The internationally accredited district, founded in 1926, serves nearly 64,000 people and covers 71 square miles. As a district, it is not part of the city government and survives mostly on assessments from local property taxes.
The district traces its history to the establishment of a volunteer fire brigade in 1894. The first vehicle purchased by the district was a 1923 Ford that remains on display at the Fireman's Fund Insurance building on San Marin Drive, and it is driven in the annual Fourth of July Parade. In fact, the fire district is 34 years older than Novato, which was incorporated in 1960.
The district, overseen by Interim Chief Ken Massucco, has five stations around the city: Redwood Boulevard (Station 1), Atherton Avenue (Station 2), San Marin (Station 3), Ignacio (Station 4) and Hamilton (Station 5). Its annual budget is approximately $23.5 million.
In August 2009, the Center for Public Safety Excellence granted international acceditation to the district, a first for Marin County and only the fifth time a California district received the honor. The district has a Fire Explorer program for teens interested in firefighting as a career, and it offers countless classes on public safety awareness for the public.
The men and women of the Sierra Madre Volunteer Fire Department are the first line of defense between the city's 11,000-plus residents and the wide variety of threats that come with living in a wild land/urban interface area.
In addition to providing emergency fire control and medical response services, the department also provides fire prevention and public education services to the community.
The department is the only all-volunteer fire department in Los Angeles County and has three Battalion Chiefs, one Fire Marshall, one Captain Paramedic Coordinator, six Captains, six Engineers and 30 firefighters, in rotating platoons of five members each.
Stephen Heydorff is the Department Chief, with Michael Bamberger, Robert Burnett and Roger Lowe serving as Battalion Chiefs. Richard Snyder is the Fire Marshall and Greg Christmas is the department's Paramedic Coordinator.
With the use of the Verdugo Fire Communications Center in Glendale, California, the Sierra Madre Fire Department is dispatched to all fire incidences in the San Gabriel Mountains, above the City of Sierra Madre and in mutual aid with the Arcadia, Monrovia and Pasadena Fire Departments, as well as with the L.A. County Department and U.S. Forest Service.
Sierra Madre has had its own fire department ever since 1921, when a major fire forced the community to recognize the need for better on-call fire protection for the city.
This all-volunteer fire department serves Sonoma and Marin counties, covering approximately 35 square miles of agricultural, residential and light commercial areas. The 25 volunteers are on call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. For an emergency, please call 911.
Since Ramona is an unincorporated town in San Diego county there is no city government or departments. So, this special district oversees Community Park, water, sewer, wastewater treatment, fire protection and emergency paramedic services in town. The fire and emergency services are operated jointly with CalFire, and the district is governed by a board of directors who hold public meetings at the Community Center on Aqua Lane. The district building is located on Earlham Street, near Community Park.
The City of Calistoga Fire Department oversees fire protection, prevention and education for the city. It responds to fires, natural disasters and public safety and medical emergencies within Calistoga and throughout Napa and Sonoma County. It responds to around 1,000 emergencies within the 96-square-mile area annually. Steve Campbell is the fire chief.
The Gilroy Fire Department exists to protect the lives and property of the Gilroy community. The fire department is composed of three stations: one on Chestnut Street, one on Wren Avenue and one on Sunrise Drive. The stations work to fight fires, respond to emergency medical situations and educate the public.
