The idea that Rincon Valley Fire Protection District eventually could become part of Santa Rosa Fire Department's service area has lingered as an option for many years, according to firefighters from both agencies.
In the past 20 years, as their two jurisdictions became more and more contiguous, the two agencies have worked more closely together, acting at fire scenes essentially as the same department.
They respond to each other's calls, share tactics, training and equipment, and their rank-and-file members belong to the same firefighters' union.
Rincon Valley is a large suburban area in northeast Santa Rosa, both inside and outside the city.
Rincon Valley's fire district initially started as a small volunteer department. But the district has grown to nearly encircle the city in a wide band of 125 square miles, leaving out part of Oakmont and Bennett Valley.
Rincon Valley has 18 paid firefighters. They rely primarily on Santa Rosa but also on Windsor, Bennett Valley, Graton, Sebastopol and other nearby fire agencies.
The district has four stations, but Rincon's firefighters only work out of two, one in southern Santa Rosa on Todd Road and one in Larkfield just off of Old Redwood Highway. A station on Middle Rincon Road is used occasionally by Rincon volunteers, and one on upper Calistoga Road is basically unused.
Santa Rosa has about 120 paid firefighters and 10 stations.
Rincon Valley residents pay annual firefighting fees to the district, but for those who live on the west and east edges of the district, Santa Rosa firefighters most often show up first and lead the response.
A recent example was a fire Thursday at a men's group home on Middle Rincon Road in the heart of Rincon Valley. Santa Rosa fire sent five engines and ladder trucks and two supervising officers to direct the firefighting. Rincon Valley sent one engine and a secondary support vehicle.
In recent years, the imbalance of service provided by Santa Rosa to the Rincon Valley fire district has become an issue, triggering a study on response patterns and shared services for the two departments as well as Windsor's fire district.
The response statistics show that in 2012, Santa Rosa firefighters responded to calls in the Rincon Valley Fire Protection District 1,400 times. Rincon Valley firefighters helped Santa Rosa crews inside city limits 889 times.
Santa Rosa taxpayers essentially subsidize fire protection for residents living outside city limits.
"We already provide service without (the tax) money in at least half the (Rincon Valley) area," said Santa Rosa's acting Fire Chief Tony Gossner.
Having Santa Rosa take over Rincon Valley firefighting could eliminate the inequity issue, as Santa Rosa would then receive Rincon's revenue and its firefighters, said Rincon Valley fire Capt. Andrew Maclean, a union leader for Rincon's firefighters.
You can reach Staff Writer Randi Rossmann at 521-5412 or randi.rossmann@pressdemocrat.com.
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