In 1928 the Fire Department had eight volunteer members. As the population increased, the membership of the Department increased. In 1967 the Department consisted of 23 regular volunteers and 10 reserve volunteers creating a total of 33 firefighters in the Department.

All Fire Department personnel were volunteer firefighters until January 1, 1975, when John H. Adams was appointed as the first full-time member of the Layton Fire Department. He was the Fire Chief and remained the Chief until May of 1987 when he retired. In 1980 Cort Galbraith was hired as a full-time fire inspector. He was promoted to Fire Marshal on March 1, 1986, and retired in April, 1997.

July 1, 1981, six full-time firefighters were hired to man the station 24 hours per day seven days a week, two men per shift. A full-time secretary position was created July 10, 1985. On March 10, 1986, Scott Adams was promoted to Assistant Chief in charge of operations of the combat firefighters.

July 27, 1987, Allan Peek was appointed as the new Fire Chief replacing John Adams. This brought the total force to nine-full-time fire personnel, one full-time secretary, and 24 on-call firefighters.

In December 2003, the city appointed Kevin Ward as the new Fire Chief. He will begin serving the city on January 12, 2004.

The population of Layton City grew rapidly in the 1980’s and 1990’s. In March of 1992, construction began on a second fire station built in the east part of Layton City. The building was completed and opened October 1, 1992. The address is 2701 North Church Street. At that time six additional full-time firefighters were hired to man the fire station with two men per shift, 24 hours per day. The paid-on-call firefighter staff was expanded in 1992 to 27 firefighters. These firefighters respond back to the stations or to fire scenes for manning. All members of the department are certified EMTs. They also have certification as Firefighter I, Hazardous Materials Awareness, and Operations.

Building expansion throughout Layton City also increased in the 1980’s and 1990’s. In February of 1992, a part-time fire inspector was hired to assist the Fire Marshal. The Fire Prevention office enforces the City Fire Code and all State Fire Codes. Fire investigation and fire prevention programs are part of their duties. Dean Hunt was hired as the new full-time Fire Marshal in April, 1997. The part-time inspector position became full-time in July, 1999.

In October of 1993 Layton city received approval from the Utah State Bureau of Emergency Medical Services to license an ambulance service for Layton City. Two licensed ambulances with automatic defibrillators were purchased and placed in service May 3, 1994, one in each fire station. During the first year of operation the ambulance service responded to over 1,300 calls for service. The ambulance fund is a fee for service account. Monies are collected for supplies and transportation costs. The Fire Department also bills for Davis County Sheriff’s paramedic fees. These fees are then sent to the Davis County sheriff’s Office.

In May of 1994, an office was developed in the Fire Department for ambulance billing and follow-up of all ambulance accounts. This information is provided to the City Finance Department where collection of all funds is done. All monies collected for the service remain in an enterprise fund providing funding to operate the service. A part-time secretary was hired in 1994 to assist the full-time secretary in secretarial duties and ambulance billing needs. This part-time position became full-time in July, 1998.

In 1996 one additional full-time firefighter was added to the roster. Two full-time firefighters were added in 1997. These additions increased manning at each station to three full-time firefighters per shift manning the stations 24 hours per day, 365 days per year.

Two additional ambulances were added to the ambulance fleet in 1997. One of these was a 4-wheel drive ambulance stationed at Station 2 along with the 4-wheel drive pumper. The new ambulances became the first-out on any call. The older ambulances then became back-up ambulances to take the next call.

In the fall of 1997, construction was started on a third fire station located at 530 North 2200 West to serve the West side of Layton City. This station became the new headquarters station with approximately 12,000 square feet of finished space. Nine full-time firefighters were added to the roster at this time along with six paid-on-call firefighters in order to allow for manning of all three stations 24 hours a day.

In the year 2000, application was made with the Utah State Bureau of Emergency Medical Services for Layton City Fire Department to operate one paramedic unit in joint licensure with the Davis County Sheriff’s Office. On April 2, 2001, this paramedic unit went into service to provide ALS services for the citizens of Layton City.

Layton City Fire built a Fire Training Facility in 2010-2011. The training facility consists of a 3-story fire training facility, with two live fire rooms and multiple training props. The facility also has an apparatus bay and office area. This 3+ acre facility hosts thousands of hours of fire and EMS training from the Layton Fire Department and the Davis Technical College Fire Academy. Layton Police Department also conducts hundreds of hours of SWAT and police officer training at the facility each year.

In 2018, Fire Department Administration proposed changing our Department's staffing/manning matrix. Fire Administration proposed moving from our combination department (full-time and paid-on-call) to a full-time career department. The funding was already in place, and it was an easy decision for our City Council. It was a difficult move for our Department, as we said farewell to many dedicated part-time employees that had been with the City for 20+ years. In July 2019, 15 new full-time firefighters started their careers with Layton City. Most of these full-time Firefighter/EMTs were part of our part-time paid on-call staff.

The City began construction on Station #4 in July of 2021. Station 54 is located at 1301 N Valley View Dr. Station 54 was built in about 18 months and opened in December of 2022. The station is named after Assistant Chief Scott E. Adams. Assistant Chief Adams retired from Layton Fire in February of 2023 after 43 years of service to the community of Layton.

Layton City Fire Department Operations personnel work a 48/96 rotating shift. Each shift (A-Shift, B-Shift and C-Shift) has 27 personnel assigned. The Department’s minimum daily staffing is 23 personnel. Layton Fire staffs three ALS Paramedic Engines, one BLS Engine, and five Ambulances. Each shift has a Shift Battalion Chief assigned that leads the daily activities. Our Department has a five-member Community Risk Reduction Division led by a Fire Marshal. The Division has a full-time Deputy Fire Marshal, a full-time Fire Inspector, a part-time education specialist, and a part-time secretary. The Training Division is responsible for all of the training conducted in the Department and the maintenance and operation of the Training Facility. A full-time Training Captain assists the Training Battalion Chief in the Division. The Administration Division supports all Department operations. The Administration Division has the Fire Chief, the Assistant Fire Chief, and three administrative assistants to ensure the Department runs effectively.

As of July 2023, Layton City Fire Department provides fire protection and emergency medical services for almost 86,000 residents and 25 square miles of property, which includes unincorporated areas of Davis County. The Department has 11 mutual aid agreements with surrounding fire departments in County, including Hill Air Force Base, to assist in the time of significant emergencies. Layton City Fire Department supports Holy Cross Hospital Davis and Layton IHC Hospital with ALS, and BLS transports from each facility to multiple destinations accounting for about 20% of our nearly 8,000 calls for service.