On January 27, 1854, the Common Council approved Ordinance 239, formally recognizing San Jose Hook and Ladder Company No.

This ordinance also mandated that the Foreman or Assistant Foremen should "wear a specific badge upon his or their hats as distinguishing his office.

[3] The San Jose Fire Department's jurisdiction covers San Jose’s incorporated city limits and unincorporated areas of the County of Santa Clara totaling approximately 180 square miles and 1.2 million residents.

[4] SJFD is the emergency service provider for a number of high-hazard occupancies, including an International Airport; a municipal airport; 7 major hospitals (including 3 trauma centers, and 7 emergency departments); the SAP Center, home of the NHL San Jose Sharks, (maximum occupancy 20,000); San Jose State University (the oldest public institution of higher education on the West Coast), student population of 31,906; three regional super malls; and over 108 high-rise structures.

Personnel in the unit are designated peace officers under California Penal Code Section 830.37(a).

During calendar 2019, the city will adopt a new 5-year fire department infrastructure plan, which will include the timing for building and staffing those stations.

These highly-skilled dispatchers meet or exceed the criteria required for the SJFD Communications Center to be nationally accredited.

To this day, many believe that racial tensions and anti-Asian sentiment led to the fire being intentionally set.

Chinatown's structures were constructed mainly of wood, and the fire devastated the entire neighborhood which burnt to the ground.

A plaque memorializing the fire can be found on the Fairmont Hotel near Plaza de Cesar Chavez in downtown San Jose.

The construction of Santana Row, an upscale shopping, housing, dining and entertainment complex, faced a major setback in 2002 when an 11-alarm fire (5-alarm within SJFD) went ablaze.

In the early morning of July 17, 2007, a suspicious fire consumed the historic landmark located at 156 E. St. John Street in San Jose which once housed early San Jose Mayor Sherman Houghton and his wife, Donner Party survivor Eliza Donner Houghton.

[13] The San Jose Police Department was the first on the scene to evacuate squatters who took shelter in the historic house.