YES

The Bozeman Fire Department periodically receives questions concerning campfires or recreational fires within the city of Bozeman. Although these types of fires are legal and a permit is not required, there are a few basic rules that need to be followed.

Recreational fires cannot be located within 25 feet of a structure (including decks and fences) or other combustible material unless they are in an approved container designed for this purpose, such as a screened appliance. Even in an approved container, they still must be at least 15 feet from structures. Any condition that could cause a fire to spread within 25 feet of a structure needs to be eliminated before lighting the fire. The fire cannot be more than three feet in diameter and must be two feet or less in height.

All recreational fires must be constantly attended until the fire is extinguished. A fire extinguisher or a garden hose must be available for immediate use. Make sure that the fire is completely extinguished when you are done enjoying it.

Do not burn anything other than a good dry wood. Any recreational fire that will be offensive or objectionable due to smoke or odor emissions is prohibited.

What may be enjoyable for you may not be enjoyable for your neighbors. Be a good neighbor and don't use a recreational fire on breezy days that will spread the smoke through the neighborhood.

Yes, Each shift has firefighters that are certified in car seat installation and who can assist in education and correct installation of your car seat(s). Your child's safety is important to our firefighters so please ensure your seat is installed correctly by have a certified installer help.

To schedule a car seat installation please call Bozeman Fire Station 1 at 406-582-2350 (Mon.-Fri. 8-4)

You can also contact Thrive at 406.587.3840

Bozeman Fire does not offer an Emergency Medical Technician course although locally Montana State University Extension Service offers one. If your not local to Bozeman you should contact your local Community College or Technical College for available classes.

Permits can still also be purchased at Bozeman Fire Station 1 located at 300 East Oak Street, Monday-Friday 8AM - 5PM. If you have questions and would like to speak to a Bozeman Fire official please contact us at 406-582-2350 during normal business hours.

Possibly. The Fire Department does use vacant structures to conduct training. From a single-family residence to large commercial structures, these buildings provide excellent training opportunities for Firefighters.

For more information contact the Bozeman Fire Department Training Division at 406-582-2350.

With the addition of Station 3 located at 1705 Vaquero Lane, (Next to the Dino Park) we now offer a medium sized conference room with seating for up to 18 people.

The conference room includes; tables, chairs, white board, projector screen (no projector), sink, vending machines, and bathrooms. To reserve this room please contact the fire department administrative office by calling 406-582-2350 during normal business hours (Mon-Fri. 8-5).

The fire alarm system in your apartment building may not be monitored and may not automatically notify the emergency dispatch center. In case the alarms go off, immediately leave the building and call 911 from a neighboring building or from your cell phone. Tell the 911 dispatcher your name, the location of the emergency and what the emergency is.

Also, the fire doors in your building are there to save your life. They keep fire in a hallway or another floor from getting into your apartment. Your building’s stairway and your hallway are like chimneys in a fire, the fire will travel from one floor to another unless the fire doors, stairway and hallway doors on your floor are closed. The next time you see a fire door propped open, close it. The life you save may be yours!

The Bozeman Fire Department recently received word from the Insurance Services Office (ISO) that our Public Protection Classification Program (PPC) rating has changed to 2. On December 1, 2017 this will take affect and residents and businesses will enjoy a significantly improved fire insurance rating and possible change in insurance premiums.  Countrywide, there are almost 47,000 communities graded by ISO Commercial Risk Services, of which less than 2% are rated as a  "Class 2".   Bozeman Fire and Great Falls Fire Rescue as of Dec. 2017 are the only two departments with a ISO class 2 or higher in Montana.

ISO’s Public Protection Classification Program plays an important role in the underwriting process at insurance companies. In fact, most U.S. insurers – including some of the largest ones- use PPC information as part of their decision making when deciding what business to write, coverages to offer or prices to charge for personal or commercial property insurance.

PPC is important to communities and fire departments as well. Communities whose PPC improves may get lower insurance prices. PPC also provides fire departments with a valuable benchmark.

ISO’s Public Protection Classification program evaluates communities according to a uniform set of criteria defined in the Fire Suppression Rating Schedule (FSRS). These criteria incorporate nationally recognized standards developed by the National Fire Protection Association and the American Water Works Association.

Utilizing the FSRS, ISO objectively reviews the fire suppression capabilities of a community and assigns a Public Protection Classification- a number from 1 – 10. Class 1 represents exemplary fire protection, and Class 10 indicates that the area’s fire suppression program does not meet minimum recognition criteria. Assuming all other factors are equal, the price of property insurance in a community with a good PPC is lower than in a community with a poor PPC.

THE FSRS allocates credit by evaluating the following three major features:

1. Fire Alarm and Communication System – This review accounts for 10% of the total classification which centers upon a community’s facilities and support for handling and dispatching fire alarms. (911 call handling)
2. Fire Department – This review accounts for 50% of the total classification which focuses upon items such as engine companies, distribution of fire stations and fire companies, department manning and training.
3. Water Supply System – This review accounts for 40% of the total classification highlighting the water supply a community uses for fire suppression.

The new ISO rating places Bozeman in the top 3.4% of rated departments in the nation. In 2007, the Bozeman Fire Department approached the community and asked for support for a mill levy to fund staffing for Fire Station Three as well as an ongoing Capital Equipment and Replacement Program. One of the stated objectives in passing the fire mill levy was to improve Bozeman’s insurance rating. This reclassification achieves that goal. Passing of the mill levy had a direct impact on the fire department’s ability to secure this new ISO rating. Internal improvements to the fire department training, record keeping programs, as well as the addition of a new and updated Gallatin County 911 communications center also contributed to this rating. Additional upgrades to the City of Bozeman’s water distribution system had positive impacts to the water supply system portion of this evaluation.

The City of Bozeman would like to thank the citizens of Bozeman for their continued support in investments to our infrastructure. These investments have had a direct impact on improving our ISO rating and potentially lowering insurance costs for many in our community.

For information on how this new rating will impact your insurance rates specifically, please contact your individual insurance carrier.

Communities that choose to improve their fire protection based upon the ISO rating schedule will benefit from lower insurance premiums. ISO rates an area on a scale of 1 through 10. An ISO rating of 1 is the best (less than 45 in the country). An ISO rating of 10 is equivalent to not having any fire protection. If a fire department has not been rated by ISO, they have the equivalent of a 10 rating.

The Fire Suppression Rating Schedule (FSRS) is the manual ISO uses in reviewing the fire-fighting capabilities of individual communities. The schedule measures the major elements of a community's fire-suppression system and develops a numerical grading called a Public Protection Classification (PPCTM).

Here's how it works:

Ten percent of the overall grading is based on how well the fire department receives fire alarms and dispatches its fire-fighting resources. Our field representatives evaluate the communications center, looking at the number of operators at the center; the telephone service, including the number of telephone lines coming into the center; and the listing of emergency numbers in the telephone book. Field representatives also look at the dispatch circuits and how the center notifies firefighters about the location of the emergency.

Fifty percent of the overall grading is based on the number of engine companies and the amount of water a community needs to fight a fire. ISO reviews the distribution of fire companies throughout the area and checks that the fire department tests its pumps regularly and inventories each engine company's nozzles, hoses, breathing apparatus, and other equipment.

ISO also reviews the fire-company records to determine:

• type and extent of training provided to fire-company personnel
• number of people who participate in training
• firefighter response to emergencies
• maintenance and testing of the fire department's equipment

Forty percent of the grading is based on the community's water supply. This part of the survey focuses on whether the community has sufficient water supply for fire suppression beyond daily maximum consumption. ISO surveys all components of the water supply system, including pumps, storage, and filtration. To determine the rate of flow the water mains provide, we observe fire-flow tests at representative locations in the community. Finally, we evaluate the distribution of fire hydrants.

...on the Fire Suppression Rating Schedule, contact ISO by calling them at 1-800-444-4554.

Tours of your Bozeman fire station are available upon request for all ages although 5 and over is preferred. Station tours last approximately 20-45 minutes and include viewing the firehouse, the fire engine and fire fighting equipment, as well as talking to the firefighters about their job and fire safety.

Contact our headquarters station by calling 406-582-2350 (Mon-Fri 8-5) to schedule your group. This will allow us to find a time, day and house that suits your schedule and needs along with the departments availability.

All fire stations remain "in-service" during tours. Fire companies may need to respond to emergencies at any time. If they do, it will be necessary for the tour to end and your group to exit the station. Please keep this in mind when visiting.

No.

Bozeman City Commission passed Ordinance 2134 on May 2, 2023, which prohibits the sale and discharge of fireworks in city limits. It also prohibits the discharge of fireworks in county enclaves, which are areas wholly surrounded by Bozeman city limits. The ordinance goes into effect June 2, 2023.

This does not apply to handheld sparklers.

Handheld sparklers are the only firework allowed to be sold or discharged in city limits.

Have a fireworks complaint? Call Gallatin County Dispatch.

Please call Gallatin County Dispatch at 406-582-2000, option 4 with any fireworks complaints. Anyone found to be selling or discharging fireworks shall have their fireworks confiscated, is subject to a misdemeanor, and upon conviction, subject to a $500 fine. 

Examples of combustible construction are as follows but not limited to what is listed below. It should be noted the required 10-foot separation from combustible construction applies to each side as well as what is above the grill.

Balconies made of wood or wood composite materials are considered combustible construction.
Wood composite material that has aflame rating which is attached to wood joists is considered combustible construction.

Siding that is made of wood or wood composite materials are considered combustible construction.
Cementitious siding, such as stucco is not considered combustible however, other siding (non-­cementitious) that mimics stucco such as a product as (EFIS) would be considered combustible construction.

The answer to this question could consist of several explanations:

• The balcony could be constructed of non-combustible materials such as concrete or steel and placed away from combustible construction or the construction itself is considered non­combustible.
• The balcony could be protected with an automatic fire sprinkler system.
• The grill is utilizing a smaller 2.5-pound propane bottle. There are conversion kits to use the small bottles on larger grills.
• You may be looking at a town home or single-family dwelling where they are allowed.
• Storage of the grill itself without the propane bottle is allowed.
• The grill is being utilized illegally. Bozeman Fire has a limited staff and cannot patrol every multi-family complex within the city.