1911: The City of Burbank was incorporated with a population of 500.
February 23, 1912: First mention of a volunteer Fire Chief, O.L. Bashford, appeared in the Burbank Review.
1923: Homer Davis became the first paid Fire Chief.
May 31, 1927: City Council approved 14 more paid firefighters, shifting BFD from mostly volunteer to primarily paid, with some volunteers remaining.
June 1928: Last recorded response by a volunteer. BFD became almost entirely paid, added three new stations, and acquired two new fire apparatus.
August 19, 1974: Nine firefighters began paramedic training, launching BFD’s paramedic program.
January 20, 1975: Squad 4 began paramedic service.
March 29, 1976: Paramedic Engine 4 entered service.
February 1, 1978: Squad 5 began service, expanding BFD’s Advanced Life Support (ALS) capabilities.
1979: BFD took full control of ALS delivery by adding transport services and converting both Squads into rescue ambulances (RAs).
August 1, 1979: Burbank, Glendale, and Pasadena launched the Verdugo Fire Communications Center (VFCC) to share resources and improve fire response.
September 15, 1999: Rescue Ambulance 11 (RA 11), the third RA, began service.
Present day: BFD delivers fire suppression, emergency medical services (EMS), fire prevention, emergency preparedness, inspections, and public education. VFCC continues to serve the Tri-Cities, Hollywood Burbank Airport, and other regional cities with fire and EMS dispatch services.
