Crime & Safety
Supervisors Take Next Step In Consolidating 39 Fire Agencies
Sonoma County supervisors also directed staff to research the feasibility of a proposed half-cent sales tax measure on the November ballot.
SANTA ROSA, CA — UPDATED: The Sonoma County Board of Supervisors took another step Tuesday toward the consolidation of the county's 39 fire agencies. After a nearly three-hour discussion, the board accepted a recommendation of a Strategic Leadership Group, comprised of eight fire chiefs, to analyze consolidating the fire protection districts into a single fire protection district.
The supervisors also directed the County Administrator's Office staff to research the feasibility of a proposed half-cent sales tax measure on the November ballot to pay for fire services in the county.
The county's fire agencies include fire protection districts, all volunteer fire districts, all career staff agencies in some cities and combination of fire departments and nonprofits that provide service through volunteer fire companies.
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Some of the agencies provide advanced life support services and ambulance transports but most provide basic life support and rely on private ambulance companies for transport to medical facilities.
Some fire agencies have special taxes used to provide enhanced services and others rely on property taxes. A half-cent sales tax measure, that would include the county's cities, could generate $50 million a year for fire services in the county under the current economic conditions.
Find out what's happening in Sonoma Valleyfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Regional consolidation of fire districts would precede the proposed single fire protection district.
Seven volunteer fire companies would become part of North Bay Fire, and the Rincon Valley and Bennett Valley fire protection districts and the Mountain Volunteer Fire Company would be annexed to the Windsor Fire Protection District.
Board chair David Rabbitt said the consolidation efforts constitute a "generational change" that will make the county fire services better and stronger.
"They should be done by fire services, not politicians," Rabbitt said.
The board will continue discussion on the fire agency consolidation and proposed sales tax at its March 12 meeting. The proposed sales tax measure must be ready in August to appear on the November ballot.
By Bay City News Service
Photo via Shutterstock
