About – Riverside Fire & Rescue

About Riverside Fire & Rescue

Riverside Fire & Rescue is a special purpose fire district providing fire suppression, emergency medical services, rescue, and hazard response to the citizens and visitors of Pierce County Fire District 14. Established in 1952 along River Road in unincorporated Pierce County, the district began as an all-volunteer organization of neighbors serving neighbors. Today, Riverside continues that tradition while operating as a modern emergency response agency.

Our Service Area

Riverside serves the lower Puyallup River Valley, spanning from the City of Puyallup toward Tacoma along the river corridor and south along Pioneer Way. Our response area includes residential communities, local businesses, industrial properties, fish hatcheries, and the Puyallup Tribal Community, including Chief Leschi Schools.

Governance & Public Accountability

Riverside Fire & Rescue is governed by three elected Fire Commissioners who provide policy oversight, financial stewardship, and accountability to the citizens of Pierce County Fire District 14. Commissioners are elected by district voters to six-year terms.

Commission meetings are held at Station 74 on the second and fourth Tuesday of each month at 6:30 pm and are open to the public.

Our People

Riverside Fire & Rescue operates as a combination department consisting primarily of volunteer Firefighter/EMTs supported by a career Fire Chief, two Lieutenants, and an Executive Assistant.

Station 74 maintains daily staffing with a minimum of three firefighters on duty at all times, increasing to as many as six personnel when available. All operational personnel are trained and certified to Washington State standards and maintain Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) certification.

Regional Partnerships

Riverside Fire & Rescue operates within a coordinated regional response system throughout Pierce County. We maintain automatic and mutual aid agreements with neighboring agencies including Central Pierce Fire & Rescue, Buckley Fire Department, South Pierce Fire & Rescue, and East Pierce Fire & Rescue.

We also work in close coordination with the Puyallup Tribe, Pierce County Sheriff’s Office, and Washington State Patrol to ensure seamless emergency response across jurisdictional boundaries.

MISSION
Working as a team, we are dedicated to serving our customers.
We will strive to be financially responsible and use cost effective systems to provide professional affordable services.
Our goal will be to continually learn, change and improve.
We will focus on results, providing the best possible service to the citizens and visitors of our district, 24 hours a day.

VISION
Our vision is to be responsive to the changing needs of our community, professionally providing quality fire and emergency medical services to the customer in a manner that encourages pride, respect, and confidence in our organization by the members of the community.