San Francisco, California, surrounded on three sides by water with the Pacific Ocean to the West, the Golden Gate to the North, and San Francisco Bay to the East, presents the San Francisco (CA) Fire Department (SFFD) with unique surf and cliff rescue emergencies.
Such emergencies call for specially trained firefighters using specialized equipment and trucks outfitted with the appropriate equipment and features.
Situated at the southwestern corner of the city, Station 19 firefighters respond to cliff rescues on the steep sandy cliffs leading to the beach of Fort Funston Golden Gate National Park with a 2012 Ford Super Duty F-450 XLT four-wheel-drive four-door Super Cab truck with a Reading utility body named Cliff Rescue 19 (CR 19). Another unit, Cliff Rescue 14, is a two-door truck operating out of Station 14 in the Richmond District that responds to rocky cliff emergencies along the Golden Gate.
CR 19 OVERVIEW
“The 2012 Ford [F-450] was previously used as a Port Response Vehicle, then used by the Department’s Bureau of Equipment prior to being reassigned as a Cliff Rescue Unit. It is a 2012 model truck but was not used as a Cliff Rescue Unit until 2016. There was no delay in outfitting the unit; it simply had other duties prior to this assignment,” says Lieutenant Mariano Elias, spokesperson for the SFFD. “There are no specific modifications to the vehicle [by the SFFD’s maintenance and modifications workshop].”
Before CR 19, there was a smaller 2000 Ford F-150 XLT four-wheel-drive pickup. “The previous [Coastal Rescue pickup] had a narrower profile with less storage space,” says Elias. “The design of the current CR 19 is preferrable in this regard as it allows space for more equipment. The Coastal Rescue Unit designation was removed when Surf Rescue 14 and CR 19 were specialized over time.” The function of CR 19 at a rope rescue is to carry the ropes and rope rescue equipment, provide transportation on unpaved roads, and often serve as the anchor point in rope rescue systems. SFFD does not use all-terrain vehicles, M-Gator, or other trucks for sandy cliff rescues at Fort Funston.
1 The San Francisco (CA) Fire Department’s 2012 Ford F-450 Cliff Rescue truck in front of Station 19. [Photos by Lieutenant Mariano Elias, San Francisco (CA) Fire Department.]
2 CR19’s Ford F-450 Super Duty’s interior showing the Motorola APX8500 for the base radio, emergency lights and siren controls. It also carries a Motorola APX 8000XE portable radio on the center console. Note the Bushnell binoculars in the pouch by the passenger’s seat belt fastener and the dog treats in the driver’s door tray.
CR 19’S INTERIOR
CR 19’s interior contains a Motorola APX8500 for the base radio and a Motorola APX 8000XE portable radio on the center console. There is no mobile data terminal or keyboard in CR19. The interior is mainly factory stock except for the emergency equipment controls.
The driver’s interior door pocket tray contains dog treats and tennis balls for luring dogs toward firefighters since cliff rescue incidents at Fort Funston often involve dogs separated from their owners and left stranded on the steep sandy cliffs. Dog owners can take their dogs off leash at Fort Funston, but how the dogs behave once unleashed is unpredictable. Sometimes the dogs get stuck in the sandy cliffs, and the owners go after them for a rescue, getting stuck as well and having to call 911.
CR 19’S EXTERIOR
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Posted: Aug 21, 2025
Vine Grove (KY) Fire Station No. 2 caught fire Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2025, the city said in a Facebook post. No one was injured in the fire at 203 North Mill Street.
Three vehicles were destroyed in the fire, including the city’s antique 1941 fire truck, wave3.com reported.
“We are grateful for the assistance provided by the American Red Cross and volunteers from other agencies,” the city said in the Facebook post. “While our 1941 antique fire truck was lost in the fire, we are relieved that our firefighters are safe. Please avoid the area for a few more hours as we are still on the scene.”
Three vehicles were destroyed in the fire, including Vine Grove’s antique 1941 fire truck (shown here). (Source: Vine Grove City Hall)
Vine Grove (KY) Fire Station No. 2 caught fire Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2025. No one was injured in the fire at 203 North Mill Street. (Source: Vine Grove City Hall)
The post FD Station Catches Fire; Three Vehicles Destroyed, Including 1941 Rig appeared first on Fire Apparatus: Fire trucks, fire engines, emergency vehicles, and firefighting equipment.
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Posted: Aug 21, 2025
The city of Oshkosh, Wisconsin, recently installed flashing traffic signs on Ceape Avenue near Fire Station No. 15 as a reminder that drivers need to stop and yield to fire trucks that are backing into the firehouse, a joint media release by the police and fire departments said.
The signs were installed at this station due to the close proximity of the entrance of the fire truck bays and the roadway.
Firefighters usually exit the fire truck to ensure that the truck is safely backed into the station. It is crucial for drivers to remain clear of the area until the trucks have completely exited the roadway. Vehicles should not attempt to pass near the front or back of the truck prematurely.
The driver and firefighters are focused on the blind spots of the truck, not on vehicles that may mistakenly believe that there is a safe gap between the moving vehicle and the curb. Following the signs and stopping for the fire truck is essential in maintaining the safety of our firefighters—ensuring they remain ready to respond to the next emergency situation in the city.
Drivers who choose not to stop for fire trucks while they are driving backwards into the fire station may receive a citation. There are several cameras stationed around the fire department to monitor the security of the area. Officers from the Oshkosh Police Department will have an extra presence in this area as well.
WISCONSIN STATUTE 346.455 Vehicles to stop at fire station:
(1) The operator of a motor vehicle approaching an authorized emergency vehicle shall stop not less than 30 feet from that vehicle and shall remain stopped, if all of the following apply:
(a) The authorized emergency vehicle is about to be or is being driven backwards into a driveway entrance to a fire station.
(b) The authorized emergency vehicle is giving visual signal by means of at least one flashing, oscillating or rotating red light or by a member of the fire department or fire patrol standing on the roadway in a position that is visible to approaching traffic and directing traffic to stop.
2) The operator of a motor vehicle required to stop under sub. (1) shall remain stopped until a member of the fire department or fire patrol directs the operator to proceed or until the visual signal under sub. (1) (b) is terminated and all members of the fire department or fire patrol have left the roadway.
Failure to obey this statute may result in a $326.50 citation. Thank you for protecting our firefighters so that they can continue to keep our city safe.
The post New Signs Near Fire Station Warn Drivers to Yield to Fire Trucks appeared first on Fire Apparatus: Fire trucks, fire engines, emergency vehicles, and firefighting equipment.
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