What is The Sea Ranch Fire Department?
The Sea Ranch Fire Department is a tax-supported combination paid and volunteer fire department. Three entities pool resources to make the department work: The Sea Ranch Volunteer Fire Department Inc. (TSRVFD), the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE), and the Sonoma County Fire and Emergency Services Department (FES). While Sea Ranch Fire and The Sea Ranch Association (TSRA) work closely together, the fire department is not a part of, nor is it governed by, TSRA. A Board of Directors, elected from and by members of TSRVFD, together with TSRVFD's Fire Chief, manage the operations of TSRVFD.
A non-profit public benefit corporation, TSRVFD is composed of highly trained and motivated volunteers who live and/or work on The Sea Ranch. One of your neighbors may be a volunteer firefighter; the only way you might know is by the odd hours he or she may race out of the driveway to head for the fire station.
Volunteers participate in many hours of training to equip themselves for the jobs they do in TSRVFD. Some members are Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs), others have special training in driving and operating the fire apparatus and still others may have training in rescue techniques, vehicle extrication or other special skills. TSRVFD and CAL FIRE personnel respond together to emergency calls. The reward volunteers receive is not monetary; it is the satisfaction of helping friends and neighbors when the need arises.
CAL FIRE, under contract through FES for the benefit and support of TSRVFD, provides emergency response, administrative, maintenance and training services to the Department. This contract is funded through your real property taxes allocated in part by Sonoma County to FES. As the rural fire department for the state of California, CAL FIRE is uniquely qualified to offer broad resources to The Sea Ranch and to enhance the volunteers’ skills and abilities. CAL FIRE provides at least two (and often more) duty officers at all times and staffs the fire equipment located at the South Station on Annapolis Road. During fire season the South Station is enhanced by a seasonal crew of CAL FIRE wildland firefighters.
TSRVFD is the owner of the North Station located on Highway 1 just south of the chapel. In addition to owning this fire station, TSRVFD also utilizes its funds to purchase additional important fire and emergency response equipment and supplies that are not supplied under the FES contract with CAL FIRE. TSRVFD’s activities are supported by several fundraisers each year. Current events include a barbeque held on the Sunday of Memorial Day weekend, an annual golf tournament (the next tournament will be in the fall of 2013), and Christmas tree sales.
