Fire Department

A Message from the Chief 

It is my privilege to introduce you to the Temple Terrace Fire Department and the men and women who proudly serve our community. Our department motto is "Striving for Excellence and Exceeding Expectations." I believe this motto accurately describes our commitment to providing the highest level of service to our citizens. 

Our department has made a commitment to the highest standards of excellence in fire service. We have accomplished two major achievements that I believe reflect this commitment. 

The first is the reduction of our city's Insurance Service Office (ISO) rating. In 2006, TTFD was able to reduce our ISO rating from a Class 4 to Class 3. After years of hard work, ISO awarded our department a Class 1 rating. This reduction in the fire protection classification helps lower the insurance premiums paid by residents and business owners. The ISO rating is an important incentive for economic development as the city attracts new businesses and oversees the expansion of existing businesses. This ISO Class 1 rating puts our department in the top 1 percent of fire departments across the country. 

Second, our department was awarded Accredited Agency status in 2006 by the Commission on Fire Accreditation International (CFAI), a program of the Virginia-based Center for Public Safety Excellence, Inc. Accreditation assures the public that the Fire Department has a specific mission, continually evaluates its services, encourages ongoing improvement through a self-assessment process, develops methods to address deficiencies, builds on organizational successes, and fosters pride in the organization and the community. 

Our department's success is attributable to our highly trained professional men and women, along with the support of city staff, elected officials, and citizens. I am honored to serve our community as fire chief, and I look forward to continued excellence through service to our community. 

-Fire Chief Ian Kemp

Call if You Can, Text if You Can't

Residents or visitors to Hillsborough County can send a text message to 911 for help during an emergency. While calls are still the best and fastest way to contact 911, text messages are an option when a call may not be possible.

For answers to Frequently Asked Questions regarding the Temple Terrace Fire Department, click here.