Why do I see fire engines driving around town?

Timber Mesa Fire and Medical District has 5 full-time staffed fire stations. One of our stations is in the Town of Pinetop/Lakeside, 1 in the Linden area, 1 in White Mountain Lakes, and 2 in the City of Show Low. The Training Division currently staffs the station located at the Airport to cover commercial flights.  There are several reasons that fire engines may be driving without lights and sirens and appear to be “just driving around”.

The engine may be returning to quarters after responding to an emergency call or responding to a “non-emergency” call, ie assisting an invalid back to bed.

The engine may be responding to a call where they were requested to respond with no lights and sirens.

The firefighters may be responding to a “move-up”. A move-up is a situation where a fire engine relocates to provide coverage for another station or unit that is responding to an emergency.

Firefighters may be conducting driver training or area orientation.

Firefighters may also be servicing/testing fire hydrants.

Firefighters may have conducted a training exercise at the training center or at a location away from the fire station. Example: Mock disaster drill held at the local high school.

Firefighters also conduct business inspections while on duty. Business inspections help (reduce the potential for fires) protect businesses in our community as well as enable firefighters to become familiar with the entrances and exits of public buildings and make sure commercial properties are adhering to safety practices that reduce the potential for fires.