Volunteer

SANTA MARGARITA VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT

Santa Margarita, CA · San Luis Obispo County

SANTA MARGARITA VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT is a Volunteer department serving Santa Margarita, CA (San Luis Obispo County), with 1 station and 17 total personnel. Full equipment, coverage, and staffing data from HIFLD are below.

17
Total personnel
1
Stations
Fire trucks
No
EMS service
-54%
below CA avg personnel
(37/dept)
18th
percentile by size
of 737 CA depts
17
personnel per station
staffing density
None
no FEMA grants on record
AFG / SAFER

Department Profile

Type
VOLUNTEER
Location
Santa Margarita, CA
FDID
40070

Staffing vs the California average

How SANTA MARGARITA VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT's personnel count compares to the typical department in California. It is larger than 18% of the 737 reporting departments statewide.

▼ 54% below the state average
Stations
1
State fire deaths/yr
346
CA departments
1,309

What This Data Tells You About SANTA MARGARITA VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT

SANTA MARGARITA VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT operates as a Volunteer department in Santa Margarita, within San Luis Obispo County, and the HIFLD and USFA records give a precise structural picture of its response capacity. The department reports 17 total personnel, 1 station, no truck inventory reported. EMS capability is listed as not provided, which directly affects how medical calls in the service area are routed and how quickly an advanced life support unit can reach a patient. Department type matters because career, volunteer, and combination organizations carry very different response-time profiles and funding sources.

Benchmarking against the state gives this profile context. California has 1,309 registered fire departments and 48,526 total personnel, averaging roughly 37 staff per department. SANTA MARGARITA VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT runs 54% below that state average, signalling a leaner crew typical of smaller jurisdictions or heavily volunteer-staffed areas. The state records about 168,000 fires, 346 fire deaths, and 40% volunteer coverage each year, which shapes training, funding priorities, and mutual-aid patterns felt at every department in the state.

No FEMA AFG or SAFER grant awards are recorded against this department's FDID in USAspending data, which is common for smaller or volunteer-heavy organizations that lean on state and local funding instead. Residents, insurers, and mutual-aid partners use these data points to judge whether coverage is adequate for the built environment, whether ISO ratings are defensible, and where future capital investment should flow. All figures on this page come from the Homeland Infrastructure Foundation-Level Data (HIFLD) public dataset, USFA published statistics, and USAspending.gov, and are presented without editing so the underlying federal record remains transparent and verifiable.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many firefighters does SANTA MARGARITA VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT have?

SANTA MARGARITA VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT has 17 total personnel according to HIFLD data. This is 54% below the California average of 37 per department.

Does SANTA MARGARITA VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT provide EMS services?

SANTA MARGARITA VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT does not provide EMS. A separate EMS agency likely covers this area.

How many fire stations does SANTA MARGARITA VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT operate?

SANTA MARGARITA VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT operates 1 fire station.

What type of fire department is SANTA MARGARITA VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT?

SANTA MARGARITA VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT is a Volunteer department serving San Luis Obispo County, CA. Volunteer departments rely on community members who serve without full-time compensation.

How many fire departments are in California?

California has 1,309 fire departments with 48,526 total personnel. 40% are volunteer departments.

Data from HIFLD Open Data (FEMA/DHS). Not all departments report equally.

Related

Data sourced from official public datasets. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainFireData Editorial

Federal data sources

Disclaimer: This information is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. Data is sourced from FEMA/DHS HIFLD Open Data. Consult a qualified professional before making decisions based on this data.