​ Fire Department | The City of Lakewood, Ohio

Fire Department


The mission of the Lakewood Fire Department is “to protect and safeguard life and property from fire or hazardous conditions: to provide emergency medical treatment to those in need.” Under the leadership of Chief Ryan Fairbanks, the department achieves its missions using a fire and medical rescue delivery system consisting of fire prevention, fire safety education, fire and medical rescue operations and hazard abatement. There are 90 members of the Division of Fire, organized as the staff or support function and the line or operations function.

With 16,000 building structures in Lakewood’s five-square mile area, the Lakewood Fire Department has three fire stations. And has some of the fastest response times in the state.

The wide range of duties performed by Division of Fire personnel and the training required to perform these duties may not be well-known. Our service to the community involves responses to motor vehicle accidents, home lock-ins and lock-outs, public assistance requests, carbon monoxide investigations, water and cliff rescues, hazard investigations, and false alarms. We also participate in the West Shore Hazardous Materials Response Team, providing support to, and ensuring support from, our neighboring communities of Rocky River, Westlake, Bay Village, Fairview Park and North Olmsted, should an environmental emergency arise.

  • Ambulance Billing+-

    EMS Payments and correspondence should be mailed to: City of Lakewood P.O. Box 74603 Cleveland, OH 44194.

    Please contact the billing agency, Lifeforce Management, toll-free at (800) 770-4767, to update insurance information, or make a payment for an EMS bill.

  • Car Seat Fit Stop+-

    Click here for information on our Car Seat Fit Stop Program.

  • Emergency Preparedness+-

    Useful Links:

    In an effort to improve Lakewood’s readiness in case of severe weather, lasting power outages, fire and other disasters, the City has identified and promotes the following ways to ensure safety and limit property damage during emergencies: Prepare your home, your family, your business and yourself. For starters, check out the city of Lakewood’s Emergency Preparedness Guide.

    • Visit Ready.gov, the federal government’s website designed to educate and empower Americans to prepare for and respond to emergencies including natural disasters and potential terrorist attacks. Ready.gov offers explanations of how different types of events can affect you, as well as tips on preparing emergency management kits, educating children on the perils of emergencies, filling out family communications plans, keeping important papers and valuables in a safe place and readying your small business for disasters. Every Lakewood resident is encouraged to visit Ready.gov now to prepare for emergencies that may arise in the future.
    • Stay updated locally: During severe weather and other events that create power outages, road blockages and city service interruptions, the City will do its best to keep residents updated in multiple ways. These include website updates and press releases, Twitter updates, Facebook posts and occasional televised press conferences on local media channels. You can also sign up to receive information from the city by email. Add your email address here.
    • Get involved in CERT: Lakewood belongs to the Westshore Community Emergency Response Team (CERT), a group of trained citizens from Lakewood, Bay Village, Fairview Park, North Olmsted, Rocky River and Westlake who educate and prepare participants for hazards that may impact them in the event of community emergencies or disasters. CERT members receive training in basic emergency response skills, including first aid, fire suppression and safety, light search and rescue and shelter services. They also obtain a better understanding of the hazards facing their homes and workplaces and can take steps to lessen the effects of such hazards. To read more about the benefits of joining CERT, click here.
    • ReadyNotify: Want to know right away when there’s an emergency happening in Lakewood? Think evacuations, boil alerts and road closures. The city of Lakewood has partnered with Cuyahoga County to offer residents access toReadyNotify, a mass notification system to issue emergency notifications to the public. It is similar to the communications systems schools use to notify parents of closures or other time-sensitive information. The system delivers messages to residents and businesses by telephone, cellular phone, text message or electronic mail. The system is capable of sending messages to specific communities or the entire county. ReadyNotify is primarily used for emergency notifications, when rapid and accurate information is essential for residents’ immediate safety. To learn more about — or sign up for — Ready Notify, click here.

  • Related Links

  • Fire Safety+-

  • Fire Safety Videos+-

    How To Safety Dispose of Oily Rags

  • Hydrant Flushing+-

    May – June each year
    10:00 am to 3:00 pm Monday – Friday

    The Lakewood Fire Department will be flushing fire hydrants as an on-going program of hydrant and water maintenance. While hydrants are open, the homes on that block may experience discolored water or a drop in water pressure.

    REASONS FOR TESTING
    To alleviate accumulation of mineral deposits within the water mains, thus reducing the incidence of discolored water. Preventative maintenance to make sure each hydrant is in top operating condition.

    PRECAUTIONS TO TAKE
    Turn off any devices that automatically bring water into your home during flushing hours. Examples: Automatic ice makers, automatic yard sprinkling systems, etc. Avoid, if possible, running water. Examples: Doing laundry, running bathwater, etc.

    WHAT TO DO IF YOU HAVE DISCOLORED WATER
    Wait one (1) hour after you are sure hydrant flushing is completed for the day.

    DO NOT USE HOT WATER.
    Run COLD water from whatever faucet is closest to wherever the water supply enters your house (typically in the basement) for approximately fifteen (15) minutes. It should clear up. If problem continues, contact the Lakewood Water Department at: During Normal Business Hours M-F 7:30am-4:00pm (216) 529-6820.

    WHEN WILL MY STREET BE FLUSHED?

    The Lakewood Fire Department’s primary responsibility is to emergency responses. Therefore, it is not possible to predict when a street may not be flushed. The hydrant flushing starts on the north section of the city and progresses south.  Additional Considerations: Likewise, hydrant flushing will not take place if it is raining.

  • Important Fire Phone Numbers+-

    Fire – Emergencies 216-521-1234 / 9-1-1
    Fire – Administration 216-529-6656 14601 Madison Ave.
    Fire Station #1 216-529-6661 14601 Madison Ave.
    Fire Station #2 216-529-6662 18124 Detroit Ave.
    Fire Station #3 216-529-6663 12567 Clifton Blvd.
    Fire Prevention Bureau 216-529-6660 14601 Madison Ave.
    Food Truck Licensing 216-529-6660 14601 Madison Ave.
    Neighborhood Paramedic 216-659-0009 14601 Madison Ave.

  • Neighborhood Paramedic Program+-

    This program, which was launched in August of 2022, introduces a proactive health and wellness initiative designed to prevent illness and injuries to vulnerable populations and reduce need for emergency hospital visits.

    An initial focus of the program will be the implementation of a fall prevention program for senior citizens that uses EMS home visits to prevent trip-and-fall situations within residences. In 2021 alone, Lakewood EMS responded to more than 650 calls for senior citizens experiencing injury from a fall, with more than half of those being serious enough to require transport to a hospital or emergency room. Lakewood has taken its approach from the national CDC’s STEADI (Stopping Elderly Accidents, Deaths, and Injuries) protocol, employing a screen, assess, and intervene approach.

    The Neighborhood Paramedic Program has also received support from the Healthy Lakewood Foundation, which provided a $70,000 grant to help with startup costs for the program such as equipment.

    In addition to the residential fall prevention initiative, other areas of work that are being considered for the Neighborhood Paramedic Program include: blood pressure / glucose screenings; safety checks for expectant mothers / new parents; in-home / outreach vaccinations; emergency preparedness education; and others. Final determination of additional focus areas will be made once the current Community Health Needs Assessment is complete, and the data gathered through that study can help inform priorities.

    For more information or to enroll in the program, contact the Neighborhood Paramedic at lfdnp@lakewoodoh.net or call 216-659-0009.