Here’s a professional Department Description for the Draper City Fire Department, written in a style suitable for official reports, training documents, or websites.
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Draper City Fire Department
The Draper City Fire Department (DCFD) is a full-service emergency response organization dedicated to protecting the lives and property of the residents, businesses, and visitors of Draper City, Utah. Established to provide a high level of professional service and community engagement, DCFD operates with integrity, preparedness, and a strong commitment to excellence.
The department delivers a comprehensive range of services including fire suppression, emergency medical response, technical rescue, hazardous materials mitigation, fire prevention, public education, and emergency management coordination. Through continuous training, modern equipment, and strong interagency collaboration, DCFD ensures readiness for any emergency that may impact the community.
Draper City Fire Department operates out of strategically located fire stations designed to provide rapid response throughout the city’s diverse terrain—ranging from urban developments to mountain foothills. Each member of the department upholds the core values of service, professionalism, teamwork, and compassion, striving to maintain the highest standards of public safety and community trust.
In addition to emergency response, DCFD actively participates in fire safety education, disaster preparedness programs, and community outreach initiatives, reinforcing its role as both a protector and partner within the community.
Mission Statement:
To protect life, property, and the environment through professionalism, preparedness, and compassionate service.
Vision Statement:
To be a trusted and progressive fire department, recognized for excellence in service, leadership, and community engagement.
Employees are forced to pick up the slack of a lack of staffing due to an inability to retain firefighters. Constant change in fire ground tactics taught based off of what department the last chief came from. Department has no solid foundation to build on. Constant lies and misdirection on wages and benefits
This department has a capricious administration that does not practice what they preach. Losing a lot of experienced personnel to surrounding cities because of it. They have a history of promoting people that do not meet the job description/certifications and black ball individuals that question that. The average life span for a career here is 3 years.
Draper City Fire Department is unfortunately one of the most poorly managed organizations I’ve seen in the fire service. The corruption and favoritism start at the top and trickle down through the ranks. Leadership creates an inner circle of people who are “in,” while everyone else is left out or pushed out. Policies are often ignored, and promotions are given to individuals who don’t even meet the basic requirements for the positions they hold. One example includes someone being promoted to Battalion Chief without having their Officer I certification.
The department has terrible retention because of how employees are treated. Morale is consistently low, and the work environment is toxic. There’s constant gossip, backstabbing, and people talking negatively about each other, with leadership doing little to address it. It’s not the kind of supportive, family-oriented culture that other fire departments strive for.
The city lacks specialties, has limited resources in staff due to retention, and operates with a poor fleet backup. The only real positive is that new turnouts are issued, but that’s about where the positives end. If leadership spent more time focusing on training, accountability, and building people up instead of allowing the toxic culture to thrive, Draper City Fire could be a much better place to work.
The positives: Few, but the good things are great.
Great equipment for both EMS and Fire alike. Like anywhere, their apparatus are just getting older with the promise of new ones being ordered and none delivered. The issued gear is brand new to every firefighter, and each firefighter is issued two sets of structure turnouts to maintain carcinogen-free gear. It is very nice to send one pair out for cleaning after a fire (rare in this city), and have a fresh set ready to go. Also, the community members are lovely in this highly affluent community.
The negatives: Oh my god. Where to start?
An administrative staff that is completely and utterly disconnected from what it was ever like to be a firefighter on the ground level. Zero understanding of what employees care about. The most egregious offense includes promoting several persons to positions which they were not qualified for (for example: promoting a captain to battalion chief when they had not even completed the Officer I certification, which is required to originally be a captain). When directly questioned, administration refuses to acknowledge the insanity of this type of error/oversight, and doubles down with the direct quote of “I know he wasn’t truthful on his application, but he’s the right man for the job” -Fire Chief Clint Smith. Integrity is nonexistent.
The work environment is rather heinous to be honest. Like another user posted, the average length of a career here is 3 years. At that point, it’s extremely common to lateral to a neighboring agency. To add an exclamation point to this, I witnessed three individuals lateral into the department, and within one year they had all lateraled back to their original agency. People do not want to work here, they end up here and stay for the promise of how easy it is to promote (lowest standards for years/qualifications in the entire county for full time departments).
Mandatory staffing policy is a joke, and the admin has coerced employees into excessive overtime/mandatories for years, especially new hires. It’s marketed as a luxury that could get ripped away at any moment. With only 45 people to staff 3 shifts, the understaffing is perpetual.
There’s endless more, but the point is that the admin is out of touch and perfectly and accurately described as “politicians”. For those who don’t know, Clint is a literal politician by profession with his history of city council service and an unsuccessful mayoral candidacy.
If you’re going to spend 25 years at this agency, at least you’ll enjoy that the community is full of beautiful people who have amazing plastic surgeons, lots of money, and dress appropriately for the heat when they jog.
Leadership consistently operates under a “do as I say, not as I do” standard. One battalion chief in particular has been allowed to verbally abuse and publicly berate subordinates with zero consequence or accountability from administration.
Staffing shortages are chronic (even when fully staffed), yet the solution is endless mandatory callbacks dumped on line personnel. When concerns are brought up, the response is either some political nonsense or an blurry version of, “step up or leave.”
Nonstop policy revisions that move the goalposts for promotions, callbacks, and daily operations, has created a chaotic, unpredictable environment.
The result is sub par retention. Many experienced firefighters and paramedic have left for other departments, leaving a very young department with limited institutional knowledge and experience. Even worse, firefighters early in their career are leaving.
Firefighters are burned out. Many who stay have given up or will give up trying to make the department a better place.
I am a longstanding member of the department and have had the opportunity to observe its evolution over many years. The department initially operated with an opportunistic, can-do culture that encouraged initiative, accountability, and professional growth. That culture was quickly and deliberately stifled.
The current “leadership” is profoundly inexperienced, unqualified, and lacks the professional temperament required to accept constructive feedback, self-reflect, or grow. Rather than leading, they are relying on control. Policies are routinely weaponized to silence dissent, deflect accountability, and preserve image. This has created a toxic work environment defined by fear, inconsistency, and retaliation instead of trust, mentorship, and competence. These practices are an embarrassment not only to “leadership” but to the fire service as a whole.
The EMTs, paramedics, firefighters, and engineers within the department are the opposite. They are highly skilled, motivated professionals who consistently demonstrate initiative, dedication, and a genuine desire to improve themselves and the organization. They bring forward ideas, creativity, and a strong work ethic. Those efforts are not evaluated or developed—they are shut down. Innovation is actively discouraged, and progress is sacrificed to protect the fragile egos of those wearing white shirts.
The consequences are predictable and severe. Turnover is extremely high, and it has been for years, with experienced personnel leaving at an unsustainable rate. Much of the department’s equipment reflects standards from nearly a decade ago. Beyond basic operations, the department offers no meaningful fire specialties and has no credible plan or vision to develop them in the future. There is no investment in advancement, no strategic growth, and no commitment to excellence.
My advice to anyone considering employment with Draper Fire is blunt: understand that low morale and high turnover are not temporary problems—they are deeply entrenched and leadership-driven. There is no indication that meaningful change is coming. Knowing what I know now, I would not choose to work here again. I would strongly advise looking to a more established, professional department in the valley that values its people, invests in its workforce, and demonstrates competent, accountable leadership.
Rating Breakdown
1.6/5
2.1/5
3.3/5
1.8/5
8 Reviews on “Draper City Fire Department”
Employees are forced to pick up the slack of a lack of staffing due to an inability to retain firefighters. Constant change in fire ground tactics taught based off of what department the last chief came from. Department has no solid foundation to build on. Constant lies and misdirection on wages and benefits
.
This department has a capricious administration that does not practice what they preach. Losing a lot of experienced personnel to surrounding cities because of it. They have a history of promoting people that do not meet the job description/certifications and black ball individuals that question that. The average life span for a career here is 3 years.
Draper City Fire Department is unfortunately one of the most poorly managed organizations I’ve seen in the fire service. The corruption and favoritism start at the top and trickle down through the ranks. Leadership creates an inner circle of people who are “in,” while everyone else is left out or pushed out. Policies are often ignored, and promotions are given to individuals who don’t even meet the basic requirements for the positions they hold. One example includes someone being promoted to Battalion Chief without having their Officer I certification.
The department has terrible retention because of how employees are treated. Morale is consistently low, and the work environment is toxic. There’s constant gossip, backstabbing, and people talking negatively about each other, with leadership doing little to address it. It’s not the kind of supportive, family-oriented culture that other fire departments strive for.
The city lacks specialties, has limited resources in staff due to retention, and operates with a poor fleet backup. The only real positive is that new turnouts are issued, but that’s about where the positives end. If leadership spent more time focusing on training, accountability, and building people up instead of allowing the toxic culture to thrive, Draper City Fire could be a much better place to work.
The positives: Few, but the good things are great.
Great equipment for both EMS and Fire alike. Like anywhere, their apparatus are just getting older with the promise of new ones being ordered and none delivered. The issued gear is brand new to every firefighter, and each firefighter is issued two sets of structure turnouts to maintain carcinogen-free gear. It is very nice to send one pair out for cleaning after a fire (rare in this city), and have a fresh set ready to go. Also, the community members are lovely in this highly affluent community.
The negatives: Oh my god. Where to start?
An administrative staff that is completely and utterly disconnected from what it was ever like to be a firefighter on the ground level. Zero understanding of what employees care about. The most egregious offense includes promoting several persons to positions which they were not qualified for (for example: promoting a captain to battalion chief when they had not even completed the Officer I certification, which is required to originally be a captain). When directly questioned, administration refuses to acknowledge the insanity of this type of error/oversight, and doubles down with the direct quote of “I know he wasn’t truthful on his application, but he’s the right man for the job” -Fire Chief Clint Smith. Integrity is nonexistent.
The work environment is rather heinous to be honest. Like another user posted, the average length of a career here is 3 years. At that point, it’s extremely common to lateral to a neighboring agency. To add an exclamation point to this, I witnessed three individuals lateral into the department, and within one year they had all lateraled back to their original agency. People do not want to work here, they end up here and stay for the promise of how easy it is to promote (lowest standards for years/qualifications in the entire county for full time departments).
Mandatory staffing policy is a joke, and the admin has coerced employees into excessive overtime/mandatories for years, especially new hires. It’s marketed as a luxury that could get ripped away at any moment. With only 45 people to staff 3 shifts, the understaffing is perpetual.
There’s endless more, but the point is that the admin is out of touch and perfectly and accurately described as “politicians”. For those who don’t know, Clint is a literal politician by profession with his history of city council service and an unsuccessful mayoral candidacy.
If you’re going to spend 25 years at this agency, at least you’ll enjoy that the community is full of beautiful people who have amazing plastic surgeons, lots of money, and dress appropriately for the heat when they jog.
Staffing sucks. IFT suck. Psych facilities suck. Other than that the department isn’t that bad.
Leadership consistently operates under a “do as I say, not as I do” standard. One battalion chief in particular has been allowed to verbally abuse and publicly berate subordinates with zero consequence or accountability from administration.
Staffing shortages are chronic (even when fully staffed), yet the solution is endless mandatory callbacks dumped on line personnel. When concerns are brought up, the response is either some political nonsense or an blurry version of, “step up or leave.”
Nonstop policy revisions that move the goalposts for promotions, callbacks, and daily operations, has created a chaotic, unpredictable environment.
The result is sub par retention. Many experienced firefighters and paramedic have left for other departments, leaving a very young department with limited institutional knowledge and experience. Even worse, firefighters early in their career are leaving.
Firefighters are burned out. Many who stay have given up or will give up trying to make the department a better place.
More will leave.
I am a longstanding member of the department and have had the opportunity to observe its evolution over many years. The department initially operated with an opportunistic, can-do culture that encouraged initiative, accountability, and professional growth. That culture was quickly and deliberately stifled.
The current “leadership” is profoundly inexperienced, unqualified, and lacks the professional temperament required to accept constructive feedback, self-reflect, or grow. Rather than leading, they are relying on control. Policies are routinely weaponized to silence dissent, deflect accountability, and preserve image. This has created a toxic work environment defined by fear, inconsistency, and retaliation instead of trust, mentorship, and competence. These practices are an embarrassment not only to “leadership” but to the fire service as a whole.
The EMTs, paramedics, firefighters, and engineers within the department are the opposite. They are highly skilled, motivated professionals who consistently demonstrate initiative, dedication, and a genuine desire to improve themselves and the organization. They bring forward ideas, creativity, and a strong work ethic. Those efforts are not evaluated or developed—they are shut down. Innovation is actively discouraged, and progress is sacrificed to protect the fragile egos of those wearing white shirts.
The consequences are predictable and severe. Turnover is extremely high, and it has been for years, with experienced personnel leaving at an unsustainable rate. Much of the department’s equipment reflects standards from nearly a decade ago. Beyond basic operations, the department offers no meaningful fire specialties and has no credible plan or vision to develop them in the future. There is no investment in advancement, no strategic growth, and no commitment to excellence.
My advice to anyone considering employment with Draper Fire is blunt: understand that low morale and high turnover are not temporary problems—they are deeply entrenched and leadership-driven. There is no indication that meaningful change is coming. Knowing what I know now, I would not choose to work here again. I would strongly advise looking to a more established, professional department in the valley that values its people, invests in its workforce, and demonstrates competent, accountable leadership.