Four Things the Billings Fire Department Will Not Do

The Billings Fire Department consists of 141 personnel, including firefighters, paramedics, EMTs, administrative personnel, and fire inspectors. Of those 141 people, 127 of them are line personnel, which includes firefighters, EMTs, and paramedics.

These are the men and women who respond to diverse fire, rescue, hazardous materials calls, and medical emergencies. They are the ones you'll meet if you're ever in a bad car accident, have a medical emergency, or - heaven forbid - a fire on your property.

Read More: How Wildfire Research Changes Affect Montana's Fire Preparedness

The BFD had nearly 18,000 calls for service last year.

Founded in 1883, the Billings Fire Department received 17,914 calls in 2025. The vast majority were EMS calls. The BFD responded to 352 fire calls in its 91.46 square mile service area in 2025.

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Firemen and women are considered heroes to many, and it's easy to see why. We're grateful for what they do for our community. However, there are four things that the men and women of the Billings Fire Department WON'T do.

Per the City of Billings website, the BFD says:

• We do not remove cats from trees.
• We do not book/hold birthday parties at our stations or in your home.
• We do not fill swimming pools with water.
• We do not service fire extinguishers.

Good to know.

Got a cat stuck in a tree?

They'll probably eventually come down when they get hungry enough, or you could call an arborist who will show up with a bucket truck and rescue your sweet kitty. Almost certainly with a service call fee.

Need a fireman for your party?

Buy a costume online and have a friend pretend to be a fireman. Little Junior will never know the difference.

Want your pool filled?

Call any one of the various water delivery services in the Billings area. They'd be more than happy to show up with however many truckloads of water you need.

Need your fire extinguisher serviced?

Most consumer-grade fire extinguishers seem to be disposable/one-time use. If you need your commercial-grade extinguisher serviced, Google "fire extinguisher service Billings mt" and take your pick of companies that can help.