Ventnor City is a 1.75 square mile community with a year round population of 13,000 increasing to about 25,000 in the summer months. The city consists of both residential and commercial properties. Nine of these properties are from 5 to 20 stories tall. This is a large number of high-rises in the small geographic area, which requires additional resources for fire protection.

The Ventnor City Fire Department was founded in 1906 as a 6 member volunteer department and went to a fully paid department in 1934. Ventnor City is cut in half by an inter-coastal waterway and there is only one city road that crosses it. This road contains a drawbridge to allow boaters to use the inter-coastal. Because of this bridge, a second fire station had to be built and staffed on the Ventnor Heights side.

The Department is a civil service department and is under the command of Chief of Department Daniel J. Cahill. The VCFD has 44 sworn personnel including the Chief. Of the 44 personnel, three are staff personnel consisting of the Chief, one full-time Inspector and one Training Officer/Inspector. In 2002, the VCFD responded to 2,487 calls. Medical emergencies accounted for 1,595 of these runs. The on-duty shift runs from two stations with two engines, a tillered truck and ambulance. The minimum number of personnel on duty is seven.

The four department platoons work on a 'FOUR ON - FOUR OFF' shift. This consists of two ten-hour days followed by two 14-hour nights. Change of shifts is at 0800 and 1800 hours. Salaries for firefighters range from $24,180 to $55,881. Starting salary to top salary takes six years. Approximately two thirds of the personnel reside in the city of Ventnor City with 4 more within one half mile.