Company Profile
CONFIRE
Company Overview
CONFIRE is a Joint Powers Authority (JPA) located in San Bernardino County California established to provide communications, dispatch, computer information systems support (IS), and geographic information systems (GIS) to CONFIRE member and contract agencies.
The CONFIRE Communications Center's (Comm Center) primary function is to provide 24-hour/365 day direct fire, EMS, and rescue dispatch services to CONFIRE’s member and contract agencies. Beyond the direct fire dispatch role, Comm Center also functions as the San Bernardino County (XBO) Operational Area dispatch, which provides large incident coordination for fire, local government, and emergency medical resources on a countywide basis. Comm Center also provides after hours dispatch services for local government, i.e. County Public Health and Road Departments, and the City of Loma Linda.
The following are member agencies of CONFIRE JPA:
Colton Fire Department
Loma Linda Fire Department
Rancho Cucamonga Fire District
Redlands Fire Department
Rialto Fire Department
San Bernardino County Fire District
The following are agencies that contract for dispatch services with the CONFIRE JPA:
Apple Valley Fire Protection District
Big Bear Fire Department
Running Springs Fire District
Montclair Fire Department
San Manuel Fire Department
Upland Fire Department
These agencies represent over 100 fire stations serving numerous communities covering the majority of the residents and businesses within the County of San Bernardino. In 2016 Comm Center dispatched over 200,000 incidents.
CONFIRE is governed by a six-member Board of Directors made of one elected official from each member agency. This Board meets two to three times per year to review and approve fiscal matters and establish certain policy measures. The Administrative Committee is made of the Fire Chief from each member agency. This Committee meets monthly with each member agency having a single vote in respect to operational and administrative matters. Contract agencies are also represented at Administrative Committee meetings but are non-voting participants.
The CONFIRE Director reports to the Administrative Committee and is responsible for the daily operations of all aspects of the CONFIRE JPA.
Company History
Comm Center began operations in 1973, when a centralized dispatch office was created to serve the newly established Central Valley Fire District. It was housed at the Central Valley Station #1, located at Arrow and Sierra Ave. in Fontana. In 1974, a cooperative agreement was reached between the Central Valley Fire District and the San Bernardino County Communications Department for the fire dispatchers to staff the vacant dispatch center located in the basement of the County Library at 4th St. and Sierra Way in downtown San Bernardino.
In 1987, Comm Center moved into a facility at 1771 W. Miro Way, Rialto. This facility, was configured into a co-located dispatch center housing the Sheriff and Fire / EMS Communications, situated on the same property (approximately one-acre), is the County Emergency Operations Center and the 800/900MHz Radio Command and SBSO Control Center.
In May of 1990, the East Valley CONFIRE group united into a formalized “Joint Powers Authority”, “for the purpose of providing hardware, software, services and other items necessary and appropriate for the establishment, operation and maintenance of a joint centralized public safety communications system….” In addition, CONFIRE JPA intended “…to provide dispatch services on a contract basis to other governmental units. It is also decided that the County Fire Department shall provide administrative and support services functions to the (CONFIRE JPA) consisting of personnel administration, facility site usage, purchasing, payroll, and related functions
In June of 1995, the San Bernardino County Fire Department was created and the fire dispatch employees as well as the employees from the Office of Management Services (OMS) that were part of the CAD/Geo-File and geographical information systems, became San Bernardino County Fire Department employees.
In July of 2000 the San Bernardino County 9-1-1 Co-coordinator and staff were transferred from County Information Services to the County Fire Department under CONFIRE auspices.
In 2003, Comm Center moved into an entirely new dispatch facility that is separate from but located on the same property as Sheriff / OES / 800 MHz facilities. The new building houses the CONFIRE dispatch center as well as the CONFIRE Administrative, Technical Services, 9-1-1 Coordinator, and GIS/ Geofile staff.