bald eagles. Although that footage helped document the situation, wildlife professionals have not identified a definitive cause for the eagle’s illness. Because the bird is not banded, Ojai Raptor Center appropriately identifies her as Patient 26-519; Friends of Big Bear Valley has said the available photographs and video make it likely that she is Jackie.
Her medical journey has been serious. Initial testing found that she was underweight and suffering from severe anemia and inflammation affecting her kidneys. Her care has included round-the-clock treatment and a life-saving blood transfusion while veterinarians and specialists continue investigating the underlying cause.
Today, there is a cautiously encouraging update: Ojai Raptor Center reports that Patient 26-519 has been moved from its intensive care unit—where she required oxygen therapy—to a regular hospital care unit. That is an important step forward, but the center emphasizes that she remains very sick, still requires intensive treatment and monitoring, and is not yet out of danger.
The response to this story has reached far beyond Big Bear Valley. Cards, letters, artwork and notes of appreciation have poured into Station 96. The Fire District has received messages from California, Arizona, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas—and possibly more places not yet identified.
To every child, classroom, family and community member who took time to write: thank you. Our Station 96 members have enjoyed opening each message and have been deeply moved by the reach of this story and the appreciation shown for their actions.
We also thank the local residents and visitors who kept watch before responders arrived; Friends of Big Bear Valley, whose cameras and volunteers have connected millions of people to Jackie, Shadow and their family; the County of Los Angeles Department of Parks and Recreation and its San Dimas Raptor Rescue Team; and the professionals at Ojai Raptor Center who remain focused on this eagle’s rehabilitation.
This incident is a reminder that public service often extends beyond the calls people expect. Our members assessed the hazard, protected a vulnerable patient, controlled the scene and stayed until the right specialized resources could complete the rescue. That teamwork gave this eagle the opportunity to receive the care she needed.
Please continue to follow Ojai Raptor Center and Friends of Big Bear Valley for verified updates. Out of respect for the rehabilitation team and all the wildlife patients in its care, please do not call, email or visit the facility seeking updates.
We join the Big Bear community and people around the world in hoping for a complete recovery and the queen’s eventual return to Big Bear Valley.
SERVICE • PROFESSIONALISM • DEDICATION
www.iafflocal935.org
Facebook & Instagram: @Local935
X: @SBCoFFLocal935
YouTube: San Bernardino Co FFs
#Local935 #SBCoFD #Station96 #Fawnskin #BigBear #BaldEagle #JackieAndShadow #WildlifeRescue #PublicService ... See MoreSee Less
1 CommentsComment on Facebook
RECENT RESPONSE | July 3, 2026 | W. 59th St. & N. I St., San Bernardino
Our members joined a unified response as more than 150 firefighters used hose lines, hand tools, dozers and aircraft to stop the 23.5-acre Inspiration Incident in about 90 minutes. No structures were damaged.
Officials determined the fire began accidentally when a vehicle was driven off-road. This response shows why communities need enough firefighters, wildland resources, heavy equipment and aviation support available when conditions change quickly.
SAFETY MESSAGE: Keep vehicles out of dry grass and brush, obey closures and report smoke immediately.
SERVICE • PROFESSIONALISM • DEDICATION
Website: www.iafflocal935.org
X: @SBCoFFLocal935 | Instagram/Facebook: @Local935
YouTube: San Bernardino Co FFs
#Local935 #SBCoFD #WildlandFire #Firefighters ... See MoreSee Less
4 CommentsComment on Facebook
VIDEO VAULT | April 3, 2025 | Tower 19 Academy
Before a firefighter answers the first alarm of a career, the work begins in the academy. This look back at Tower 19 shows recruits building the discipline, teamwork and technical foundation required for safe, coordinated emergency response.
Training does more than teach individual skills. It helps future career firefighters communicate under pressure, support one another and perform as a crew when the community needs them most. Strong recruitment, rigorous preparation and continued investment in staffing all contribute to reliable emergency service across San Bernardino County.
Interested in a fire-service career? Prepare early, maintain your fitness and watch official County recruitment channels for future opportunities.
SERVICE • PROFESSIONALISM • DEDICATION
⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯
Website: www.iafflocal935.org
X (Twitter): @SBCoFFLocal935
Instagram: @Local935
Facebook: @Local935
YouTube: San Bernardino Co FFs
⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯
#throwback #firefightertraining #fireacademy #careerfirefighters #Local935 ... See MoreSee Less
14 CommentsComment on Facebook
STATION SPOTLIGHT | STATION 53 — BAKER, I-15 & THE NORTH DESERT
San Bernardino County Fire released “The Lonely Fire Station” on March 19, 2026. It was produced before Station 52 at Harvard opened with career staffing, so this post combines the film, the documented history of the Baker corridor and a current staffing update.
THE CORRIDOR
The film reports that Station 53 protects more than 5,000 square miles and a corridor carrying over 220,000 vehicles daily. A 2016 FIREWIRE profile—an important historical snapshot—described roughly 4,000 square miles, 130 miles of freeway and highway, 100 miles of railroad and approximately 1,000 annual calls at that time.
Members handle collisions, medical emergencies, hazmat, flooding, truck and vehicle fires, wildland fires and remote rescues. Calls may take crews an hour or more from quarters through severe heat or winter weather, with limited immediate backup. Interstate closures can strand motorists for hours where water, fuel, shade and cellular service cannot be assumed.
HOW SERVICE EVOLVED
For years, Baker relied on a resident paid-call firefighter and an inmate firefighting crew from the Baker correctional facility. The captain first had to pick up the crew before responding. There was no modern dedicated station; personnel and equipment operated from housing on the correctional grounds. That meant delayed deployment, minimal staffing and enormous distances between resources.
In 2006, the Board of Supervisors funded a station on Baker Boulevard. Career service began with a captain and limited-term firefighter. An engineer/paramedic was added later, followed by paramedic service and County Fire ambulance transport.
The 2016 FIREWIRE article documented the next stage: a two-person engine—a captain and engineer/paramedic—supported by two ambulance operators. Progress had been made, but the engine still lacked a third suppression firefighter/paramedic, leaving a small crew to begin complex operations while distant help was still traveling.
Today, Station 53’s engine is staffed with four professional firefighters. Four-person staffing increases the ability to begin fire attack, search, rescue, medical care, water supply and command before additional resources arrive. It also provides flexibility to cross-staff specialized apparatus, including the large water tender. Much of the freeway has no hydrants, so crews must bring the water needed for truck, vehicle and vegetation fires.
LOCAL RESPONSE ON FEDERAL LAND
The district includes extensive lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management and National Park Service, including the Mojave National Preserve and routes used for camping and off-highway recreation.
Federal agencies retain responsibility for their lands and wildland-fire suppression within their jurisdictions. But emergencies do not wait for jurisdictional lines. Federal resources are not always positioned nearby and staffed around the clock year-round. When a traveler is injured, a medical emergency occurs, a vehicle burns or fire threatens life and property, County Fire members frequently provide the immediate response.
That service protects Baker residents and millions traveling between counties and states. The public expects help after calling 911 regardless of which agency owns the land beneath the incident.
STATION 52 — PROGRESS THAT MUST BE SUSTAINED
Earlier in 2026, Station 52 at Harvard opened with a three-person paramedic engine: a captain, engineer and firefighter/paramedic. It has strengthened the I-15 and I-40 corridors, provided closer backup for Baker and reduced some move-up and cover demands when Station 53 is committed far from quarters.
We appreciate those who prioritized this improvement. Local 935’s goal remains four-person staffing on remote engines.
Station 52’s staffing is supported by a federal SAFER grant. SAFER—Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response—is a FEMA program that can fund frontline firefighter salaries and benefits during a defined award period.
The grant puts needed firefighters in the field now, but it is temporary. When the award ends, the need remains. The Fire District must identify ongoing local revenue, secure permanent position authority and fund the long-term cost before the grant expires. Temporary funding should be a bridge to lasting public-safety investment—not a funding cliff.
Local 935 will continue advocating for permanent Station 52 funding, four-person staffing across the remote North Desert stations, reliable equipment and enough system depth that one distant incident does not leave another community without timely coverage.
The film makes the challenge clear: firefighters cannot overcome distance, isolation and overlapping emergencies through dedication alone. They need sustainable staffing and long-term public investment.
SERVICE • PROFESSIONALISM • DEDICATION
#Local935 #SBCoFD #Station53 #Station52 #FirefighterStaffing #SAFERGrant ... See MoreSee Less
8 CommentsComment on Facebook
RECENT RESPONSE | July 16, 2026 | Foothill Drive and Manzanita Drive, San Bernardino
Our members responded to the Lynwood Incident, a vegetation fire that grew to 26.5 acres before firefighters stopped its forward progress. More than 100 personnel worked through the evening strengthening containment lines and completing extinguishment.
The incident operated under Unified Command with San Bernardino County Fire, CAL FIRE BDU and the San Bernardino National Forest. No structures were damaged and no injuries were reported.
California's mutual-aid system brings cooperators together across jurisdictions toward one goal: protecting lives, homes and communities. Local 935 members provide the staffing, wildland capability and all-risk experience that make this coordinated response possible.
SAFETY MESSAGE: Maintain defensible space, keep evacuation routes clear and leave early when directed during a nearby vegetation fire.
SERVICE • PROFESSIONALISM • DEDICATION
Website: www.iafflocal935.org
X: @SBCoFFLocal935 | Instagram/Facebook: @Local935
YouTube: San Bernardino Co FFs
#Local935 #SBCoFD #LynwoodIncident #WildlandFire ... See MoreSee Less
2 CommentsComment on Facebook
#photooftheday | TRAINING ARCHIVE
November 10, 2021 | San Bernardino County
Our members practice coordinated roof operations on a training prop, building the tool skills, communication and teamwork required when conditions are hot, smoky and changing quickly.
Truck-company ventilation must be timed with interior hose lines, search crews and incident command. Repetition on the drill ground helps those assignments function as one coordinated operation when seconds matter. Maintaining that readiness requires consistent training time, adequate staffing and the facilities needed to prepare for complex incidents.
SERVICE • PROFESSIONALISM • DEDICATION
Website: www.iafflocal935.org
X: @SBCoFFLocal935 | Instagram/Facebook: @Local935
YouTube: San Bernardino Co FFs
#Local935 #SBCoFD #firefightertraining #truckcompany ... See MoreSee Less
0 CommentsComment on Facebook
CURRENT INCIDENT FOLLOW-UP | AUGUST 1, 2026 | SOUTH SAN BERNARDINO
Local 935 members serving with San Bernardino County Fire responded to a vegetation fire in a wash approximately one-quarter mile behind Fire Station 231. Medic Engine 231 arrived quickly and upgraded the assignment as fire became established in the wash.
Crews used the sandy wash bottom as part of the control line and held the fire to three acres while working in 107-degree heat. No civilian or firefighter injuries were reported.
Thank you to Loma Linda Fire, Colton Fire and CAL FIRE/Riverside County Fire for assisting. Responses like this show why nearby staffing, available apparatus and a strong mutual-aid system matter when vegetation fires can spread quickly in extreme heat.
WILDLAND SAFETY: Avoid spark-producing activity near dry vegetation, report smoke immediately and keep access routes clear for responding equipment.
Incident information and imagery: San Bernardino County Fire.
SERVICE • PROFESSIONALISM • DEDICATION
Website: www.iafflocal935.org
X: @SBCoFFLocal935 | Instagram/Facebook: @Local935
YouTube: San Bernardino Co FFs
#Local935 #SBCoFD #sanbernardino #VegetationFire #wildlandfire #mutualaid ... See MoreSee Less
2 CommentsComment on Facebook
RECENT RESPONSE | July 4, 2026 | 600 block Arth Drive, Crestline
During Crestline's Independence Day parade, smoke and flames became visible from a nearby home. County Fire units participating in the parade immediately left the route and responded.
Sheriff's deputies arrived first, evacuated two adults and the family dog, and attempted to slow the fire. Our members contained the fire to the building of origin and protected surrounding vegetation and nearby homes. CAL FIRE BDU and the San Bernardino National Forest assisted as cooperating agencies. No civilian or firefighter injuries were reported.
This response shows why community events never reduce emergency readiness—and why mountain communities need local, properly staffed resources capable of moving immediately when conditions change.
SAFETY MESSAGE: Keep vegetation and combustible materials clear from structures, maintain visible addresses and practice a household escape plan.
SERVICE • PROFESSIONALISM • DEDICATION
Website: www.iafflocal935.org
X: @SBCoFFLocal935 | Instagram/Facebook: @Local935
YouTube: San Bernardino Co FFs
#Local935 #SBCoFD #Crestline #StructureFire ... See MoreSee Less
2 CommentsComment on Facebook
RECENT RESPONSE | July 16, 2026 | I-15, Cajon Pass
Our Local 935 members responded with CAL FIRE BDU and San Bernardino National Forest personnel after a vehicle traveled approximately 80 feet down an embankment and came to rest upside down.
Firefighters and paramedics descended to begin patient care in hazardous terrain and triple-digit heat. One critically injured patient was hoisted by San Bernardino County Sheriff's aviation unit to a trauma center. A second critical patient was raised in a Stokes basket by the urban search and rescue team, transferred to an ambulance and transported. Tragically, a third person died at the scene. Our thoughts are with everyone affected.
This response demonstrates the specialized rescue, EMS and interagency coordination our members provide far beyond traditional firefighting. We thank CAL FIRE BDU, the U.S. Forest Service, Sheriff's aviation and CHP for working toward one goal.
SAFETY MESSAGE: Slow down, avoid distractions and leave extra following distance—especially through steep mountain passes.
SERVICE • PROFESSIONALISM • DEDICATION
Website: www.iafflocal935.org
X: @SBCoFFLocal935 | Instagram/Facebook: @Local935
YouTube: San Bernardino Co FFs
#Local935 #SBCoFD #USAR #TechnicalRescue #CajonPass ... See MoreSee Less
9 CommentsComment on Facebook