Annual Burn Relay to Roll Through Novato on Wednesday

If you work in or plan to visit the downtown Novato area Wednesday, your lunch break could be a tad bit loud.

North Bay fire departments and members of emergency response agencies will rev up and roll through Sonoma and Marin counties Wednesday for the 15th annual North Bay Firefighter Burn Relay, a benefit for the Alisa Ann Ruch Burn Foundation.

With an escort from the California Highway Patrol, a parade of trucks will roll into Novato at about 12:30 p.m. and pull in front of the main fire station on Redwood Boulevard at 12:40 for a 10-minute stop.

Every year for more than a decade, concerned residents have called 911 or the fire district office to ask what's going on.

"We come right through the middle of town at lunch hour, and they hear a lot of sirens," said Eric Nickel, 's deputy chief. "We do it to raise awareness about youth burns and an all burn awareness."

Three off-duty volunteers from Novato Fire will ride in an engine and carry a child burn victim. Parents with young kids — or anybody who digs seeing the big rigs — is invited to stop by Novato Station 61 at about noon to get in position to see the relay parade.

The annual fundraising parade of antique and modern emergency vehicles will kick off at Healdsburg Fire Department and make its way through down to the Southern Marin Fire Station 1 in Sausalito. 

Along the relay route, off-duty firefighters will collect donations raised by fire and public safety agencies through annual community events such as golf tournaments, pancake breakfasts and spaghetti dinners and then formally present the funds to the Alisa Ann Ruch Burn Foundation. Most of the money raised comes from local firefighters and their families along with donations to the Novato Fire Foundation, Nickel said. A check will be presented to the foundation and the procession will head off to Marinwood.

Funds raised provide services to burn survivors and support burn prevention education programs. In honor of the 15th year of the relay, each participant will be recognized for the continued commitment to furthering the mission of the AARBF. To learn more about the foundation, check www.aarbf.org.